Evening star., 1946-03-04
Union Plans 10 Spur
Strike Effort as GIN
Refuses 10 Arbitrate
BY the Assoeiotsd Press


DETROIT, Mar. 4.-The CIO
United Auto Workers Union,
faced with a refusal by General
Motors Corp. to arbitrate, pre-
pared today to intensity its 104-
day-old strike.
Meanwhile a negotiating session
scheduled for this morning was
postponed until pm, James F.
Dewey, special mediator, announced.
The morning meeting was set for
1890 O'Clock, at which time the
GIN negotiators appeared. The union
request for delay was telephoned
Is minutes later, none of the UAW
representatives appearing for the
session.
The corporation yesterday reject
ed union proposal to leave to an
arbitrator the settlement of the
longest and costliest strike in auto
motive history.
Instead, the corporation suggest
ed that the UAW-CIO let its 49,
900 idle members vote in secret on
whether they wish to accept a wage
increase of 1917 cents an hour and
return to work.
The union is demanding 1872
cents as recommended by a presi-
dental fact-finding board.
Warning by Union.
Before rejection of the arbitra-
ton plan, the union had warned
that rejection by GIN would force
the UAW-CIO ito intensity strike
action and to carry on until the
strike is won"
The UAW-CIO had said Saturday
that it was willing to send its mem
bers back into the nearly 100 struck
GIN plants under the corporations
1872 cent wage increase offer if
GIN would submit that issue and
others in the dispute to an arbi-
traitor.
In lengthy reply to this pro-
posal, the corporation said it would
not arbitrate the wage issue, which
it called the only one"
General Motors offer" the state
ment read, lis within the wage
policy of the country. 1t conforms
to the wage pattern Of the auto
motive industry.
Secret Vote Proposed.
That leaves only one issue,
namely, the question of whether
General Motors should grant a
greater general wage increase than
its competitors or more than the
pattern for the country. We don't
need arbitration to decide this point
What, then, are we to arbitrator"
GIN went on to suggest:
"One of your justiflcations for the
strike has been that the employees
voted for it in an NLRB election
Accordingly, in the event that, after
further consideration, your dele
gates again reject our latest offer,
We propose that the NLRB, or some
other independent agency conduct
secret vote among our employees to
determine whether they wish to re-
turn to work under an agreement
embodying our latest offers ."
The union. through statements by
its top leaders, said GIN did not
dare to arbitrate and termed the
proposal for the secret back-to-work
ballot an 'unwarranted interfer-
ence in the affairs of democratic
union
R. ]. Thomas, UAW president,
said such proposal lis probably an
of the National Labor Re
lations Act"
Walter P. Reuther, vice president
Of the union and leader Of the
strike, said the corporations an
swer demonstrates again that Gen
eral Motors does not dare submit |
to impartial judgment of a third
party the merits of the dispute be-
tween the corporation and its
workers"
He continued:
General Motors refused public |
The corporation baked
at United States conciliation. 1t re-
jected the offer of arbitration we
made before the strike was called |
The corporations expensive legal
representatives walked out on the
Presidents Fact-finding Boards |
hearings.
The General Motors Corp. |
thumbed its nose at the President
when it rejected his rec
of a 1917 -cent-an-
hour wage increase and reinstate-
ment of the contract which the
Cancelled.
Now it has rejected again
fair offer of arbitration because it |
is. unwilling to accept a decision
based on the facts"
The corporations letter to the
union, signed by Harry w. Ander-
son, GIN vice president, said the
JAW had indicated an agreement
could be reached on all issues in dis
pute if GIN would agree to an in
crease of 1872 cents an hour.
Further Consideration Urged.
The real issue seems to be-" the
letter read, that the union officers
are unwilling to make a decision
to settle this strike and want
third party to assume that RESPONSE
bility for them.
General Motors has made sew
eral offers in a sincere effort to
end the strike and get our many
thousands of employees back to work
-. We urge that your union
give further consideration to Gen.
u = /