Evening star., 1937-07-04
FORD CHALLENGES
BOARD AUTHORITY
Employees in Union Attack
Engaged in Local Produc.
ton, Firm Says.
~ the Associated Press.

DETROIT, July 3.--The Ford Mo-
tor Co. challenged tonight the Ma
tional Labor Relations Boards au-
thority to regulate its relations with
employees it described as engaged in
local production"
Answering an N. L. r. B. complaint
OF unfair labor practices on which a
hearing is set for Tuesday, the Ford
Co. denied al its allegations and as
serted 1t should be dismissed.
The formal answer signed by Harry
Bennett, Ford personnel director, said
Ford employees who beat and chased
union organizers from plant gates
May rs were at all times acting in
self-defense" after the unionists had
entered into an unlawful conspiracy
to trespass and to cause a riot"
More than = dozen union members
were treated for injuries after the
nghting which attended distribution
OF handbills in their campaign to or
ganize the $4,000 employees of the
huge Ford plant in suburban Dear
born. The N. L. r. B. complaint
charged the company with response
ollity for what it termed malicious
and brutal assaults"
To Try Distribution Again.
Leaders Of the United Automobile
Workers Of America, 4 C. !. O. anil
ate, announced 4 second attempt to
distribute literature at the Ford plant
Will be made Wednesday morning.
Homer Martin, u A. w. president ar
ranged TO confer with Gov. Frank
Murphy on the unions request for
State police protection.
The sevena-page document filed
with the N. L. r. B. today by Louis
j. Colombo, Ford Co. attorney, de-
clared there were lawful reasons" for
discharge OF numerous employees the
board had charged were dismissed be-
cause Of union activity.
Sources close to the Ford company
have indicated 1t WAS prepared to
carry to the United States Supreme
Court its opposition to regulation by
the N. L. r. B. Today's challenge
to the boards authority asserted that
the discharged employees ''labored only
IN the manufacturing department of
respondent: that they took no part
IN the transportation to and away
from respondents plant: nor did they
participate In any activity which pre-
ceded or followed manufacturing: that
none OF said employees was engaged
IN interstate or foreign commerce
within the true meaning Of the ma
tional labor relations act"
Presiding as trial examiner at Tues
days hearing will be John T. Lind
say. former Wisconsin attorney. who
Joined the Labor Boards staf1 three
years ago. The hearing will be held
in the Federal Building here.
Freedom Of Speech"
The Ford answer said that in dis
tributing pamphlet entitled "Ford
Gives Viewpoint on Labor" (Which the
N. L. r. B. listed rs propaganda -.
expressing its opposition to the exer-
else by its employees of their right
to self-organization) the company
merely exercised its right of free
dom of speech and freedom of the
press"
Similarly the company said en-
ployes who circulated = paper entitled
"A Vote Of Confidence" among Ford
workers (which circulation the N. L.
R. B. charged took place during
working hours and otherwise under
circumstances calculated to intimidate
and coerce' employes) were exercis-
ing the same rights.
Labor Board charge that the
company supported solicitatio during
working hours Of memberships in the
Ford Brotherhood Of America, Inc"
the Ford statement described as i'm
material and irrelevant" but added
the acts complained of were proper
and lawful" The F. B. A. has petit
toned the NJ L. r. B. to intervene
in Tuesdays hearing.
Enumerating its reasons for ask
ing dismissal OF the complaint, the
Ford Co. declared
That none OF the alleged unfair
labor practices Affected. bur
dened or obstructed the flow of inter-
state or foreign commerce"
That none of the acts complai ined
OF tended to lead to labor dispute,
burdening and obstructing commerce.
That "the National Labor Relations
Board has no authority to regulate
relations between employers and en-
ployeS engaged in local nrod,ctionu
and mo Jurisdiction to hear and de-
termine assault and battery cases"
That "all the words, acts and con-
duct Of the respondent were within
the legal and constitutions rights of
the respondent, as guaranteed by the