Evening star., 1947-08-04
New JAW Plan
Gives Hope for
Peace afford
Terms Of Proposal
At Lust-Ditch TuIks
Are Not Revealed
By the Associated Press

DETROIT, Aug. Am official
of the CIO United Auto Workers
said today that the union had
a new proposal which it hoped
would avert a strike of 100000
Ford Motor Co. employees.
Richard r. Leonard, UAW-CIo
vice president, did not reveal terms
of the new suggestion which he
said was to be offered to the COM
pany at last-ditch negotiating
session.
The strike was scheduled for noon
tomorrow.
MIR. Leonards statement came
moments after the company delega-
ton announced that it had no new
plans for 'averting the threatened
Walkout, which would be the first
major strike in the auto industry
in II months.
John S. Bugas, company vice
president, told reporters as he en-
tered the all-important session at
the downtown Book Cadillac Hotel:
I'VE have no further counter pro.
posals on either issue"
Ford Refuses to Attend.
The two sides are at odds over q
pension plan and contract terms to
protect the union against penalty
provisions of the Taft-Hartley labor
law.
Henry Ford II, youthful head Of
the big auto firm, refused to at
tend the last scheduled session, al
though he cut short a vacation to
return here.
Il do not think my attendance at
this mornings session could add
anything helpful" the youthful
company president asserted early
today in telegram to Mr.. Leonard,
head of the Auto Workers Ford De-
partment.
He termed the proposed walkout
mot an attack on the labor policy
of the Ford company but a strike
against the law" and added that
the UAW-CIO seemed determined
to strike" unless we agree with you
to establish for all industry what
seems to us a disastrous precedent
for scuttling union responsibility
provisions in the Taft Hartley law"
Approved by Union Officials.
No progress was reported by ne
gotiators who conducted day and
night talks during the week end.
The.Walkout has been approved by
the unions international executive
board, the Ford division and the
rank and file. .s.
Mr.. Ford denied the union Of
ficial's contention that a disputed
pension plan was major issue in
the dispute, insisting he saw no
major difference between us" on
that point.
Il must remind you," he told Mr..
Leonard, that during the last 10
days of negotiation, you have re-
fused even to discuss this retire.
ment plan"
Mr.. Leonard. however, maintained
I'VE would still be battling over the
conference table for a pension plan
| if the Taft Hartley law had never
been passed"
He said the company was using
the Taft-Hartley issue as a smoke
screen to enable it to crawl out
from under its pension commits
ments."
Denies Company "Reneged."
Mr. BugaS denied Mr.. Leonard's
charge that the company "reneged"
on those commitments because its
negotiators were unable to sell the
Ford Co.'S Policy Committee on the
plan
The two parties jointly announced
a tentative Ford pension plan more
than month ago and indicated at
that time that a new contract was
almost ready for signing.
Since passage of the Taft Hartley
Act, however, the union has de-
manded contract safeguards to pro-
tect itself against possible damage
suits for illegal strikes, as provided
in the soft coal agreement recently
negotiated by John L. Lewis.
Mr.. Bugas said the union had
given that demand top priority"
and had made it "a must and an
ultimatum." Only a few minutes
out of eight hours of bargaining yes
terday were devoted to the pension
plan, he added.
Two proposals closely following
one advanced by Mr.. Ford last week