Evening star., 1945-09-18
JAW Officials
Ready toEase
Pay Demands
Willing to Accept
Adjustment of 309o
Roise Temporarily
By the Associated Press.

Iy Inc ASSOClaLeQ treSS.
DETROIT, Sept. 18-Oficers
OF the United Automobile Work.
ers (CIO) indicated today they
would be willing to accept tenn
porary adjustments of their 30
per cent wage increase demand
on the automobile industry.
President r. ]: Thomas and Sec
retary-Treasurer George F. Adde's
said at Flint, however, that the
union would not be satisfied in an
ultimate settlement with any less
than 80 per cent.
Mr. Adde's said there would be no
compromise.
Labor doesn't do business in the
old-fashioned way any more" Mr..
adde's said
Long Negotiations Likely.
The union officials said locals of
the UAW-CIO were at liberty to
accept wage increases of less than
30 per cent at this time, but that
the international union would con-
tinue to insist on the full 80 per cent,
1t was pointed out by another
union source that negotiations for a
80 per cent increase possibly might
extend over a period of months.
Top-ranking UAW-CIO officials
went ahead with plans for possible
strike votes in Ford General Motors
and Chrysler Corp. plants while still
expressing hope that the manufac-
turers would accept the wage pro-
posals, thus eliminating the necessity
for the vote.
Company officials maintained q
terse no comment attitude, but
responsible sources said some of the
manufacturers would meet today to
discuss the situation that has made
10000 workers idle in the Detroit
area and threatens the motor city's
reconversion program.
Auto Show Cancelled.
The meeting was originally sched-
uled to consider plans for the Ma
tion's first postwar auto show. but
observers said strikes and layoffs
have crippled production schedules
and made it impossible to hold the
exhibition.
The entire auto industry was
keeping close watch on WASH
lngton following reports that Presi-
dent Truman and Secretary of
Labor Schwellenbach had consid-
cred the Detroit situation at their
meeting yesterday
White House sources offered no
comment on statement by Mr..
Thomas that the late President
Roosevelt had made "a commitment
to organized labor" to support in
creases in postwar wages.
The Thomas statement, issued
yesterday at the UAW executive
boards meeting at Flint, Mich,
said:
Il would like to point out that
the late President Roosevelt had
made a commitment to organized
labor that if We went along for the
duration of hostilities in Europe
with the Little Steel wage fsrmula
freeze, he, President Roosevelt,
would see to it that in the recon-
version period hourly wages would
be increased to make up for the
% per cent reduction in the take
home pay resulting in the drop Of
the weekly work week from 4s
to 40.
Taylor Never Heard of 1t.
War Labor Board Chairman
George W. Taylor said in Wash
ington that he never had heard of
such commitment, and William
Green, president of the American
Federation of Labor, said it was
never discussed in his presence.
Mr.. Thomas vigorously denied
that UAW-CIO had strike fever"
as he said the public has been given
a wrong impression.
The UAW president disclosed that
the unions strike committee, COM
posed of himself and five Detroit
ers, will meet within two weeks to
determine whether one of the big
three-Ford, Chrysler or General
Motors-or one of the smaller in
dependent producers will be named
as battle-ground for the first test
strike
Mr.. Thomas statement came after
an earlier declaration by UAW Vice
President Walter P. Ruether that
the General Motors Corp. grafton
and its 5000 workers would be
affected by the first 'test strike"
If the 80 per cent wage increase
was not forthcoming.
Deadline Set for Acceptance.
Mr.. Reuther set today as q dead.
line for company acceptance and
said the UAW will ask the National
Labor Relations Board to take a
strike vote in GIN plants throughout
the country if the wage increase is
denied. Company officials declined
comment.
Norman Matthews, UAW director
for Chrysler plants, said previously
he would petition for a similar vote
If the company does not accept by
next Tuesday and UAW Ford dele
gates have been summoned to a
meeting here September 10 and 20
to approve plans for strike vote,
The Flint meeting also heard a
report from Percy Llewellyn, whom
1t named as administrator of local
l74, made UP Of 4,500 striking en-
ployes Of the Kelsey Hayes Wheel
Co. of Detroit.
Mr.. Llewellyn told the board he