Evening star., 1937-01-01
LABOR 0VERTURES
|ANSWER COMPANY
|kUT0STR|KES STAND
u. A. W. President Hopes
Door Is Not Shut to
|, Further Efforts.
THOUSANDS ARE OUT;
BIG INDUSTRIES PINCHED
Responsibility Must Rest With
General Motors if More Quit,
Says Martin.
BACKGROUND

Workers in seDernl big industries
tDalked out last tDeek, threatening
to cripple advancing business re-
corery. In general, the chief union
objectiues in the strikes are in
creased tDages, adjustment OF 0uer-
time rates and recognition of the
unions as the collective bargaining
agency. In some instances the
United Auto Workers of America
also is requesting the reinstatement
OF employees it alleges were dis
missed for union actipity.
By the Associated Press.
DETROIT, January 1.-Homer Mar
tin, president OF the United Automo-
bile Workers Of America, said today
he hoped General Motors Corps let
ter answering his request for a con-
ference on labor conditions SIS not
intended to close the doors to further
efforts to reach an understanding"
He issued a statement commenting
on the communication he received last
night from William s. Knudsen, execu-
tive vice president of General Motors,
in which Knudsen said the corpora
tion was willing to meet with union
representatives, but insisted that col
lective bargaining must be discussed
with individual plant managers.
The gigantic automobile industry is
the largest of several feeling the pinch
of labor disputes as they opened the
tives, hoping that business will con-
tinue at the pace it maintained IN
1895, were concerned over the possible
effects of continued or. expanding
strikes on the 1887 outlook.
$4,000 Out at General Motors.
Thirty thousand employees of Cen
eral Motors alone were idle when fac
tories closed for an extended holiday
week end. Strikes have halted pro-
duction in few auto parts plants, and
in the fiat glass industry-whose big
sest customer is the automobile manu-
facturer-otheY thousands were out.
The effect of these shutdowns was
reaching other industries which fur
nish the automotive industry with
materials, the largest being the steel
business. With automobile and parts
production curtailed, the steel trade
found one of its chief markets shrink
ing. The tire manufacturing trade
was also hit.
Martin said: "Mr. Knudsen's letter
indicates that he is not aware Of the
attitudes and actions OF his own plant
managers, superintendents and fore
men, and it seems obvious that Mr..
Knudsen has not yet realized that the
very policies which he discusses are
responsible for the present situation
and have been responsible throughout
the past three years for the many ac-
cumulating grievances leading to the
present controversies.
Idea Is Opposed.
I'VE cannot believe that Mr.. Knud-
sens idea of collective bargaining is
expressed in his words, Our plant
managers are at liberty and have au-
thority to meet with your representa-
tives to discuss matters affecting your
membership who are our employees
For, quite obviously. mere discussion
without a serious attempt to correct
the fundamental causes that breed this
sort Of trouble is idle gossip.
We hope Mr. Knudsen's letter is
not intended to close the doors to fur
ther efforts to reach an understanding
which will settle the present contro-
versies and avert the spreading of
strikes in General Motors plants.
Should Mr.. Knudsen and his Of
hcial associates fail or refuse to join
us in our efforts to head of further
walkouts, the responsibility must rest
municating by letter with the execu-
tives Of General Motors, again advis-
Ing them that we stand ready to meet
with them at any time to work out
solution Of the present troubles"
Trespassing Charged.
Knudsen charged in his letter to
Martin that the union had not tried
collective bargaining before striking
and that the sit down" strikers were
trespassing. The automobile executive
suggested that the union order its
members 'to vacate the plants as q
condition precedent to a discussion of
hny alleged grievances"
Knudsen added: with plants To-
eated in IS separate communities in
"a States, with more than 200, 900 en-
ployes, and necessarily operating m-
der variety of conditions peculiar to
the manufacture of the products in
which they are engaged, grievances
of individuals or groups Of individuals.
can only be handled locally. where the
employees and the plant management
are familiar with local conditions, as
well as with the basic general policies
concerning employe relations. Ger
tainly there is nothing in this COM
nnon-sense arrangement which Is in
consistent with bona-fide collective