Evening star., 1946-02-10
chrysIer Plays Come !
In Deal With Labor
Writer Sees Practical Advantages
In Quiet Negotiations

Writer Sees Practical Advantages
In Quiet Negotiations
By Raymond Moley
The general impression which re-
ceived in visit to Detroit this week
was that success in collective bargain
ing varies inversely with the bulk and
number Of public statements uttered by
both sides. The more words the less
peace. In labor relations one word
leads to another and third leads ia
trouble.
Wise industrial bosses ought to knoM
too, that they are not equipped BY
training and temperament to bapdy
words with labor leaders. Most man-
ayers get to the top by competent and
emcient production performance, known
primarily to their bosses. Labor leaders
rise in an atmosphere of public debate.
And no battery Of public relations ex-
perts can make the boss . William
Jennings Bryan. The press wants words
from the horses mouth, not press hand
outs from the stable.
The Chrysler management knew
this and started their negotiations
quietly, in September. Ford started
early. too. But Chrysler said nothing
and the UAW-CIo representatives for
Chrysler said nothing. For four months
they sawed wood. First they settled all
elements In the contract except wages.
AND the company is better satisfied
with this contract than with last years
deal.
Finally. by the latter part of jan
uary, 1t became apparent that the Tru-
man administration is intent on stabil-
lzing wages and prices on a plateau
somewhat higher than 1s45-perhaps
l5-20 per cent higher. That being the
revealed purpose of the Government,
Chrysler and Ford decided to comply,
relying on future actions of Govern
ment and natural forces to give them
prices high enough to pay the costs.
On this point of prices the distinction
between Chrysler and Ford is that
Cnrysler seems to assume that price
relief will come, and Ford asked Mr..
Truman for relief from OPA. And Ford
was refused. Chrysler, meanwhile, gets
what prestige there may be in paving
haH-cent more in its increase than
Ford.
1t must be remembered, in viewing
the operations Of the UAW-CIO, that
there is union division head for each
company. Thus there is rivalry between
Mr.. Reuther in GIN and the division
heads in Ford and Chrysler. Not only
DO the automobile companies compete,
but the divisions of the union compete,
| AND 1t was big feather in the cap
OF each OF the Ford and Chrysler diyi-
sion heads to get ahead of Mr.. Reuther.
Toward the end they were racing for
| the goal
The Chrysler settlement was complete.
Ford settled wages and then had to
return to many vital details In the
| contract.
Another distinctive thing about the
| Cnrysler settlement was the fact that 1t
was genuine collective bargaining, with
no Government Intervention, interfer-
ence, mediation or muddling. There
were no letters to the President. It WAS
straight labor management bargaining.
And to put little pink ribbon on the
settlement, both sides said that they
would not belabor each other in public
statements for the duration Of the
contract.
In the whole Detroit picture, a very
important factor is known to all the
companies, which has not come to the
surface in the GIN dispute. To q de-
gree, GIN is unlike its competitors, not
only in size, but in the variety of its
product. In short, the general reports
OF the company about profits and the
ike describe something much more than
| automobile costs. In other companies
making almost exclusively motor vehi-
cles, general figures apply to motor cars.
In some OF the GIN operations, there
| may be profits which, when averaged
with motor car figures, tell a different
story. This is the real reason why the
| UAW-CIo was so eager to have "the
books" produced. Other automobile
companies, knowing this, are, to say
the least. viewing the GIN fight with
some detachment.
The whole picture certainly denies the
contention of Mr.. Reuther that an un-
DERIVING conspiracy" exists. The pic
ture represents a generally healthy
industry, with vital competition. It is
an industry, moreover, in which COM
petition can be counted on to regulate
prices. In this business, at any rate,