Evening star., 1945-09-24
Chrysler Conference
On 3O96 Pay Boost
Set for Tomorrow
Hy the Associa ted Press,

e.
-, DETROIT, Sept. 24.-Chrysler
Corp. today became the first
. member of the automobile in
dutry's "Big Three" to announce
q conference with union leaders
on labor's demand for a 30 per
cent wage increase.
-. The announcement came as the
United Automobile Workers (CIO)
reported an Overwhelming" ma
jority of Chrysler employees favored
strike action in polls taken in sew
teral States yesterday, and as more
than 10000 were idle in labor dis
.putes in the Detroit area.
The management-union negotia-
: tions are scheduled to get under
way tomorrow-the day set for petit
tioning the National Labor Rela-
tionS Board for strike vote among
Chrysler workers.
7. :, Norman Mathews, national direc-
tor OF the JAWS Chrysler depart
ment, said the conference would
not, delay the petition.
Six Units Represent $4,000.
Meanwhile. Mr., Mathews as
sistant, Joseph M. Rubin, reported
that "at least 81 per cent" of the
members of six Chrysler locals
whose votes have been tabulated
favored strike action in the ballot
ing yesterday -
The six units. including five in
the Detroit area and one at New
Castle, Ind represent $4,000 work.
ers, or about half the total number
of Chrysler employees, Mr.. Rubin
said.
Chrysler spokesman confirmed the
meeting date, but added it was set
more than a week ago" They said
Robert w. Conder, Chrysler director
of labor relations, would head the
management delegation at the par
ley.
Local unions representing workers
employed by the other two leading
car manufacturers-General Motors
and Ford-also disposed of strike
preliminaries yesterday.
Ford Local 600, claiming the big
gest membership of any local union
IN America, went on record in favor
of strike Similar action was taken
by Local 500 at Flint, Mich, repre-
senting workers in General Motors
Buick division.
Richard T. Leonard, UAW Ford
director, said petition for a Ma
tion-wide Ford strike would be filed
with the NLRB about the first of
October. The unions General Mo-
tors department already has asked
the board for strike vote among
the 325 900 GIN workers throughout |
the Nation.
Bus and taxi service was curtailed |
and auto traffic was described by
police as below normal as the
strike Of workers at oil refineries |
and suppliers continued in the De-
troit area.
Overcharge Reports Probed.
Officers of Detroit locals of the
Oil Workers Union (CIO) said two
or three small bulk suppliers, still
open, will be closed by Monday
night" They said only Is per cent
of the city's gasoline stations were
operating.
Police reported they were investi-
eating charges some gasoline sta
tons were charging motorists more
than so cents gallon during the
present shortage. A..-,,..
John G. Lehry, United States at
torney in Detroit, said the oil work
ers' strike. now on national scale,
was interfering with normal opera =
ton of Government agencies.-ssHel
said strikers could be prosecuted, but
added he would take no action with
out approval from Washington.
Other disputes kept $500 idle at
the Hudson Motor Car Co., 10000 on
strike at the Windsor (Ontario)
plant of the Ford Motor Co. of
Canada, 5000 idle at the Murray
Corp. of America and smaller num-
bers at nearly a score of strike
bound Detroit plants.
Chrysler officials reported a large
percentage of absenteeism at the
Dodge truck factory, where 1900
employees were told to report today
after being sent home last Thurs
day because of supplies shortages.
About 300 workers reported Friday,
the spokesman said, but pickets