The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1949-04-28
BRITISH FOUNDRYMEN
SAY WE'RE BOTH GOOD

fine places, and each can learn a
lot from the other. That was the
net conclusion Of the trade union
lists and the management men on
the first British productivity team
to visit the US under the auspices
Of the Anglo-American Productiv-
ity Council.
After a six weeks tour of US
steel foundries, the Brit S h S
checked in with Economic Coopera-
tion Administrator Paul Hoffman,
and his labor advisors, Clinton
Golden and Bert Jewell. Hoffman
joined Golden and Jewell in saying
that these teams of British work
ers and managers visiting US
plants in all parts Of the country
will result in even greater cordial
ity between our two countries, as
well as furnishing both some new
production ideas.
A number of questions put to the
British foundrymen at a press con-
ference had that "tell us how much
better America is than England"
note, And the foundrymen didn't
like it. They pointed out. as the
ECA spokesmen had, that the ex-
change of productivity "know-
how" is two way street.
They admitted readily that Am
erican plants are better laid out
than British factories, and that we
make fuller use of machinery
particularly in conveying. But, as
one of the. union men hastened to
recount, in one US foundry he was
able to suggest technical improve
ments that the company accepted
and put into operation before he
left the plant.
These British moulders and foun-
drymen are craftsmen-and proud
of it. They wouldn't want to work
in mass production operations,
they declared, at either the Bri-
tish or the American tempo,
Ben Travis of the Amalgamated
Union of Foundry Workers-the
principal union spokesmen on the
team-said that he was greatly in
terested in the American unions
campaign for health insurance thru
collective bargaining. But, he add
ed, 81 think the way we're doing it
with the Labor governments ma
tional health program is much
better"
The British unions are much |
older than many American unions,
Travis emphasized. Their basic |
structure is the same, he said, and |
declared that soon the American
unions will be operating much the
way their British counterparts do
when American employers are
prepared to recognize unions in
good faith as British employers do.
Travis noted that more griev-
ances are settled quickly between
shop stewards and works managers
in England than in the US.
All of the foundrymen-union
men, technicians and employers
were sore about the story that APP
peared i'm the London Dailv Mirror
which says they found Detroit and
The work pace of American work
ers "hellish." The story was writ
ten by British reporter after he
had left the tour, they asserted,
and altho some Of his quotes are
correct the tone of the story doesn't |
reflect their reactions accurately.
This is the story which the New
York Daily Worker, official mouth
piece of the US Communist party,
has been playing up.
"We've a date with that bloke
when we get back home," one of
The union men remarked.
When the team gets back to
England its findings will be written
up for distribution to employers
and unions in the British steel
foundries, Some Of the techniques
they've seen here can be applied
advantageously in Britain, the
team members agreed, but others
can't. They insist that the require
ments Of their market make it inn
possible for them 10 90 in for. as