The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1948-05-20
.ChrysIer Workers
Carry Ball For
Wage Increases

OOU HltI1DeTS Ol bHe CHlDPu Auto
Workers-CIO went out on strike
against the Chrysler Corp. Unions
and industry agreed that the Chry-
sler strike, expected to be a long
and bitter battle, may we'll be the
key case in labor's 1913 fight to
overcome the rising living costs
which are beating down the Am
erican standard of living.
"The strike of the Chrysler
workers." said UAW leader Emil
Macy, "is the fight of the entire
UAW-CIO and every one of our
union brothers and sisters. .
We hope the American people will
see that this is their fight as much
as it is ours" The conservative
Journal of Commerce told its busi-
ness readers, Hanging in the bal
ance is the future trend Of wages
in US mass production industry.
:. A wage increase, if granted by
Chrysler, would have a profound
impact on other industries where
negotiations are being carried on"
UAW has put the blame for the
strike squarely on the Chrysler
Corporation, "The inconvenience
that the strike may cause to con-
sumers and the public is the re-
suit of the complete lack of social
responsibility displayed by this
profit-crazy Corporation ever since
negotiations began February 27,"
Macy declared.
"The situation on the eve of the
strike was this: the union had made
a definite, firm offer to settle and
call off the strike if the corpora
ton would pay a wage increase of
II cents an hour; the exact amount
the corporation had earlier claimed
was necessary to restore Chrysler
workers purchasing power to June,
1916 levels; the corporation had
refused to make any offer, even
of a one cent increase"
Prior to the strike, the union
used Chrysler's own figures to
prove that the corporation could
have 141@ per cent return on
stockholders investment after in
creasing the wages of all its fac
tory employees by 30c an hour.
Norman Matthews, UAW CIO|
Chrysler director, has charged that
Chrysler's report for the first quar-
ter of 1948 attempts to hide some
S3,400,000 of profits in excess de-
probation charges and inventory
reserves. Even the profits the cor
poration admits to, are over four
times as great as the pre-war nor
NAL average for all American man.
ufacturing corporations in the
years 1868.
UAW has voted to raise an $8,-
10000 strike fund to see this fight
thru to the finish. Officers will con-
tribute $50 a week, Executive Board
members $40 week and Interna-
tional Representatives $40 to SIS a
week. They are asking all local
unions to contribute So per mem
ber for the month of June and $4 a
member for the month of July.
The Chrysler workers are set
for the duration, which means, ac-
cording to Macy, "as long as it
takes to persuade the Chrysler
Corp, to face up to economic facts .
and human needs. The settlement"
he said, must be clear-cut VIC
tory for facts and social justice,
not a surrender or compromise inn
posed on 10000 workers and their
families by the economic power of
the profit-hungry Chrysler Corp"
Not only can Chrysler pay wage
increases out of profits, but, the
JAW insists, failure to get IA
wage increase would not prevent
further increases in the cost of liv-
ng because those increases are con-
,inuing even in the absence of !
wage raises. Chrysler itself has
stated that it will increase it's car
prices, regardless of any change in
abor costs. Chrysler workers have
o have, and are determined to get,
| substantial wage raise, merely in
'rder to keep eWen." {
Similarity to the attitude of the V
teel corporation bosses was evident
n the auto wage bargaining when '
union request that one or more
top Chrysler executives" take part a
n the negotiations was turned i
own by the company. This is the y
anne thing that happened in US +
teel when Benjamin Fairless and
he other big shots refused to even t
ry to reach an agreement. il
Michigan's governor Kim Sigler a
nd other state city officials told "
ne UAW that the Chrysler work t.
RS would be guilty of violating
ne Tripp-Bonine state labor act if o
ley walked out without having Fl
lie State Mediation Board conduct g
strike vote. The mediation board +,
ad originally told union spokes- W
len that the Chrysler workers did a
Dt come under the Michigan law il
ecause the corporation has plants el
several states. However, when al
lie union decided to strike they a
led to threaten the workers with IL
lie law. If the law is violated the hi
rikers face prosecution and the IL