Evening star., 1945-11-24
GIN and Union
Chiefs Invited
|1oPar|eyHere
!, u. S. Renews Peace
Efforts as Firm
| Rejects Arbitration
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON,

The Government prepared to-
day to attempt once more the
settlement of a major labor dis
pute by inviting General Motors
Corp. and officials of the striking
CIO United Auto Workers to
conference here next week, prob
ably Wednesday.
This decision was made at .
White House meeting between Sec
retary of Labor Schwellenbach and
President Truman. It came as Gen.
eral Motors rejected fatty a union
proposal to arbitrate the dispute
over its demand for 80 per cent
higher wages with the arbitrator
having the right to examine cor.
poration books.
The steel industry, meantime, was
silent on the refusal of OPA to grant
higher steel prices. Negotiations be-
tween the United States Steel Corp
and the CIO Steel Workers over
demand for 50 a day wage in.
crease have ben stalled for a month.
Union Spokesmen said the next move
was up to the corporation and the
Government. Some 100000 workers
in 766 steel, iron and aluminium
plants are scheduled to take strike
vote next Wednesday.
Strike Affects 100000.
The GIN strike began Wednesday
and now has affected about 200, 900
workers in 81 cities throughout the
Nation.
UAW officials indicated they would
accept the invitation to the Gov
ernment Cancellation Conference.
GIN was silent pending receipt OF
the invitation. Representatives OF
both sides would meet with Edgar
L. Warren, head of the Labor De-
partment Cancellation Service, in
an attempt to work out some set.
tlement.
Federal labor officials were not op.
timistic over any chance of an early
end of the GIN strike. Secretary
Schwellenbach said "it is too early
to know" what could be accom-
plished at the conference.
There appeared small chance that
the National Labor r-Managenen
Conference, in recess until Monday,
could come up with any dispute
settling machinery that would be of
help in either the GIN or steel cases.
Turning down the UAW offer to
arbitrate the wage dispute. GIN
termed it mot an offer Of arbitra-
ton but demand for abdication. u
Offer Called Unreasonable.
Stripped Of its deception" said
n. w. Anderson, GIN vice president
| "the union proposed that General
Motors relinquish its right to man
age its business"
He referred to the union proposal
that the arbitrator have access to
GIN books to determine whether
wages could be increased within
present cost structure, as the union
has contended.
GIN said the arbitration offer was
so unsound, unfair and unreason-
able as to insure its rejection" Earl
ier in the week the, union had given
the company "a hours to accept the
arbitration offer and called the
strike when GIN said it could not
answer before Friday.
Mr.. Anderson told the union the
arbitration proposal was advanced
so that when the expected rejection
occurred General Motors could be
blamed for strike which the union
had been planning for many
months"
The fact that the walkout was
called before an answer was received,
he continued, Clearly demonstrates
that your proposal was not made in
good faith"
Thomas Not Surprised.
UAW President r. j. Thomas said
the rejection was no surprise to him,
adding, IF the corporation were
willing to accept the principle of ar
bitration in any form, they would
have a counterproposal."
In rejecting arbitration, GIN also
withdrew it's earlier offer Of cost Of
living" wage increases to its produce
ton men.
Small picket lines were MAIN
tanned yesterday at most GIN plants
in Michigan despite snow squalls and
subfreezing temperatures, the As
sociated Press reported. Soup
kitchens for the strikers made their
first appearance at the GIN Term
stedt and Detroit Transmission di-
visions in Detroit.
The Ford Motor Co., meanwhile.
also facing the 80 per cent wage de-
mand, pressed its proposal for "con1-
pany security" against unauthorized
strikes and slowdowns.
At its second negotiating session
with the UAW, Ford officials told
the union it could make labor his
tory, particularly at this time when
the public is crying for responsible