Evening star., 1941-05-15
$4,000 Men Out
|AtG. N. Despite
Strike Delay
Signals Crossed Says
Union Leader; Three
Hudson Plants Closed
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The United Automobile Workers
Union &C. I. o. called striks
against three Hudson Motor Co.
plants in Detroit today and General
Motors Corp. reported a walkout
at four units at Flint, Mich, despite
agreement to postpone a strike
against G. NJ. until tomorrow.
The Defense Mediation Board
early today, only a few hours before
a strike was set for so plants Of
General Motors in % States, an
nounced a postponement for one
day in the walkout. c. I. O.-U. A. w.
officials said they thought the stop
page at Flint took place because
word of the postponement got there
too late.
The Hudson walkout shut down
three plants, with $500 employees.
but union officials said work on a
S10.000000 defense order for air
plane parts was not affected.
The union demanded 15-cent-
an-hour wage increase in unre-
vealed current scales at the Hudson
Co. The Board of Directors con-
sidered the union demands. Claude
E. Bland, president of the local
union, said "the company refused
any decent wage offer"
$4,000 Men Affected.
Upward of $4,000 workers in
Chevrolet. Buick and two Fisher
body plants were affected at Flint
in the work stoppage.
Wayne County Sheriff Thomas w.
Wolcott said later he had decided
to ask for State police reinforce
mentS because he feared the Situa-
ton might get beyond the control Of
his 10 deputies and the Flint city
police. At that time only one minor
instance of violence had been re-
ported
Normal operations were being
maintained at the General Motors
A. C. Spark Plug division in Flint
and at Oldsmobile and Fisher body
factories at Lansing and the Grand
Rapids standing division at Grand
Rapids.
T. A. Johnstone of the unions
General Motors department said in
Detroit the suspension was due "to
signals being crossed" and added
| that efforts are being made in Wash
ington ''to get these men back to
work" He said that although the
| four General Motors plants were idle
this morning lit does not necessarily
mean that the strike will continue"
Return to Work Ordered.
From Washington R. J. Thomas,
president of the U. A. W., tele-
graphed members of his union to
return to work on the afternoon
shift if they had left their jobs and
to continue at work elsewhere until
General Motors gives its answer re-
garding settlement Of the dispute.
The kilograms said the union OFF,
cials and Negotiating Committee
had assured the Federal Govern
ment that there would be no strike
until 7 am. Friday
'If corporation does not accept
Mediation Board findings by 4:10
am. Friday we will order strike in
effect as voted Sunday" Mr.. Thomas
| wired.
The General Motors postpone
ment came shortly after settlement
of tWo-day strike at Colts Patent
Fire Arms Manufacturing Co., at
Hartford. Conn.
William S. Knudsen, chief Of the
Office of Production Management,
termed the General Motors situation
damn serious"
The Mediation Board announced
that the management Of General
Motors had until 4:30 am. tomor-
row to accept or reject the findings
and recommendations which the
board made for settlement. The
findings and recommendations will
not be made public, the board an
nounced, until they have been ac-
cepted or rejected by the corpora
ton.
U. A. W. Accepts Terms.
Representatives of the U. A. W.,
it was added. have accepted the
terms without reservation" but
subject to ratification by the union
membership.
The announcement came at dawn
with the negotiators haggard after
18 hours of almost unbroken con-
ferences.
Nub of the controversy appeared
to be the unions demand for gen.
eral wage boost of 10 cents an hour.
The corporation has said the pres
ent wage average is slightly more
than 81 an hour and made the
; union a counter offer of cents in
: crease generally, with greater in
!, creases for certain skilled ratings.
General Motors has about $780,
100000 in defense contracts, but
union leaders declared that only
$3.50, 100000 of the orders we're in
: plants which would be affected by
(See STRIKES, Page A-4)