Imperial Valley press., 1937-11-14
CAR MEN FACE VITAL PERIOD
LABOR PROBLEM
QUESTION MARK
FOR INDUSTRY

DETROIT, Nov. 13. (UP)
The next few weeks will
be critical ones for the auto
mobile industry as it surges
toward the peak of its long
upward climb to the remembered
glories of 1929.
Two immense question marks face
sales managers and other execu-
tives as they grope for a clear
vision Of the road just ahead.
They are:
l. What will happen on the labor
front?
2. What is the retail market
going to do?
These questions are of equal i'm
portance; each is an unknown
quantity; and each affects all ma
jor producers.
Increasing uneasiness over the
thoughts of the man who rides
the street car to work, wears greasy
overalls and gets his hair cut
every two weeks was emphasized
the other day by Alfred Reeves,
vice-president Of the automobile
manufacturers association. Reeves
came here from his home in New
York to look over the industry's
manufacturing center and confer
with other executives.
What disturbs the outlook now"
he said, "is the very dangerous
they can't discharge me- attitude
of too many misinformed workers
walking around with a chip on
their shoulder" That is a fair
sample of the ALTITUDE in front
offices" throughout the industry
The paralyzing strikes which
broke out about this time last
year and developed into the most
dramatic display of sit-down tao
tics this country has seen still are
remembered with dread. And new
unrest bobs up continually with
unpredictable results.
Today Ford, General Motors and
Chrysler-the big three"-all are
facing labor situations which, while
not Immediately menacing, pose
important problems for executives
plagued by rising costs and in
creaSing market resistance.
General Motors and Chrysler
both have contracts with the Unit
ed Automobile Workers union, es-
tablishing procedure for collective
bargaining and setting standards
for seniority and other conditions
Of work. But since early last sum-
mer union officials have been bar
gaining with General Motors over
demands for revision of its con-
tract, and in recent weeks rela-
tions between the union and Chrys-
Ter corporation have become notice
ably COOL
Henry Ford has remained stead
faStly aloof from all contact with
the UAWA and has taken no pains
to hide his resentment against and
opposition to all attempts to union
ize his workers. To bring him into
the fold of manufacturers with
which it has contracts, the union
currently is eXpending a large
olAo1 y Va AGo CAiC1 BY anu III
nationwide campaign directed
at Ford's approximately 100000
employees.
This campaign, which has met
repeated Set-backs since union Of
ficials predicted last spring that
Ford would have his name on a
contract by Christmas" will be
given new hyodermic injection
Saturday and Sunday at a meeting
of organizers from Ford plants all
over the country.
The threat of a strike vote in
Chrysler's Plymouth division was
sidetracked when President Homer
Martin of the UAWA called a
meeting OF union officials repre-
senting all Chrysler plants. At first
scheduled for Nov. 81, it was post
poned without explanation last
Wednesday until Dec. 4.
Increased friction between the
union and Chrysler was indicated
recently when in an official state
ment from UAWA headquarters
it was announced that the union
would withdraw from negotiations
designed to smooth out a contro-
versy over the independent asso-
citation of ChrySler employees.