The Wilmington morning star., 1945-12-30
fact COMMISSION
PLANNING REPORT
|Reuther Declares Union
Ready To Strike lndef-
initely On Demands
By WILLIAM NEEDHAM

(AP)-The CIO United Auto
mobile Workers union declar-
ed tonight tn a t General
Motors must negotiate wage
increase based on it's ability
to pay or face "a winter of
industrial war that ay
spread to all of American in
dustry."
The General Motors corporation
at the same time said that 1.-The
idea of the ability to pay Xxx is
not applicable to an idividual bust
ness within an industry, as a
basis for raising its wages beyond
the going rate" 1t added that it
refuses ito subscribe to what it
believes will ultimately become
Xxx the death of the American
system of competitive enterprise"
The statements were released as
President Truman's fact-finding
board ended public hearings and
promised report to the President
"as near to next Thursday as is
humanity possible" On Thursday
night Mr.. Truman is to broadcast
to the nation.
Will Strike Indefinitely
Walter P. ReUther, JAW presi-
dent, declared in his statement that
the union is ready to strike in
definitely in support of it's demand
for 30 per cent wage increase.
Reuther asserted that if the fact
finding boards recommendations
are based on the Arithmetic of
the case''-which the union claims
includes profits and ability to pay
the President sand the nation
will insist that the Wall Street
managers OF General Motors cor
poration honestly negotiate an
agreement based on the economic
facts of the case' and the amer
lean people will be spared a Win
ter of industrial war that may
spread to all of American indus
try"
He declared the union would not
accept less than 30 per cent in
crease Except and to the extent
that the economic facts may show
that GIN cannot pay that increase
without increasing prices to the
consumers.
Reuther described the Sloan
Wilson statement as 'rehash" of
the position expressed when the
corporation withdrew from fact
finding yesterday.
If, said Reuther, the corpora
TONS position Represented the
thinking of all American business,
then we would have to say. God
help the American people,
eff facts and reason fell again."
Reuther asserted, I'VE are pre-
pared to stay on the picket lines
for the duration of this homefront
war, however long it may last.
This fight is for keeps
Introduces Report
Board Chairman Lloyd X. Gar
rison concluded open sessions of
the fact-finding panel by introduY
ing, for the record, a Commerce
Department report of last October
holding that the automobile indus
try could absorb wage increases up
to Is per cent.
Garrison told reporters the board
likewise would obtain information
not regarded as confidential from
the Office of Price Administra-
ton and the Securities and Ex-
change commission which had
any bearing on the GIN wage
dispute.
The closing session was de-
voted to testimony by spokesman
for the CIO-United Automobile
Workers as to GINS profits and
ability to pay their 30 per cent
wage increase demand. Injection
of the profits and ability to pay
issue resulted in the company's
withdrawal from the proceedings
yesterday.
The union presented a mass of
charts and figures, with Donald
Montgomery, JAW consumer
counsel, handling the explana-
tons.
At one point, Garrison ques-
toned union estimates of GINS
1916 profit position, on grounds
that the strike itself, together
with a steel strike-if called
would affect the corporations
production.
Montgomery had estimated that,
including 80 per cent wage in
crease, higher costs of materials,
and 1912 prices, GIN would gross
1851, 900, 900 in 1916.
| Under questioning by Garrison,
Montgomery said the estimate was
based on GINS announced plan to
reach production of $4,000 automo-
biles and trucks daily in March.
This figure, Montgomery conceded,
would be reduced by the GIN strike
| CONTINUED nm PAGE Nine. Co1 q,