Evening star., 1947-08-01
|CI0 Studies Ford Offer
10 Wave Damages
For Pact Violations
BY ,hs Assse;sssd Press

BY ths ks.se;sssd Press
DETROIT, Aug. 1.-The Ford
Motor Co.. threatened by a strike
Of It's 10000 cIo production
workers. offered ,conditionally to-
day to waive the Taft-Hart.
ley labor laws court protection
against union contract viola
tions.
Ford's proposal. delivered person.
ally by Henry Ford. IL. company
president, to CIo Chief Philip Muir.
ray, was being weighed on the eve
of a strike verdict by the CIO's
United Auto Workers.
The UAw-cIo International Ex-
scutiye Board goes into session to-
morrow to consider It's Ford depart
ment's resolution to call q strike In
the vast Ford automotive factory
system.
Word of Mr.. Ford's offer. which
was based on a series of company
described good faith conditions, -
came from a surprise meeting which
the young Industrial executive had
with Mr.. Murray in New York City
yesterday. arranged at Mr.. Ford's
own request.
Murray Is Silent.
There was no immediate comment
from Mr.. Murray or the UAW.
Mr.. Ford made the offer at q time
when the auto industry already was
heset with strikes and layoffs in
volving approximately 10000 Michi-
gan workers.
Largely. this idleness was attrib-
uted to a week long walkout Of 1000
Murray Corp. of America workers in
q demand for contract protection
against the union liability" provi-
sion of the Taft Hartley law. Mur-
ray Corp. supplies parts to the
industry.
The same UAW-CIO demand on
Ford was refused bluntly. but Ford,
acknowledging a critical situation,
offered q compromise.
Four Provisions.
This was in the form of a COM
pany pledge not to bring suit against
the union for damages arising out
of illegal strikes" provided that:
/. The union has not inspired OF
authorized such strike.
z. The union agrees promptly to
denounce publicly" any illegal strike
}. The union and its "oficers OF
agents" agree to use prompt ano
honest effort" to prevent or end such
a strike.
4. The impartial umpire (sssignet
by contract) shall be ,"final judge
whether the union has taken these
reasonable steps" relative to sucr
strikes.
Murray Asked to Intervene.
The Hartley law gives ar
employer the right to sue unior
for damages in event OF CONTRACT
violation. Under q no-strike con-
tract . union could be brought intt
court for alleged violation II II
caused or permitted strike.
Mr.. Ford. disclosing from New
York the contents of letter he gave
Mr., Murray, asked the CLOS pres.
ioent to intervene In the UAW'
CLOS negotiations with the com
pany.
The suggestion. was opposed visor-
ously in Detroit by UAW Ford Di..
rector Richard T. Leonard. He said
Mr.. Murray did not indicate that
he would follow the Ford recon-
mendation. .,s
Charging the negotis tions had
become o. "marionette SHOW. Mr.
Ford said ''hands far distant from
the bargaining table were pulling
the strings" He did not elaborate
Contract Clause Refused.
Refusing to grant the union a con-
tract clause protecting it against
the liability provision OF the labor
law, Mr.. Ford said his firm re-
sented having been chosen "as
the guinea pig in an effort by the
UAW to veto those parts Of q Fed
eral statute which 1t does not hap
pen to like"
THE union" Mr.. Ford said. "is
asking us to include in our new
agreement a provision which would
In effect nullify certain provisions
Of the Taft-Hartley Law.
This we cannot agree to do. We
respect and obey the laws OF the
land and cannot be party to placing
unions above the law
Mr.. Ford said the company mere
ly asks" the union to "act in good
faith" to avoid illegal strikes or
threats of such strikes. In return,
he said, the company pledges its
good faith" not to claim damages
If the umpire finds in the union S
favor.
Mr.. Ford and the union also are
in dispute over a pension plan. once
tentatively agreed on to go with 3
wage increase and