Imperial Valley press., 1937-03-22
NOW ONE ORGANIZATION
VIEWS SIT-DOWN STRIKES

X. i. Keller, president of ChrySler
Corporation has sent to all the corpor-
atoms distributors and dealers a men,
orandum dealing tersely. clearly and
ooncisely with the Chrysler sit-down
strike 1t is worthy of full reproduction
here
During the afternoon of Monday,
March 8, the clio. union, directed by
persons who were not in our employ,
with employees belonging to the union,
seized eight of this Corporations prin-
cipal plants in the Detroit area, includ-
ing its general offices, and are still
holding them Our executives, plant
managers, and their staffs, are being
kept out by force.
"The agents of the union took over the
plant and barricaded them. They re-
fused to let either the factory employees
or the office employees leave or enter
the plants without their permission. In
many cases they took the company badg-
es of the employees away from them.
They did not permit employees to leave
the plants unless they signed union
cards A military organization, manned
by this unions agents, was set up in
the plants and the company's plant pro-
lection men were ordered out of some
buildings, leaving the Corporations
property wholly in possession of these
union agents.
"Our mail trucks carrying company
mail from the post office to its offices
were stopped by this unions agents,
and delivery of mail obstructed.
1.-The company consequently has been
unable to carry on its business in its own
offices. The company has set up offices
elsewhere in Detroit. Its files and office
records in the plants are in the posses
sion of this union.
"As is well known there was no dis
pute over wages and working conditions
of our 10000 employees. Our rates of
wages are substantially in excess OF 9Oc
an hour, and the weekly, monthly, and
annual earnings of our employees have
been not only the highest in the history
of the company but among the highest
of all American industry.
"This company has conducted its in
dustrial relations by and in accordance
with general acknowledged standards OF
fairness and equity with the purpose OF
giving our employees the highest possible
earnings and the best working condi-
tions the prosperity of the business can
afford. We have constantly negotiated
with these people over a period of more
than three years and at their request
entered into further negotiations with
them on Wednesday, March 3. While
these negotiations were going on, the
agents of this union seized the plants.
"This union is demanding closed
shop. They have stated that their de-
mands mean one of three things: Either
an employe signs up with the union,
or he will be ostracized and subjected
to intolerable intimidation and coer-
cion. both in the shop and at home, or
union men will refuse to work with him.
Under these conditions, however deslg-
mated, it is impossible for us to make
products of Chrysler quality and OF
Chrysler price.
"As citizens of your communities, as
we'll as representatives of the Chrysler
Corporation, it is important that you un-
derstand these plain facts. In our close
relations with you, we believe that we
should tell you frankly what our sltua-
ton is and we ask you for your under
standing and cooperation. We are advis-
ing YOU of it so that you may conduct
YOUR affairs accordingly. We ask you
TO be patient with us in our attempt TO
do our office work in temporary offlces
without the records and files necessary
for carrying on business in the normal
way.