Evening star., 1939-06-12


Internal dissention last uinter
split U. A. w. into tUo factions,
c. /. o, and A. F. OF L. Strike
IN Briggs Detroit plant 1oaS called
on May p By c. l. o. group and
settlement waS reached last
Wednesday. On Thursday HON.
er Martin OF A. F. of L. faction
called strike in Flint and Sag
inaW plants OF General Motors.
c. I. o. officials said their men
Dould pass through pickets and
enter plants.
By the Associated Press.
FLINT, Mich, June ia dozen
persons were injured, three seri-
ously, in clash between police and
pickets of the United Auto Workers
CA. F. of L. at Saginaw this morn
ing as automobile workers sought a
showdown in their inter-union
fight fer recognition as bargaining
agent for General Motors employees.
Sly men were arrested.
In Flint, where the entire police
force was modified in anticipation
of disorder, there was no violence.
AL plants here, as well as the gray
iron foundry unit at Saginaw, began
operations today, despite a strike
call of the A. F. of L. affiliated
union.
The Buick division assembly line
here closed, and $500 employees
were sent home, after one hours op-
erations. Company officials said
the shutdown of Fisher body plant
No. last Thursday had caused the
supply of Buick bodies to be de-
pleted With the Fisher plant op-
Grating today they instructed Buick
night-shift employees to report as
usual.
Police Escort Workers.
Workers at Saginaw where es-
corted into the plant by a detail of
so policemen.
A spokesman for General Motors
said today the union apparently had
concentrated on Chevrolet plant
No. S, and Fisher Body No. l, at
Flint. The latter is a Key unit in
Buick assembly. The corporation
representative said there was no
immediate indication that opera
tions would have to be halted.
Chevrolet No. was operating with
about half of its regular day force
OF 460 men. This plant makes
valves and crankcases. Although
small 1t is vital in Chevrolet as
sembly, a corporation spokesman
said.
Fisher No. 1 supplies bodies for
Buick
Picket Strikes Policeman.
The Saginaw clash started, police
said, when Police 1t. Fred BOSNIAN
was struck over the head by a picket
armed with club. The police then
dispersed the pickets, approximately
200 strong. and cleared the way for
the maintenance crew to enter the
plant. BY the time the full day
shift was due the pickets had scat
tered.
The U. A. VIC. I. o. is opposing
the U. A. WA F. of L. strike.
Homer Martin, president of the
A. F.. of L. union, said he instructed
his followers ito picket peacefully"
and remarked that there will be no
trouble as long as our lines are not
attacked"
R. j. Thomas, president of the
C. I. o. union from which Martins
group seeded last January, said
there was no strike at General
Motors and called the u. A. W.
A. F. of L. "rump group" The
charter which the U. A. w. held
from the A. F.. L. before it joined
the C. I. o. in 1896 was restored to
Martin last week.
Await Court Decision.
William S. Knudson, G.. NJ. presi-
dent. has stated the corporation
would negotiate with neither union
until court litigation pending at
Detroit determines which group is
entitled to recognition as the holder
OF the contract in effect.
Martins union called the strike
Thursday at the three units and
said sufficient plants ultimately
would be closed ito see that nego-
tiations are begun" with his organ
ization.
The C. l. o. followed with threat
OF smaller strike yesterday. 1t
announced that 1900 representatives
of tool and die makers and main
tenance and engineering employees
in G. M. plants in Indiana. Ohio and
Michigan voted unanimously to take
strike vote next Sunday IF neces-
sary'' to win an agreement supple
menting the existing contract.
Would Tie Up 1910 Work.
This strike, it was explained,
would tie up "all work on tools and
does for 1910 model" automobiles,
but would not affect production en-
ployes and others working on 1899
models. Thomas promised to au-
thoriZe the strike, if voted, unless
the corporation agrees to prompt
negotiations with the c. I. o.
The American Federation Of
Labor, Martin said. promised finan-
cial and moral aid in the Flint
Saginaw strike and J. c. Brayton,
business agent here of the Team
sters' and Truckers Union, an
nounced its drivers would not cross
the picket lines.
The strike will continue" Mr..
Martin asserted, until we get signed
contracts recognizing us as sole bar
gaining Sseii's' ps