Evening star., 1937-04-02
G. M. PEACE TALKS
OPENED IN DETROIT
Seek End to New Strike
TroubIes-ChrysIer Par.
ley Delayed.
BACKGROUND

ruary. Then trouble ,pas threat
ened BY U. A. w.. In Chrysler
plants, resulting in strike there
March 8. Negotiators are still
Uorking on this dispute.
Wednesday night neD strikes
broke out in G. M. C. plants, work.
ers claiming the company had Dio-
lated its agreement in the opera-
ton OF the shop steDard system.
BY the Associated Press.
DETROIT, April 2-Resumption OF
strike settlement negotiations between
Walter ~ Chrysler and John L. Lewis
was deferred today until Saturday,
as efforts to settle new disputes in
General Motors plants were inten-
sif1ed.
William S. Knudsen, executive vice
president of General Motors Corp,
and Homer Martin, president OF the
United Automobile Workers. met in
an attempt to quiet sporadic storms
that beat about the General Motors
U. A. w. A. agreement reached just
three weeks ago today.
With Knudsen were Harry w. An
derson, Industrial relations head, and
Floyd o. Tanner, director Of manu-
featuring. Martins aides were Wynn
ham Mortimer and Ed Hall, union
vice presidents.
A series of sit-down strikes, de-
scribed by union leaders as spon-
taneous and unauthorized, closed all
nine plants of the Chevrolet Motor
Co. at Flint, Mich, today.
approximately $4,000 General Mo-
tors workers were idle in Flint, as
union leaders prevailed upon sit-down
strikers to leave the Fisher body plant
and two plants of the Yellow Truck
& Coach Manufacturing Co. at Pom
tiac, Mich. Settlements also had been
announced of strikes begun yesterday
in two Chevrolet departments at
Flint, but those peace moves were off,
set by new strikes that closed the
entire factory.
Dissatisfaction Seen.
There were some indications the
rank and file of the U. A. w. A. mem
bership was dissa tisfied with the pro-
visions of the agreement which set
forth procedure to be followed in col
lective bargaining and in dealing with
employe grievances.
Union officials contended that the
strikes were spontaneous protests by
the workers against the refusal Of
plant foremen to recognize shop stew
ards. The company contended the
strikes we're clear violations of the
agreement, which provided that there
should be no interruption Of work un-
til all other methods Of settlement
had been exhausted, and no strikes
without authorization of the interna-
tional officials. They insisted that the
company had adhered scrupulously to
the agreement.
Some union officials said they be-
ieved the feeling among the workers
would be improved if shop committees,
limited to nine members by the agree
ment. were enlarged to provide for
representation of all departments.
Martin described the new strikes as
Temporary disturbances which will
work themselves out as understand
ing and cooperation Is established
through collective bargaining"
He joined other union officials in
declaring that every effort would be
made to end the misunderstanding.
Shop Stewards Issue.
The Flint strikes followed the
election of new shop stewards, which
contributed to the misunderstanding
over who should be recognized as
the accredited representatives of the
employees.
The Chevrolet strikers congregated
in plant No. 4, the motor assembly
department, which is key plant for
all Chevrolet operations. Between
400 and 500 men were occupying that
plant with handfuls of pickets at the
various gates. No conferences had
been scheduled.
Gov. Frank Murphy announced the
postponement of the Chrysler-LeWis
conference before he left Detroit for
Lansing today. He explained that
Lewis had been detained in the East
by negotiations between his United
Mine Workers and the bituminous
coal operators. Chrysler was re-
ported to be engaged with company
affairs.
The Governor said he would confer
today with other representatives of
the Chrysler Corp. and the U. A.
w. A., but it was considered unlikely
that any settlement of the Chrysler
strike, which began March 8. could
be reached without the presence of
Lewis and Chrysler. The negotiations
have been deadlocked on the issue OF
sole recognition.
Two thousand men paraded out Of
the main plant of the Yellow Truck
and Coach Manufacturing Co. at Pom
tiac this morning, ending a sit-down
strike that began at 9 am. yesterday.
Recognition of union shop stewards
was the issue that precipitated that
strike. The Yellow Truck and Coach
Co. is partially owned by General
Motors, but corporation officials
claimed it did not come under the
G. M.-U. A. w. A. agreement. Terms
of the settlement were not announced
Strike at Pontiac.
"a few hours earlier, strikers had
evacuated the Fisher Body plant al
Pontiac, which had been occupied
since Wednesday night. Charges OF
discrimination against union work.
men was given by spokesmen for the
strikers as the cause Of that sit-down
Production will be resumed in the
Pontiac Fisher plant and in the Pom.
tiac Motor Co. plant, which obtains
body from Fisher, Sunday night and
Monday morning.
Despite the settlements in Pontiac
approximately 100000 automobile
workers were idle. Sixty thousand
of them were employed in the strike.
bound Chrysler plants; 10000 by the
Briggs Manufacturing Co., which