Evening star., 1938-04-25
FORD employees
ASK ANNUAL PAY
Workers Each Would Buy
Car Every Two Years
Under Proposal.
by he Associated Press,


DETROIT, April 25.-The first
known attempt Of workers in the au-
tomobile industry to obtain q guaran-
tee Of an annual minimum wage was
revealed today by the Ford Brother
hood Of America. an independent la
Dor organization.
The brotherhood's goal is at least
$l,500 a year for every hourly rate
worker in the mammoth Rouge plant
OF the Ford Motor Co. in suburban
Dearborn. where it claims a member
ship of 2l.400. During peak pro-
duction periods the factory has nearly
10000 employees.
The F. B. A. disclosed 1t has been
negotiating with the company the last
month and. after, numerous confer
ences, submitted written contract pro-
posals to the management Saturday.
Louis j. Colombo, ST., Ford counsel,
represented the company in the ne
gotiations and turned over to Edsel
Ford. president OF the concern, the
brotherhoods proposal.
First Move Of Its Kind.
As far as could be learned, this was
the first time organized workers in
the industry have sought contractual
assurance Of an annual minimum
wage. 1t is known. however, that at
least one other group has had this
in mind as one OF its ultimate OBJ
jectives.
President Roosevelt and Gov. Frank
Murphy of Michigan have advocated
the establishment of such a plan The
President, in an address in Detroit
while campaigning for reelection in
1895, urged the motor car industry
to set up an annual minimum liv-
ing wage" for its workers.
Henry Ford. founder of the motor
company and father of its president.
has an engagement-announ last
week-to lunch with President Roose-
welt At the White House Wednesday.
The subject Of their discussion has
not been announced.
Would Purchase Cars.
William s. Mcdowell. ST., brother
hood attorney. said that in return for
the proposed wage guarantee F. B. A.
members would sign An agreement
that each would purchase a new car
from the company every two years
at the same price at which they are
sold to dealers.
Under the plan they would buy their
cars within six months from the sign
ing Of the contract. They could either
pay cash or have not more than one
third Of their pay deducted IS pay
ments on installment basis.
Mr.. Mcdowell said negotiations
would be resumed after the manage
ment replies to the proposal. He said
he expected its answer within two
weeks. The contract, Mr.. Mcdowell
said. would be for one year, with re-
newal privileges.
Security Of Employees.
"The company has been talking
about annual wages for the workers"
said the F. B. A. attorney, "and both
sides are interested in the security of
the employees, which we believe this
plan would provide.
There are great many ramifica-
tions Of the plan which would have
to be worked out, but we hope for q
favorable ultimate result"
Mr.. Mcdowell said the National
Labor Relations Board "recognized
our brotherhood as q bona flde labor
union" in references it made to the
F. B. A. last December %, when it
held that the Ford Co. had violated
the Wagner Act.
The N. L. r. B. finding followed its
investigation of allegations by the
United Automobile Workers of Amer
lea, q Committee for Industrial Or
ganization union which has been cam
paigning to organize Ford employees.
The u. A. w. A. charged that the
F. B. A. was company -fostered union,
but company spokemen denied this.