Evening star., 1949-05-24
|UAW Awaiting Ford ,
Answer 10 Proposal
I1o Arbiiraie Strike
D. sAs Assex scsss ersss

United Auto workers offered to-
day 20 arhitrats their real issue
In the Ford strike.
Contingent then on settlement
Of minor points" the JAW said,
the strike would be ended.
Whether the union move opened
the gate to an early peace re-
manned 10 be seen on the a0ih day
OF the walkout. however. Negoaia-
tons have been recessed since
Sunday night.
The strike. which has made
l06 900 Ford workers idle was
called on the JAW charges cf a
production line speedup.
Ford said ii would not comment
pending formal receipt of the
JAWS written proposal.
Proposal Called Genuine
Described by the union as a
genuine arbitration proposal. 1t
was contained in a five-page doc
ument signed by Walter Reuther.
JAW president, and addressed TO
John S. Bugas. Ford vice presi-
dent.
The company has insisted that
the dispute was a problem for
arbitration. taking that stand
even before the strike started
May S.
The JAWS proposal dwelt on
the matter Of 100 per cent Of
production standards"
1t proposed this question for a
mutually chosen arbiter whose de-
cision would be final and bind
ing:
Does the company under the
contract have the right to require
an employe to work at a rate Of
speed in excess of 100 per cent
Of established standards OF pro-
duction and to require a worker
to make up production losses re-
sulting from factors over which
the worker has no control?"
Standards and Manpower.
The dispute bears on the speed
of Ford assembly lines and relates
to work standards" and proper
manpower.
Mr.. Reuther SAID his union pro-
posal differed from management's s
original arbitration idea.
He said the management pro-
posed that the arbitrator rule only
on the technical point of whether
the established production stand
ard 600 per cent? was correct. ="
Under Ford's proposal MIR.
Reuther added. the arbitrator
would not be able to rule on "the
company's claimed right to work
an employe at an enforced stand
ard in excess of the established
standard Of production Goo per
cent?"
The JAWS strike is concerned
with production rates in Ford S
Rouge and Lincoln Mercury
plants.
Reuther's Views Of Dispute.
Mr.. Reuther. In his letter to Mr..
Bugas, viewed the dispute in this
way: 2.'7s' - ~
eff the union unilaterally d.
irected d policy communication to
the officers and members of its
local unions In the Rouge and
Lincoln plants instructing them 70
work at a speed less than 100 per
cent OF the established production
standards, the company could
flegitimately charge the. union with
instituting a showdown In viola
ftion OF the contract.
Conversely. when the company
unilaterally directed a policy COM
munication to its supervision end
labor relations staff instructing
them to follow practices requiring
employees to work at q rate Of
speed in excess Of 100 per cent
established production standards.
the union contends that this did
in fact. institute a policy which
resulted in q speedup in violation
Of the contract.
This is the point In dispute on
which the parties are currently
deadlocked and which the union
proposes to submit to arbitration. {"
The union proposed that q
strike settlement agreement" be
signed when the other minor
issues" had been resolved.
It further proposed that Presi-
dent Truman name the arbitrator
| If the company and union are
unable to agree on one within
48 hours after the strike settle
ment is signed.