Evening star., 1937-01-10
C. N. c. BARSPEACE.
TALK UNTIL. UNIONS.
'EvACUATE PLANTS.
Stands Firm in Demand, but
Leaves Way Open for
Further ParIeys.
SETTLEMENT Is HELD
POSSIBLE BY MURPHY
A. F. L. Craft Workers Not Bound
by Action of c. I. o. Units,
Frey Declares.
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
United Automobile Workers OF
America, carrying labor's C. !. o.
fight into the automobile in
dustry, demanded conference Sep
erdl Deeks ago ,0ith officials OF
General Motors Corp. to discuss
enlploye grievances. Organization
demanded it be recognized as sole
collective bargaining agency tor
G. M. C. employees. General Mo-
tors fatty refused conference, say
ing employe relations are handled
by pdrious plants in corporation.
Union contends this is piol1tion
OF collective bargaining la,O and
thus impdsse developed. Strikes
,Oere called gradually By union,
NTH present total OF G. M. c.
tCorkers out noD more than
$4,000.
BY the Associated Press.
DETROIT. January 9. General
Motors Corp. refused. in a statement
tonight, to accept any stipulations of
the United Automobile Workers of
America that would 'condone the
illegal occupation of its plants" by
Sit-down strikers, but left the way
open for further negotiations.
The evacution of the plants by the
sit down. strikers has been the issue
blocking joint negotiations for several
days. General Motors remained firm
in its demand that their departure
precede the opening of a peace parley
The union demanded written assur-
ance today that. during conversations,
the company would not move equip
ment that could be operated elsewhere
If the men vacated the buildings.
Homer Martin, u A. w. A. presi-
dent, said tonight that 1.-The whole
trouble is that General Motors wants
to negotiate with its fingers crossed.
We want their terms in writing before
we bring our men out Of the plants. "
A short time earlier he told pevsmen
the union does not demand recogni-
tion "as the sole bargaining agency
for General Motors employees" as a
prerequisite to strike settlement dis
cussions.
Knudsen Statement.
The corporations position was con-
tanned in statement issued by Will
liam S. Knudsen, executive vice presi-
dent. which included letter he gave
Gov. Frank Murphy yesterday. Michi-
gan's chief executive has been in
numerous conferences with repre-
sentatives of both groups recently
trying to arrange for joint negotia-
tions.
There is still hope" Gov Murphy
said shortly before Knudsen's state
ment was released. Murphy indicated
that he was awaiting communica-
ton from union headquarters, but
said there would be no developments
before a press conference he called
for Sunday afternoon.
Knudsen sent the following mes
sage to the Governor:
General Motors Corp. representa-
tives, Immediately upon the evacuation
Of its plants by those employees en-
gagged in the sit-down strikes, will
meet with the representatives of the
international Union of the United Au-
tomobile 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 deals with
matters of general corporate policy.
Negotiations will be conducted
frankly and without prejudice to any
one"
Refers to Peace Parleys.
Knudsen's formal statement con-
tanning the letter referred to the past
weeks conferences of General Mo-
tors executives with the Governor
and three Federal labor conciliators
and then said:
I'VE have time and again expressed
willingness to bargain collectively with
union officials on the basis of their
of January 4 upon the
sole condition that sit-down strikers
tSee STRIKR Page A-4.)
ICo7I Ru.x, Du,o