The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-21
FORD MOTOR co.
 HAS LOST AGAIN
National Labor Board Or= ders l42 Employees Re-
 instated With Pay

WdStlilB lOll, cTp. Z1-NU6J-1ne National Labor Relations board to- day ordered the Ford Motor com- pany to reinstate 142 employees at its Richmond, Calif., plant and to award them back pay for the per- iod of their allegedly discriminatory discharges.
 The board also ordered the com pany to stop discharging member ship in the CLOS United Automo- bile Workers union to bargain with the union upon request; and, If an understanding is reached, to en- body the terms in 8 signed agree ment.
 Tcday's ruling is the seventh is- sued against the Ford company, four of which have been appealed in the courts. Appeals are now pending concerning the Dallas, Tex, Long Beach, Calif., and Buffalo, N. Y, plants.
 Board charges that the company was guilty of coercion and i1ltimi- datiol of workers at the River Rougle plant were upheld by the sixth circuit court of appeals and appealed by the company to the su- preme. The high court, however, refused to review the lower court decision.
 Other Board Orders
 Board orders have also been is- sued in connection with complaints at the Somervi1le, Mass, St. Louis, Mo, and Kansas City, Mo, plants.
 The order today dismissed allega- tons that the company had dis crimtnated against seven employees, but directed the company to trans fer one employe to his former posi- tion and to offer back pay to an- other who does not desire reinState- ment.
 Tn addition the company was di- rected to stop circulating any writ te nor printed material among its employees which interferes with or coerces the employees in the exercise of rights guaranteed by the National Labor Relations act.
 Wages Split
 In computing the payment of back wages the board concluded that since the personnel of the plant was re- duced from 1,261 to 657 during the 1887 shutdown, 1t was probable that even had the company committed no discriminatory act some of the union members would not have re- ceived employment.
 Frhnrofaro t1,n hAouJ <l;uon41L Il-1 company to compute a lump sum consisting of all wages paid from Jan. 3, 1888, to the date of the com pany's compliance with the board order.
 Of this sum 14S /1261ths shall be credited to the discharged employ es and apportioned in accordance with their hourly wage-rate prior to the plant shutdown.
 In ordering the reinstatements the board directed that all employees presently working for the company who were hired since Jan. 3, 1888, shall, if necessary, be dismissed to provide employment for those to be reinstated. Those employees remain ing shall be placed on preferential hiring lists, the board ruled.
 Wave of Hostility
 The board found that the JAW CIO began organizational activities at the plant in 1886 and that early in 1887 a wave of hostility to the JAW" swept through the plant. It also found that pamphlets were dis tributed in the plant which were for the purpose of discouraging membership in labor organization. ]"
 In September, 1897, the plant shut down temporarily and all employees were laid of. The plant reopened in December and some of the workers were recalled. The board said the plant employed 1,343 persons before the shutdown and only about 700 when the rehiring ceased on Jan. 3, 1888. ~
 The company attributed its fail ure to rehire more workers to a re- duction in business but the board ruled that the company decreased the force at the plant to freeze out employees engaged in JAW activ- Uy." AS result of this action, the board said, the percentage of work CTS in the plant belonging to the JAW was reduced.