The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-11-21

dispute before a three-man abritra- tion board.
 One hundred thirty-five JAW To- calls in the sprawling General Mo- tors system were told by telephone that the strike would begin at Il a. m. (EST today. There was no indi- cation of how many of the 350,000 GMC production workers would walk out immediately.
 Long Battle Expected
 Both sides seemed set for a long, drawnout show down on the princi- ples involved. Union leaders appear ed to recognize that the outcome of the battle would have serious re- suits on the wage demands made by the CIO steelworkers and labor groups throughout the nations.
 The JAW hoped to tie up pro duction of General Motors products until the corporation was forced to capitulate to save its automobile market as we'll as its markets in the refrigerator and other direct con- sumer fields.
 To achieve that the union risked losing the battle by exhausting it's resources and the savings of it's re- sources and the savings of it's mem- bers in an extended strike.
 Thomas said the union had ap- pointed a committee to handle it's precious $4,0OO,000 strike fund which leaders expected would out-last the corporations impatience to get in on the postwar automotive market.
 Many Plants Affected
 The automotive Manufacturers Association has warned that a General Motors strike would tie up all major automobile producers but the Ford Company because of de- pendency on parts manufactured by GMC subsidiaries.
 Negotiations with Ford began yesterday on the 30 percent de- mand. Another meeting between meeting between Ford and JAW representative was scheduled for tomorrow with regular negotiating sessions scheduled for Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays
 Ford has demanded that the union promise it security against work stoppages which might dis rupt reconversion production sched- ules. No mention was made of that demand at yesterdays meeting, but Ford announced that it was willing to discuss the 30 percent demand during the talks.
 Chrysler negotiations still were going on.
 To Concentrate On GM
 Under JAW strategy no strikes would be called against Chrysler or Ford-the other members of the auto industry's Big Three - while GMC was struck. The union hoped its play of concentrating on one company would hasten final settle ment because of the disadvantageous completitive position in which it placed the target company.
 At least 6O0000 were expected to be idled by the G-M strike before the end of the week.
 Thirty Thousand CIO United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers, employed by General Mo- tors, were not immediately affected. However, Thomas said he would not be surprised if the electrical work CTS joined the auto workers in sym pathy.
 The electrical workers have peti- tioned for strike vote Dec. lS on their demand for 30 percent in- crease to maintain wartime take home pay on the basis of the peace time 40-hour week. The wartime wor. week throughout industry was 48 hours, with the extra eight hours bringing pay of time and half.
 Picket Crews AIerted
 Also to be affected by the walk out are GMC locomotive works, air. plane parts plants, Fisher Body fac- tories, ball bearing units, factories making bicycle parts and others manufacturing ignition systems and spark plugs.
 Plants in 51 cities were on the strike list. The SiX-man JAW strike committee said picket captains were alerted last week to have their crews ready.
 The strike call followed 97 days of argument, which included several negotiating conferences, and pro- duced three counter offers by GMC.
 The latest one offered a flat 10 percent cost of living raise with che provision that 1t could be revised at a later date. All three were flatly rejected by Walter Reuther, JAW gice-president in charge of the ne- gotiations.
 Reuther charged that the com pany wanted to "sandbag American consumers" by using any wage in- creases as the basis of "unwarrant- ed" increases in car prices.
 Books Deemed To Union
 Throughout the ccnfere e Reuther offered to scale down the union demands If the company would prove by showing its books that it could not meet the demands without raising car prices and keep ing company profits at substant- ial level.
 dent in charge Of labor relations, repeatedly emphasized that the cor- porations would never permit the union to inspect its books. He main- tained that profits and prices were no business of the union and had no place n wage negotiations.