Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1949-10-28
LAY0FF 81 WORKERS
HERE DURING week
More LayOffs Expected at LO-
cal Factories If Steel
Strike Continues

| CnntonS economic and industrial
front became reality Friday
when the Standard Products Port
Clinton division made an initial
layoff of SO workers.
An additional lay-off of 46
employees was announced We'd
nesday by Mr.. Norris, effective
at once. In a bulletin released
to employees, Mr.. Norris stated
that additional ut-backs had
| been received from Chrys,or
Corp, that Motor Products
Corp. has reduced its schedules
to 25 per cent of its normal re-
quirements, and that Standard
has completed October require
ments for number of its small
er accounts, and that these firms
have advised Standard Products
that they will have little or no
business for the local firm dur
ing November.
With more and more automotive
plants being forced to close down
due to lack of steel, it is evident
that further layoffs at the local
plant will be necessitated unless
the steel strike is settled soon.
As it has been the Standard
Products Company's policy in the
past two years to keep it's en-
ployees informed of, all develop
ments effecting their welfare and
jobs, announcement of the initial
layoff was made in bulletin sign
ed by plant manager E. A. Norris
Cut-backs from several custom
ers, including General Motors
Corporation, Motor Products Cor
poration, and Parts Manufactur-
ing Company, necessitated the
initial layoff, Mr.. Norris stated.
In Fridays bulletin, Mr.. Norris
added: "We are unable to de-
teiunine at the present time how
long we will be permitted to oper-
ate at even this reduced level of
production. .,
"We must recognize that ad~
ditional reduction in schedules will!
be received which will further re-
duce our working force. We are
very sorry that it is necessary to
make this announcement, but we
know that you are interested in
these Developments.
Personnel Manager Carl Keller,
in a bulletin issued Thursday,
stated that the Standard Pro-
ducts Company had received ship
ment hold-ups for Packard and
KaiserF Frazer parts, and that sew
eral big automotive companies
were expected to close down early
next month if the steel strike con-
tinues.
Negotiations Recessed
Contract negotiations between
the Port Clinton Division of the
Standard Products Company and
UAW-CIO Local 497 have been
at a standstill since October 13
when negotiations were recessed
until October 81 at the request of
the UAW-CIO international re-
preventative.
This requested delay in nego-
tiations was apparently made to
permit the Gosser Plan fire
works" to get underway in To-
ledo. Whether Port Clinton is
to be involved in similar fire
works" as Toledo is experiencing
this week, is the big question at
the present time.
The present master agreement,
and local agreements, expired as
of August 81 but remain in effect
because of the extension clause.
Issues Are Reported
In a special edition of "Be-
tween Ourselves" published for
employees of the Standard Pro-
ducts Company Of the Port Clin-
ton and St. Clair (Michigan) Di-
visions, the management Friday
informed the employees regarding
the. status of the labor negotia-
tions.
Following are statements ap-
pearing in the October 21 edition
Of Between Ourselves:
During these negotiations IN
derstandings have been reached on
both sides on many Of the issues
Still to be settled are: recogni-
tion, representation, right to and
application of seniority, tempor-
ary lay-off period, defining va
cancy, leave-of-absences for po-
litical purposes and employees
transferred from the bargaining
unit, Company security, furnish
ing union-made protective equip
ment or clothing. admission to
the plant for union representa-
tives, vending machines as they
affect operation of the cafeteria,
and contracting work.
AT the first meeting on Aug
ust 5, a general demand was made
for a wage increase, a pension
plan and a social insurance pro-
gram, as referred to in the no
Continued Page 2, Col. ~