Milford chronicle., 1937-01-29
ALFRED P. SLOAN
MAKES STATEMENT

General Motors has only one desire
in this situation. We are eager to
return our $4,000 employees to work
as quickly as possible. We are con-
vinced, and the facts show, that most
of them wish to get back to work.
The obstacle to peaceful settlement
is the unlawful occupation OF our
plants by sit-down strikers who have
no right, in law or reason, 10 hold
possession of them. General Motors
is willing to bargain collectively
when it receives back its plants.
At Governor Murphy's request, we
went to Lansing and agreed to begin
bargaining. The union agreed to
vacate the plants. We have lived up
to our word to the Governor. The
union has violated its word. They
made charges which have no basis
in fact in an attempt to justify their
own violation of the Lansing agree
ment.
The statement made by the union
leader in Washington recently, clear
ly indicates that the strikers are act
ing under his orders. His statement
also indicates clearly he is deter
mined to dominate the industry and
its workers by illegality and force.
The strikers were called in the
beginning without any attempt on
the part of the union to bargain col
lectiYely. We agreed to bargain with
the union as soon as the sit-downers
quit the plants. We imposed no con-
ditions on the union whatsoever. We
stated that, during negotiations, we
would not attempt to operate struck
plants, or to remove from them any
dies, tools. machinery. or equipment.
In the interest of getting our peo-
pie back to work without precipitat-
ing riots and violence. and in the in
terest of bargaining, General Motors
was willing, while there was hope OF
bargaining. to do anything reason
able..st F-
We agreed to discuss the unions
demands in a general conference
with our executives. -~
We agreed to meet with the union
leaders at Lansing, to arrange terms
on which bargaining should begin.
We agreed not to try to operate
struck plants while negotiations
were on.
We agreed to go to Washington to
cooperate with Federal and state Of
ficials i'm their efforts over the last
two days, to reach a basis of negoti-
.s
In the face of this willingness of
ours to do everything to make pos
sible a negotiation on the basis of |
reason, the union persists in its un-
lawful possession of our plants.
The present deadlock cannot go on
Our men wish to work.
They are prevented by small group
Of sit-down strikers and their lead
ers, who are willing TO jeopardize
he countrys recovery, in order to
impose dictatorship on our industry
md on our people.
Our duty is plain. We have a re-
'ponsibility to our employees. This
strike is costing the employees OF
General Motors a million dollars a
lay, in wages. Our duty to them is
o do everything possible to save
hem from further loss of income
md from being thrown on relief. (
The situation must be solved and
am sure that a way will be found
o solve II fundamentally in the near I
uture. In the meantime. so far as {
ur ability to carry inventory will ;
ermit. every effort will be made to |
ford as much work as possible to
ur employees who are out of work
through no fault of their own.
MIR. Knudsen is returning to De-
roit today to see how far he can
ut this policy into effect.