Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-03-13
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
DETROIT, Mar. 13.-General
Motors and CIO United Auto
Workers negotiators are near an
agreement on the issues that
have kept 175.000 production
workers idle in the 113-day-old
strike, authoritative sources dis
closed this morning after an all
night negotiating session.
AS the session that began yester-
day afternoon continued, a corpo-
ration official who asked that his
name not be used told newsmen that
agreement had been reached on the
wage issue and that "a few other
non-economic issues" remained to
be resolved.
The official did not say whether
the wage agreement was on the
basis OF an increase of 1872 cents
an hour as offered by the corpora
ton or the 1917 cents-an-hour raise
demanded by the union.
Definite Settlement Planned.
Another management source. ask
ing not to be quoted by name, said
the negotiations now In progress con-
templated definite settlement of
the entire dispute and mot Just an
other deal" He did not elaborate.
Union heads, including r. j.
Thomas. president; Walter p. Reu-
ther, vice president. and George r.
Adde's, secretary-treasurer, withheld
direct comment. They were striving
for a settlement before leaving for
Washington tomorrow to attend q
strategy meeting OF the CIC.
They made no comment on re-
ports that If settlement is not
reached today the strike would con-
tinue until after the annual con-
vention Of the UAW-CIO starting
at Atlantic City March % and con-
tinuing through March 81.
There also was no comment from
James F. Dewey. Federal mediator
who earlier had told of plans to
continue in session. During the
negotiations last night Mr.. Dewey
came outside the conference room
for brief recess. He was in shirt
sleeves for the first time.
Immediate Council Call.
Mr.. Reuther, who has been the
leading figure in directing the pre-
longed strike. said that when an
agreement is reached the JAW
General Motors Council will be
called Immediately for a special
conference to approve it. It will
be submitted then to the union To-
Gals IN 81 GIN plants for ratifica-
ton.
The 100-man council represents
each OF the union locals.
Mr.. Reuther expressed the opinion
the workers could start returning
to their jobs within week after
ratification. Corporation spokes-
men made no immediate comment
on this statement.
The prolonged strike already has
cost General Motors more than
$3.50, 600 900 in untitled orders. The
wage loss to the strikers has been
calculated to date by the union at
$127 SOC, 900 and by the manage
ment at $144,866, 900. The union
figured the work week at 40 hours
and the corporation at 456 hours.
Originally Asked 80 Per Cent.
The UAW-CIO originally de-
manded 80 per cent wage increase,
asserting that much increase was
necessary to maintain the wartime
take-home pay. When a presiden-
tial fact-fnding commission recon-
mended an increase Of 1914 cents
CTS per cent? the union accepted
the proposal, but management re-
jected it and countered with its
offer Of 1917 cents GIGS per cent?.
Other issues involve q union de-
mand for the setting up by the
management Of an equalization
fund with which to equalize what
lit termed "inequities0 In wage rates
for identical work in different plants
Also in dispute were certain con-
tract clauses entered into the union-
management agreement by War
Labor Board directives during the
war. Management wanted them
eliminated while the union insisted
on their continuance.
- Z r
Maintenance Of Membership.
Among them were the mainte-
nance Of union membership. In lieu
of this the management offered q
union dues check-on. Another dis
pute conferred around trainers and
promotions which the union de-
manded be based on seniority.
AS the negotiations continued
through last night and into this
morning q scheduled resumption Of
| the National Labor Relations Board
hearing on union charges against
GIN was postponed until 10 am
tomorrow. It had been postponed
four times since it began late In
January.
The corporation met with the
UAW-CIO for 81 hours yesterday
afternoon. They returned at o:2o
Ppm. to the conference room on the
fifth floor Of the GIN administra-
ton building.