Evening star., 1941-06-27
BY HARRY B. WILSON,


agreed to his motor company's his
tory-making contract with the
c. I. o. for union shop as a sweep
ing experiment to solve the basic
issues that separate labor and capi-
tai, according to Harry Bennett,
personnel director for Mr.. Ford
In an exclusive interview, Mr..
Bennett, who is Mr.. Ford's right
hand man, said: There never was
any one more sincere than Mr.. Ford
is; so this thing of signing the con-
tract was no trip or trap or any
thing else. He had faith in the men
in the plant, and that's why he went
all the way"
Mr. Bennett laughed at rumors
that Mr.. Ford agreed to the wide
provisions of the contract because he
thought the results would prove the
union was untitled for the RESPONSE
bility it had gained.
Living Up to the Law.
after the union had won a Labor
Board election in the Detroit and
Dearborn plants" Mr.. Bennett said,
Mr.. Ford decided that it's a law
and we're living up to it If it's
wrong, we'll find out. If it's right,
we haven't anything to lose"
Prior to the Labor Board election,
Mr.. Bennett said, the majority of
the workers in the River Rouge plant
were against the C. I. o. But, he
added. the union signed thousands
during the strike and had a clear
majority at the time of the voting.
The vote was an honest one" said
Mr.. Bennett, and when Mr.. Ford,
who decides quickly on anything he
does, saw the result, he authorized
the company's approval of the con-
tract because he'll always 60 with
the majority"
Henry Ford and his son, Edsel
Ford, president of the company,
have steadfastly refused to COM
ment on the provisions of the agree
ment, the first in the history of the
38-year-old firm, since it was signed
last Friday. At that time Edsel
Ford said, I'VE hope. very sincerely
that it attains the ends sought and
results in peaceable and uninter-
rupted production"
Await Fair Test.
1t is understood the two Fords
are withholding comment until the
new working arrangement has been
fairly tested by actual experience
between the company and the en-
ployes.
The two most debated points in
the agreement, signed for the COM
pany by Mr.. Bennett, are the union
shop and a dues check off arrange
ment, by which the workers union
dues are deducted from their pay
checks by the company.
Mr.. Bennett said Mr.. Ford be-
lieved that If the union is going
to function right it should have the
finances. If we don't do that (the
check off, these fellows will pay
dues for two or three months and
won't pay any more; they get mad
and quarrel and won't pay"
The check-off system. Mr.. Ben
nett explained, makes us their
banker in one way and in another
way it gives them security of jobs. y
1t also gives the company its plant
back, he added, as before the agree
ment the bitterness some of the
workers felt for the company kept
their output below standard.
Lots of Responsibility.
The contract gives the union no
power over production at the Ford
plants, Mr.. Bennett said, but they're
taking lots of responsibility on their
hands. They're damn near partners
in this thing now"
The provisions of the agreement
between the company and the union
now cover the Rouge and Lincoln
plants Detroit and Dearborn,
Mich) and will apply to all the
other company plants throughout
the United States when they are
organized However, Mr.. Bennett
said, the company has no preference
for either the A. F. of l.. or the c.
I. O., and 'if they'd voted for the
A. F. of L. we'd have gone along with
them"
The contract already signed is
not to be interpreted as meaning
that only C. I. o. employees in the
other plants can bargain, Mr.. Ben
nett said, because the company in
tends to deal with whichever union
at its separate plants has the ma
jority of the workers Whatever
the Government says for us to do
Mr.. Bennett said, we'll go right
along and do like good boys
Praises Union NegotiatOrs.
MIR. Bennett described the c. I. o