Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-05-22
New JAW Peace Bid,
Invitation 10 Debate
Rejected by Ford

By the Assoeiofed Press
DETROIT, May 2l.-Peace talks
failed again today to settle the
17-day Ford strike.
Ford and the Go United Auto
Workers set another session for
tomorrow. one day before threat
ened bolt of the negotiations by
the union.
The recess was called after the
company rejected another JAW
proposal and the union appealed
to 40 leading Michigan citizens to
hear the issues Of the strike lex
planned first hand"
Walter P. Reuther, JAW presi-
dent, asked top company officials
to join union leaders in the public
airing Tuesday night of the troub-
lesome production "speedup" dis
pute.
Sends Invitation To Ford.
Mr.. Reuther sent the invitation
to Henry Ford II, company presi-
dent, John 8. Bugas, Ford's chief
negotiator and leaders in religious,
educational and civic fields.
The invitation came almost
simultaneously with the unions
latest peace proposal. described by
the union as a modification of its
offer of May 10. That offer
brought charge of "featherbed-
ding" from the company.
The new proposal dealt with the
ALLEGATION of manpower On the
assembly line and was designed,
the union said. to overcome the
company's featherbedding charge.
The latest offer also revised
clause in the original proposal con-
corning absenteeism. the union
said.
The company quickly rejected
it. Mr.. Bugas said the new pro-
posal was virtually the same as
the last one and Is therefore un-
acceptable"
Just as quickly Ford turned
down the invitation for public dis.
cussion of the issues.
1--WE feel this matter should be
settled by established procedures,
that is by arbitration or by nego-
tiation," Mr.. Bugas said.
Repeating Ford's original stand,
Mr.. Bugas said the dispute should
be settled by an outside technical
expert, not by people who are
not in a position to settle this
matter"
Those invited included news
paper editors and religious. edu-
cational and civic leaders.
Mr.. Reuther, explaining the
unions latest proposal at a news
conference, said it was designed
to take the Red flags" out of the
earlier proposal.
Avoids Specific Formula.
He said the new offer avoided
q specific formula" as to work
standards.
1.-THE company will not agree to
work out an agreement on the
basis of it's own production stand
ards" Mr.. Reuther said. THE
company insists that an employe
work at rate of speed in excess
of 100 per cent Of capacity. The
company also insists that en-
ployes work at rate OF speed to
make UP for production losses be-
yond their control" B
The union agrees. Mr.. Reuther
said, that employees should work
at 100 per cent of the company's
standards and should make UP
for losses within their own con-
troll.
Mr.. Reuther said the union was
going ahead with plans for Tues
day nights melting despite the
refusal of Mr.. Ford and Mr.. Blu
gas to attend. He termed their
decision very unfortunate"
Negotiations May Collapse.
In the background Of today's
sessions were a threatened COL
lapse of negotiations by Monday
and the 18th day Of peace talks
aimed at heading of such a
breakdown.
Mr.. Bugas and Mr.. Reuther
again led the negotiators at an
afternoon session today.
The JAW repeatedly revised a
previous offer for settling the
speed-up dispute at the morning
session but apparently to no avail.
Federal mediators sat in for the
second day.
About $4,000 workers walked out
of Ford's big Rouge plant in Dear
born and its Detroit Lincoln-Mer-
curry plant May S. AS the strike
equalled in endurance the strike
of $4,000 Chrysler workers a year
ago, another 10000 Ford workers
and thousands of supplier plant
employees also were idle.
The union has threatened to
bolt the strike peace talks unless
the company agrees by Monday
to start negotiating on new
JAW contract.
The current agreement expires
July Is. and the union had asked
that contract talks start last Mon
day.
Despite the union threat, Ford
has refused to move up the con-
tract talks before June / and
maybe not then if the strike Is on.
100 Feared Drowned
On Fnst BenonI Boot