Evening star., 1941-08-07
U.A.W. Votes Chance
In Name 10 Embrace
Aircraft Workers
Agricultural Implement
Employees Also Included;
Auto Industry Hit
D, the Associated Press.

D, the Associated Press.
BUFFALO. N. Y. Aug. THE C
I. o. United Automobile Workers
changed the name of their organi
zation today to embrace aircraft ane
agricultural implement workers.
Delegates at the unions sixth an
nual convention unanimously adopt.
ed an amendment TO the constitu,
ton, which provides the union will
hereafter be known as the Interna.
tional Union, United Automobile
Aircraft and Agricultural Imple-
ment Workers of America.
Victor Reuther of Detroit, chair
man of the Constitution Committee
said the change is necessary IF We
are to complete our organizational
campaign in the aircraft industry
as well as among agricultural I'M
plement workers.
I'VE are at a disadvantage now in
approaching workers in these divi-
sions with a name identified solely
with the automotive industry.
At the opening of the convention
Monday. President r. J. Thomas of
the U. A. w. suggested the change
IN name, and predicted a drive
within the next year in the aircraft
industry similar to that conducted
among the Ford Motor Co. workers.
Defense Lag Laid to Industry.
Earlier a union official said the
major responsibility for "a serious
lag in the defense program rests on
the shoulders of organized manage
ment in the automobile industry"
Walter p Reuther, director of the
unions General Motors Division. as
serted yesterday plan he presented
several months ago had urged that
automobile plants begin retooling
and gradually change to defense
needs, avoiding "Wastage and un-
employment through slashes in car
production. He spoke at press con-
ference during recess of the unions
sixth annual convention.
The plan was rejected, he said.
because organized management had
business-as-usua attitude and felt
that defense was a part-time Job.
IF management is unwilling to
work out this problem on a CO.
operative basis, then the Govern
ment will have to dictate steps"
he declared.
Empty Gesture"
Mr. Reuther called the automotive
industrys offer to do away with 1943
models ''an empty gesture to make
the public believe it was putting It's
best foot forward" adding:
The major responsibility for the
gross waste Of man and machine
hours and serious lag in the de-
Tense program rests on the shoulders
of organized management in the
automobile industry and not on
labor.
Labor he said. doesn't want
q commissar of industry, but unless
management changes its attitude
and works on a democratic basis
wen get commissar because We
didn't handle the defense Job
Jobs Sought for Auto Workers.
Almost coincidental with Mr..
Reuther's statements Sidney Hill
man. director of the Office of Pro.
duction Management, sent three as.
slstants from Washington to Buff
falo in an effort to find Jobs for
$500 workers displaced by shut
down of the Chevrolet motor and
axle plant at Tonawanda for re-
tooling to provide airplane engines.
Of1cials expected the plant would
be closed for at least six months.
Defense contract factories in the
Buffalo area, they believed, could
absorb ultimately many more than
the $500 workers who have been
displaced
Mr.. Hillman telegraphed four
large defense-contract manufac-
turers in the Buffalo area-Bell Air
craft, Worthington Part g. Ma
ehinery Co, Curtiss Wright and
Buffalo Arms-asking them to have
representatives at conference
there to6ou