Evening star., 1945-12-02
Union 10 Permit
MParts0utput
For Competitors
Thomas Agrees to
Wilson's Proposal for
Relaxation of Strike
By the Associated Press.

6s tne Associated PreSs.
DETROIT, Dec. 1.-Strikins
CIO United Automobile Worker.
today agreed to relax their strike
against General Motors Corp. tt
permit production of parts fol
competitors of the automotive
concern.
A General Motors spokesman salt
the action might bring partial re.
sumption of work in nearly Shal
the corporations plants.
The unprecedented agreement ts
permit some of the striking UAW.
CIO members to produce car parts
needed by GIN rivals came from
r. j. Thomas, union president, ir
response to a proposal by Genera
Motors President C. E. Wilson.
Came as Surprise"
In letter. Mr.. Thomas told Mr.
Wilson the offer was generous" ano
came as welcome surprise" but
he expressed belief there are "only
one or two items on which GIN
production is an essential part OF
the picture for other manufac-
turers."
Il shall, of course, accept the Of
fer" Mr.. Thomas wrote.
His letter gave no indication
however, of any retreat from the
unions wage demands which Mr.
Wilson has assailed as "unreason-
able"
Discussing the possibility that
strikers returning to work on parts
output might be asked to contribute
portions of their pay to the. union
strike funds, spokesman at inter-
naoao,...'- rTAW-CIO headquarters
said such decision would be left
to the local unions involved. He
expressed belief some locals would
take such action.
UAW to Investigate.
Noting that automobile industry
policy is ito have at least two
suppliers and preferably more for
each part or component" Mr.
Thomas said he would seek to
ascertain the dependence of other
manufacturers on GIN production
and the size of the present stock
piles.
After that, the Thomas letter
said, the international union will
LAY the facts before the various
GIN local unions which may be
involved" The JAW head said he
would communicate again with Mr..
Wilson "as soon as the necessary
data has been collected and
analyzed.
Principal General Motors parts
plants, corporation spokesman said,
employed more than 10000 of the
175,000 workers now on strike in
more than 10 factories. How many
of these would be affected by any
partial resumption of production, he
said, was impossible to estimate at
present. Approximately so per cent
OF GIN plants make parts in varying
quantity.
Fuel Pumps Used by 90%o.
The AC spark plug plant at Flint,
Mich. produces, in addition to plugs,
fuel pumps which the spokesman
said were used by about 80 per
cent of the motor car industry. 1t
employs nearly 10000 workers.
Other large parts producers in
GIN include the Delco-Ray and
Guide Lamp units at Anderson. Ind,
producing generators, starters and
head lamps; the Saginaw malleable
plant making cam shafts at Sagi-
nav, Mich; the New Departure unit
at Bristol, Conn, producing bear
ings:. two Hyatt roller bearing
plants in New Jersey, and the Har-
rison Radiator Division at Lock-
port, N. Y.
The Wilson, Thomas agreement
was the first indication of a break
in the shutdown that spread
through the Nations GIN plants
when the UAW-CIO struck Novem-
ber 81 to enforce demands for a
80 per cent wage increase within
(See GENERAL MOTORS. A-3D