The Washington times., 1937-01-18
FILM 7 PLANTS
AREHELDBY
WORKERS
Peace Meeting Fails
With Both Sides
Standing Pat
CONTINUED from Page u

(C00Ll0ue0 IIOm rage ~
to stick at their posts. They were
to have been taken out of the
factories yesterday.
Knudsen had telegrapheo
George E. Boysen, president of the
Flint alliance, in reply to query,
that General Motors would deal
with non-union auto workers in a
separate conference on Tuesday.
The United Automobile Workers
officials were infuriated by this, as
they hold that recognition OF their
union as the sole collective bar
gaining agency between workers
and company is their most lmpoT'
tant demand.
Martin also told neWSpapermen
when he left the conference that
the union would present formal
statement of its position later.
There was noticeable confusion
in the strike situation through the
morning. 1t was uncertain until
the last whether the representa-
tives of both sides would even
meet. The General Motors officials
have declared from the start they
would not negotiate while any of
their plants were occupied by sit
doWners.
The union leaders declared they
had been "double-croSsed" into
evacuating the Cadillac and Fleet
wood plants in Detroit, and didn't
propose to lose any further strong
holds until convinced that the
company was acting in good faith
with them.
Deadlock Complete
The deadlock seemed complete
but at II o'clock this morning
Martin from union headquarters
in the Huffman building, held a
telephone conversation with Knud-
sen, the import of which he re-
fused to divulge. Shortly after
wards Martin, accompanied by
aides, started for the General
Motors Building.
The union men arrived at the
conference room at about 1880
and were greeted by the only two
General Motors officials present
Wilson and Anderson. Knudsen
Brown and Smith arrived at noon
When Martin and the union
men, Wyndham Mortimer and &c
Hall, vice presidents: John Bro
ply, Committee for Industrial Or
ganization director; Lee PresSman
counsel, and Eli L. Oliver, c. I. o
economics expert, left the confer
ence room after the departure OF
the General Motors men, he said
"All negotiations are off"
FUTURE IN AIR
1t is expected that the General
Motors statement would reiterate
the company'S consistent stand
that it would not negotiate until
the Sit-down strikers had left the
plants. The union probably will
intensity it's strike efforts and re.
tain control of the Flint and To.
ledo plants.
General Motors had not indi
Gated early this afternoon whether
any serious effort to resume work
in the Detroit Cadillac and Fleet
wood plants would be attempted
Apparently the union leaders
feared that such an effort might
be made, as they sent $50 men tc
the picket line at the Cadillac
plant early in the morning. These
picketS found the engineering force
in the plant, and when Frank
W1lber, a foreman, attempted tt
enter he was caught by five pick
cts and thrown into the street
Fourteen patrolmen saw the Incl
dent and took no action.
Sit-dOwners Remain
The statement issued by Martin
IN Flint, announcing that the
union has decided not to evacuate
the Sitin strikers from the Fisher
Body plants Nos. and 2, did moi
disclose that it was in effect ar
ultimatum to General Motors.
The union president was very
clear, however, on this point:
The auto Sit-in strikers would
not evacuate the Flint plants I'm.
der any circumstances until a set
tlement is reached.
The officers and representatives
Of the united automobile workers
"unqualifiedly share this convic
tion of the workers." he added.
The strategy board has decided
that the course pursued by Gen
eral Motors make it imperative
that the Sit-down strikers remain
in the plants until the whole con
troversy is settled"
2,OOO Troops Ready
Late Saturday orders for mos
of the National Guard troops Il
leave Flint for their home sta
tions were countermanded BY
Governor Frank Murphy at thu
request of Flint city officials
More than 1000 men remain OF
duty there today.