Evening star., 1937-01-10

collective bargaining. These have not
been met"
Murphy, reporting that both sides
have been doing their best" in the
conciliation conferences, expressed
hope that the parties will soon place
their differences on status OF con-
ciliation and arbitration, which should
characterize the handling Of great
problem like this in an advanced and
progressive community"
At Flint, Mich, where 26,359 workers
were idle in four General Motors
plants, and Anderson, Ind. with two
plants employing 10000 closed. anti
strike movements were under way.
George E. Boysen, former mayor Of
Flint who was employed for "a years
by General Motors, reported $500
persons had signed membership cards
in 1.-The Flint Alliance for the security
of our jobs, our homes and our COM
munity," and added, when We obtain
enough members to be really con-
vincing we will seek conference with
General Motors officials to see II ar
rangements can be made for reopen
ing closed plants"
Appeal to Employees.
| Homer P. Lambert, cemetery man
ager, chairman Of a newly-formed
Citizens League for Employment Sc
curity" at Anderson. made a public
appeal to employees Of the Guide Lamp
and Delco-R -Remy plants there to re
nounce foreign leadership"
| The chairman of a non-strikers'
committee at the Fisher Body Co.
plant at Cleveland, closed December
20 by a strike. announced 3,425 of the
1911 employees were ready to return
to work. The Works Council at the
Chevrolet Motor Co. plant at Flint.
which closed at / am. today, said
1890 Of the 1,485 men at work
when the plant shut down had signed
petitions asserting they were mot in
sympathy with the present organizing
movement"
At North Tarrytown, N Y, Pc
tition Of LAT of the 1000 workers,
requested General Motors not to shut
down two plants there and pledged
loyalty to the company union.
Michael j. Burke, president Of the
Flint Federation Of Labor, which voted
to support the u A. w. A. strike to
the extent Of a general strike If nee
essary, said today headquarters Of
the Individual Federation Unions
would have to give approval before
their members could join such q
walkout.
Chrysler Posts Notice.
Another big automobile concern, the
Chrysler Corp. noting what it said
were reports of intimidation" Of its
workers, posted notices on bulletin
boards that nobody has to join any
organization to get or keep a job in
this plant"
The U. A. w. A. president recently
classified labor conditions in Chrysler
factories as satisfactory"
The corporations notice said: "The
management Of this plant will discuss
and settle any matter affecting condi-
tions Of employment with any en-
ploye, with the employe himself. or
with any representative he chooses,
union, non-union, or any one else"
Knudsen Statement.
Knudsen's statement last night on
negotiations follows:
General Motors Corp officials have
been in conferences with Gov. Murphy
and U. 8. Department Of Labor Com
missioners Dewey, Mcdonald and
o'Connor during the past week. We
have time and again expressed will
ingness to bargain collectively with
union officials on the basis Of their
memorandum Of January 4 upon the
sole condition that sit-down strikers
in five or our plants leave our premises.
However, at the last conferences
with the conciliators, q set of demands
were presented from the union as
conditions upon which the strikers
would move out.
ITO have accepted these conditions
would have placed General Moters in
the position Of condoning their illegal
action.
In a further effort to make prog.
reSs, and at the Governors sugges-
ton, we wrote the following letter to
the Governor, dated January 8:
General Motors Corp. representa-
tives, Immediately upon the evacua-
ton Of its plants by those employees
engaged in the sit-down strike, will
meet with the representatives of the
International Union of the United
Automobile Workers of America for
the purpose of bargaining collectively
on such Of the proposals contained in
the letter from the international union
dated January 4, which deal with
matters of general corporate policy.
without Prejudice"
Negotiations will he conducted
frankly and without prejudice to any
one
Unfortunately, the union officials
were unwilling to start negotiations on
this basis and insisted on further re-
strictions Of the corporations freedom
Of action. So far as the corporation
is concerned, it asked nothing Of the
union except the termination of the
unlawful occupation Of its plants.
I'VE regret exceedingly the delay in
negotiations affecting SO many thou
sands of our employees. We propose
to do everything consistent with law
and good will toward all Of our men
or their representatives. but We can
not condone the illegal occupation of
our plants.
I'VE express our sincere thanks and
appreciation to the Hon. Frank
Murphy, Governor of Michigan, for
his unremitting efforts to bring the
parties together on basis Of lawful
bargaining, in the hope of a speedy
settlement of o strike that Is doing
unnecessary and irreparable damage
to hundreds of thousands of innocent
sufferers, and We regret that the ar.
bdtrary action Of the union oficials
has frustrated his endeavors."