Evening star., 1941-06-21

c. I. o. auto lDorkerS had en-
gagged in long struggle for collec-
the bargaining recognition in
Ford plant. Workers chose C.
10. as agency in National Labor
Relations Board election May 2f.
Board has issued eight decisions
against company on charges o.
discrimination against lDorkeTs
for union lctiUity.
BY the Associated Press.
DETROIT, June 21.-UnionlZa-
ton of the automotive industry was |
hailed by labor leaders as complete
today with signing OF history
making pact between the Ford Mo-
tor Co. and the c. I. o. United |
Automobile Workers.
Last of the major non-union |
firms in the industry, the Ford Co,
largest family industrial |
unit in the world, and the U. w. A.
C. 1. 0. concluded the agreement |
yesterday in Washington providing,
among other things, for union |
SQOD anu uuSS CIlCCh-Oll.
The contract, most farreaching |
ever written in the automotive in
dustry. was signed after fortnight
of negotiations and exactly month
after the union, which struck at the
company early in April, had won a
National Labor Relations Board
election in the firms two principal
plants here.
Called Pattern for Industry.
THE agreement with the Ford
Motor Co." said r. j. Thomas, U. A.
VIC. l. o. president, completes
the organization of the automotive
industry by the United Automobile
WorkerS-C. !. o.
He added that the contract would
provide a pattern for the industry
which will be universally adopted
before the end OF another year"
From Edsel Ford, president of
the Ford Motor Co., came the state
ment that the firm had decided to
go all the way" in dealing with the
union
LAS the company now views the
situation, no halfway measures will
be effective" he said. I'VE cannot
work out one scheme of things for
some of our workmen and another
scheme for the remainder. SO we
have decided TO go the whole way.
Until time has given us an op-
portunity to see how the agreement
works out in actual practice, We
are not of course, in position TO
comment on its various provisions,
but we hope. very sincerely. that it
attains the ends sought and results
in peacable and uninterrupted pro-
duction. that the company's opera
tions toward national defense shall
not be hampered in any way"
$500 900 Defense Orders.
The Ford company holds about
S150,000,000 in defense orders for
airplane engines, bomber parts and
Army trucks.
Although the contract, first ever
signed by the company, covers only
the main plants here-the giant
River Rouge factory in suburban
Dearborn. employing upward OF
| 80 900 workers. and the smaller Lin
coin plant-it will apply to the
firms numerous branch assembly
plants throughout the Nation when
organized
Mr.. Ford, who in 1914 startled in
| duStry by instituting IS minimum
| daily wage, thus becomes the first
Dig motorcar producer to grant a
union shop and the checkof system
by which the company deducts
union dues from the pay envelope
of its workers and pays them over
| to the union treasury.
The union shop clause gives the
company the right to hire any
workers it desires, but requires them
to Join the union. 1t differs from a
closed shop under which the union
supplies the labor force.
The contract further provides
that the company will pay wage
rates equal to the highest paid in
various classification" by competi-
tors Wage negotiations are ex-
pected to begin next week.
In addition, the agreement calls
for elimination of the Ford service
| department. Plant protection by
| that department is to be performed
henceforth by employees identified
by badges.
Union Label for Cars.
1t also accordS the company the
privilege of affixing the union label
on its automobiles.
At the same time the N. L. r. B.,
in an agreement with the company
and union, announced that all
charges against the firm would be
dismissed. The N. L. R. B. had is
sued eight orders against the COM
pany and three others were in the
process of being heard
The board frequently had held
that the labor views of Henry Ford,
founder of the company, tended to
discourage unioniSm.
Other points in the pact, which
workers in the two plants here are
expected tomorrow to approve unan-
imously, call for:
l. All wage increases to be retro
active to- the signing of the contract
and no reduction in prevailing rates.
2. The company and the union to
confer in December on payment of
a bonus.
3. Grievances to be handled by
a shop steward system with one
steward for each 500 workers.
Grievance Machinery.
4. Disputes not adjusted by shop
stewards to be handled by special
grievance machinery.
5. Time-and- half for overtime and
double time for Sundays and hol-
| idays.
6. Workers called in and not put
to work to be given two hours call
in pay.
7. Seniority to determine layoffs
and rehiring.
s. When drop in production
necessitates layoffs, no seniority
workers" are to be laid off until