Evening star., 1944-05-18
Unions Delay Output
Of Tires, Is Chorqe

OmOuS ASlOy Output
Of Tires, Is Charge
Rubber Firms Appeal to VINO
In War Production Need
By David Laurence
Labor union restrictions on production
are beginning to hold up the production
Of tires for military trucks. This amaz-
Ing situation has been placed before the
War Manpower Commission with an
urgent plea from the rubber companies
that somethiug be done ct once 70 per-
suade the labor unions to increase their
production.
Faced with the fact that labor unions
do not wish to permit rubber workers
TO increase their production, some Of the
rubber companies have frankly told the
military authorities that II they expect
trucks In such quantities - they are
now demanding. they win have 10 bring
experienced truck tire workers back
from the Army IN order TO increase
production ct home.
Many Of the rubber workers are en-
ployed on piece work, and, although
they have an eight-hour day In which to
work, they evidently have some sort Of
understanding among themselves that
when they reach certain amount Of
compensation, usually about $l4 Q day,
they viii slow up the work. Many of
the labor union leaders recognize this
defect and are trying TO do what they
can to overcome the difnculty. But labor
union politics interfere, and when on
GERS Of the union try to upset the re-
strictions, rival candidates appear on the
scene in an effort to depose the officers
who try to speed up production.
Mr.. keenan, to Akron.
The War Production Boards labor
section has sent Joseph keenan, Of the
AFL to Akron to try to persuade the
CIO unions to do something about it.
Not only Is military production affected,
but the civilians who have been using
their tires on the expectation that pas
senger tires will soon be available will
discover that their hopes may not be
realized. In other words, It will take q
much longer time TO get civilian tires
than the public has anticipated.
There Is no lack of synthetic rubber,
but there d lack Of manpower to do
the job, and the available manpower
refuses to be spread over the job or to
increase production. Absenteeism is
running as high as II and II per cent.
The conspiracy Of limiting production
on q particular job is well known to
everybody. Good men and relatively
poor men produce the same output.
Usually in the early part Of the day
production Is ct Q very substantial rate,
but, as 1t becomes apparent that the
asreed-upon goal Of compensation is
about TO be reached, there Il . tendency
to slow down, 80 that by actual measure
nnent seven hours Of work Is spread over
eight hours.
The unions in the rubber industry
have shown little willingness to see
women brought In on the jobs now held
by men. II women could be substitute
ed for the easier jobs and more skilled
workers transferred to the higher paid
jobs, the problem would be simpler. But
here again the union restrictions and
understandings are preventing the
transfer Of skilled workers.
In some instances, due to the intro
duction Of synthetic rubber, . change
has been necessitated IN making piece.
work prices. In view OF the fast that
penalties were imposed for changing
prices-penalties that were really ap-
plicable to peacetime practices II tas
become necessary for the companies
temporarily to put the men on day work
Even though the workers are protected
by being paid substantially more than
their previous average earnings they
have been known to drop their output
on day work to about so per cent oi
their previous piece-work output. Then
when new piece-work prices are worked
out, an attempt is made to get piece.
work rates established, which, on the
basis Of the day-work performance, viii
give the workers higher earnings.
Are Appealing to the Army.
AL this maneuvering is q subject that
really ought to be taken care Of direct
ly between management and workers.
The unions are the logical instrument
talities through which satisfactory
working arrangement to get production
may be made For time it was be-
lieved that the labor-management COM
mittees In the various plants would
speed up production and protect the
public interest. But evidently in many
OF the companies the union officers de-
clined to serve as members Of the labor
management committees and selected
union men who were unable or did not
have sufficient power or infiusace to
change union labor regulations or de-
cisions on the limitation Of output.
The rubber companies In despera-
tion have appealed to the Army and
Navy to send back men over 30 years
Of age who have had considerable ex-
perience in building truck tires. Thus
the armed forces are going to have to
be weakened in order to take up the
slack which has been deliberately de-
veloped by union labor leaders limita-
ton on production.
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