The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-02-08

N0otnef olmculC issue N tne ALREADY
strained cancellation negotiations.
Conference Deadlock
The conferees stu were dead
locked as the conference opened to-
day with little indication Of immed-
late settlement.
Green was said to have made his
telephone call from meeting OF
the Metal Trades and Ei'lding
Trades divisions of the A. F. Of L.,
ut Washington.
Signers Of the telegram we're re-
ported TO have been Green, John p.
Frey, head Of the Metal Trades di-
vision, and David Williams, president
Of the Building Trades division. The
latter group is controlled by Will
liam Hutchinson, arch-enemy OF
Lewis, who engaged In fisticuffs with
the G. I. o. leader at Atlantic City
last year.
Friends of Governor Murphy rep
resented him as feeling that he was
dealing with but two parties in the
dispute Motors and the U.
A. w. A.-and would be constrained
to ignore outside pressure.
The A. F. of L. executive council
met In Warrington today. Subjects
before 1t included Lewis unioniza-
ton drive and Shutdown" strikes,
with particular attention to the
General Motors strike. Homer Mar
tin, president Of the U. A. w. A.,
which is a G. I. o. unit, has ap-
pealed to the A. F. Of L. for strike
funds.
Both parties went into separate
rooms at the opening of today's ses-
sion at 11:15 a. m. The governor
had written statements Of each side
In his pocket and there were strong
indications Of breakup or an inter-
i'm In the effort to end 4l-day-old
conflict.
Talks With White House
Gov. Murphy had spoken for 10
! ,Ilutes with the White House. He
sought President Roosevelt's guild
ance in breaking the deadlock be-
tween John L. Lewis, chairman of
the committee for industrial organ
ization ar high executive of the
General Motors corporation.
A written statement was prepared
over the weekend by each side
and handed Gov. Murphy, the
United Press was informed. One
set forth the position of the strik-
ers; the other, that Of the corpora
ton.
There were strong indications
that President Roosevelt would
place the full force of his prestige
behind .1urphy who already has
been delegateI his special mediator.
A person close to negotiations said:
Watch the White House" The same
person indicated that today's con-
ference would be crucial and might
pr,duce development affecting
both parties"
Two developments matching that
d. 5cription were possible:
~ An agreement on basic prin-
ci,les, permitting direct negotiations
to end the Al day old strike; 90
a termination or suspension of the
conferences without result 1t was
not believed that settlement was
near. Gov. Murphy reiterated that
the issue on which the conferees
were stalemated still Is whether the
corporation will recognize the union
as sole spokesman for the workers
in the 20 plants 1t has closed.
Neither Side Changes
BY persons close to both parties
to the conferences, the United Press
was informed that neither has
changed its basic position. These
are:
General Motors: The corpora
ton holds it a duty to protect its
employees from domination by any
minority" The right to each
worker or group of workers to deal
with the company is sovereign. The
corporation is pledged to this pol
icy.
United Automobile Workers: The
union holds TO minimum demand
that 1t be recognized as exclusive
bargaining agent in 20 plants where
in was strong enough to close by
strikes. General Motors executives
speak for all the stockholders; there
fore union which has demonstrate
ed its strength by organizing enough
workers should be entitled to rep
resent all workers.
High neutral parties said there
ives possibility of an interim" in
the conferences since Gov. Murphy
would release the negotiatorS only
Subject to recall"
Today Or Failure
Reliable sources said it probably
would be Monday or nothing for
the governors peace plan because it
was doubted whether General Mo-
tors representatives could be held In
fruitlesS conference much longer.
Parties to the conference said Will
liam s. Knudsen, c. NJ executive
vice-president; Donaldson Brown,
finance chairman; and John Thorn
as Smith, general counsel, had been
cissuaded from walking out Satur-
day only after Murphy had ar
ranged for President Roosevelt to
talk to KnudSen by telephone.
Gov. Murphy limited that he had
been under heavy pressure to force
results when, in press conference,
he made the spontaneous declara-
ton:
1T would be futile for anyone
on either side to attempt to intim-
idate or coerce me. Such efforts
would make the slightest difference
in my judgments. am pledged to
the public interest, which will be
supreme over either or both parties
and I will never yield from that
course"
A General Motors spokesman,
meanwhile, spoke strongly of the
possibility of further court action at
Flint. Attorneys already have OBJ
tanned two injunctions ordering the
removal OF 1900 Shutdown strikers
in Fisher body plants Nos. and 2
there. On Friday the corporation
lawyers obtained writ ordering
that the 1900 strikers and Is union
leaders, including Union President