The union times., 1947-01-11
IMPARTIAL

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 It is not story prepared by pro- labor publicists but by presumably impartial research men and scien- lists, which makes it all the more impressive.
 The firm dealt with is S. Buchs- baum & Co. of Chicago, employing over 1000 workers in the produc- tion of plastics.
 At one time, the management was tougher than the most hard boiled bosses exposed in the inc vestigations made by the La Toilette Civil Liberties Commit- tee.
 It smashed two strikes. It fired un- ionistS wholesale and blacklisted them. It employed labor spies, and in many other ways engaged in "union- busting" By terror and intimidation, it kept its plant "open shop"
 PERSONAL STORY
 The company's president, Herbert J. Buchsbaum, tells the story personally in the document. He describes the various strikes and how they were broken. This strikebreaking was costly" he said, but he felt he was defending his constitutional rights" to maintain an open shop. T thought if 1 let the union in, it would ruin my business" he explained.
 To his surprise, however, the union didn't stay ssbusted.' By l94O the workers were organizing again, this time with the protection of the Wagner Act. Forbidden by law to resort to intimidation, he tried to discourage unionism by granting a pay raise and promising more. But that didn't work. 'SThe employees just wanted to be organ ized," he pointed out.
 MUTUAL AID
 Talking to pickets, he discovered, too, that some of the conditions they wanted corrected would really "save money for the frm-and that they had the company at heart, even though they had many grievances.
 The ice was finally broken when a fellow employer induced him to have lunch with the leader of the union, Sam Laderman. He learned that the unionist ''didn't have horns" and wanted to set up a re- lationship that would benefit both the company and the workers.
 Then and there, he decided to ''take a chance" He signed with inc union, ending the strike. Not only that, but he went the whole hog in maintaining friendly rela- tions with the union and in accept ing adequate grievance machinery. The result, he admitted, has been revolutionary
 His foremen, he said, no longer need to devote most of their time to disciplining and brow-beating em- ployes. They now serve primarily as "Show-how" men, Furthermore, now that relations had become so harmo- nious, he found he no longer needed so many supervisory employees.
 BIG PRODUCTION
 'sIn place of one foreman to 20 workers in l94O, we nov have one to lOO." he said.
 Even more important was the fact that productivity skyrocketed.
 ''In the first half of l946 our dollar of sales per worker was three times what it was in l94O," he revealed. ''I attribute much of this increase to the group spirit in the plant.
 My whole attitude has been changed through this experience. The employees now want to do things for me; they do more for this company than I can possibly pay for Now we get together and talk things out, and we understand each other.
 BOTH SIDES HAVE SECURITY
 ''The employees have security, and the company has it, too. We can expand our plants, add new items, plan sales campaigns and seek foreign markets with never a fear of work stoppage. We can work together to cut costs and inc crease production.
 ''Our union relationship has been a great asset in the develop ment of the company"
 The report also tells the whole story from the union leaders side and an- alyses conditions at the plant.
 The university's study committee is making similar surveys in other plants, and hopes to arrive at overall conclusions from these studies on how real union-manage-