Evening star., 1945-03-09
|CI0 Cuts Production
Is 10 50 Pct, Auto
Industry Charges
BY the Associated Press.

6y Lac AScOCAAtCo EkScss
DETROIT, Mar. 9.-Describing
the CIO as "the most powerful
private organization In the his
tory OF our country" George
Romney. speaking for the
Nations automotive industry,
charged the labor organization
today with using its power dur
ing wartime to reduce produc-
ton efficiency of automotive
plants between Is and so per
cent.
Mr.. Romney, managing director of
the Automotive Council for War
Production, appearing before mem
bers Of the Senate War Investigating
Committee, repeated earlier charges
that union representatives were
seeking to usurp management func-
tions. He charged also that more
strikes occurred during the first II
months of 1914 than during 1887"
year of the sitdown strikes. Detroit,
he said, has never had an overall
manpower shortage.
Manpower Use Studied.
The committee, headed by Sena-
tor Mead, Democrat, of New York,
called the hearing to consider man
power utilization in the Detroit
area. Preliminary statements from
management and labor representa-
tives, however, indicated both were
determined to 60 over the entire field
of employer relationship In
the automotive industry.
After hearing Mr.. Romney and
other industry spokesmen the COM
mittee planned to hear labor's side
from r. j. Thomas, president of the
United Automobile Workers (CIO);
Walter P. Reuther, UAW-CIO vice
president; Frank K. Martel, presi-
dent of the Detroit and Wayne
County Federation of Labor, and
Matthew Smith, head of the Inde-
pendent Mechanics Educational So
ciety of America.
Union spokesmen in formal
statements have charged that some
employers in the automobile indus
try are seeking to weaken or de-
stroy collective bargaining in the
industry" They have denied that
the unions are attempting to usurp
management functions and accused
management of boarding labor.
Says Management Hampered.
Since the fall of 1940," Mr.. Rom
ney asserted in a statement read
to the committee, IAN objective of
the United Automobile Workers
(CIO) has been, in their own words.
to obtain voice in management. ;
Their pursuit of this objective has
been intensified during the war"
Mr.. Romhey presented voluminous
exhibits designed, he said, to sup
port his claim of worker responsible
ity for reduced output and his
charge that most strikes and work
stoppages now are called to prevent
management from discharging it's
functions.
Mr.. Romney asserted that in 1914
automobile companies paid union
stewards in their shops $1,000 900
for work carried on for the union.
He recommended immediate adop-
tion OF what he termed strength
ened, completed, balanced and mod
ernized national labor policy as a
| foundation for the management-
labor relationship essential to the
country's future"
Wants Clear Labor Policy.
Such a policy, he said, should
include exact definitions of employees
representing management and en-
ployes representing workers; pro-
lection of workers from coercion
from any source and full access of
all groups to the courts, imposition
OF penalties on any union which
strikes before using contractual or
Government grievance procedures,
decentralization of Government Ia
Dor policy administration, lodging
the responsibilities for collective
bargaining in a union exclusively
representing the employees of a par
ticular employer and protection for
companies and unions against car
telization.
In addition. Mr.. Romney recon-
mended adoption of incentive plans
where feasible and payment of union
stewards or committeeman by unions