Evening star., 1950-02-27
Reuther Says Labor,
Industry Owe Public
First Consideration
BY the Associated Press

SdlU IOUdy ldDOT anu manage
ment have a responsibility to the
public that is above the interests
Of their special economic groups.
In addressing the annual con-
vention of the American Associa-
tion of School Administrators.
Mr.. Reuther said:
I'm the complex and inter-
dependent world in which we live,
labor and management have a
tremendous responsibility to the
whole community. This joint re-
SponSibility of labor and manage
ment transcends the responsibility
that either has to it's special eco
nomic group.
Decisions in the field of COL
lective bargaining must reflect
progress for the whole commu-
nifty"
Conference Suggested.
Mr.. Reuther suggested confer
ence OF top leadership in manage
ment, labor, agriculture, science
and education, I'm the light of
the fear and uncertainty caused
by news of the hydrogen bomb"
He said the conference must
come to grips on a down. -to-earth
basis with the problems of un-
employment, the achievement of
full production and full distribu-
ton, our housing and educational
needs, the problem of removing
economic barriers to good health,
the question of civil rights and
fair-pracTfce legislation, and other
basic problems which challenge
democracy"
In Elizabeth. N. j., last night,
Mr.. Reuther told about 1900
cheering UAW members at a.
regional educational conference:
There is something baSically
wrong with America Nation
that can wage war as we can wage
war-when workers cannot afford
to buy the things they make" Mr..
Reuther said. "We can make, but
we haven't learned to distribute
Wnat we can make"
Cites General Motors.
He said the first step is to boost |
wages while lowering prices. and
said profits are big enough to
permit it. /
General Motors is the logical
place to break through" he said.
General Motors made profits
during 1949 of approximately $10o
million per month-enough to al
low real price cut-not the little
ones they have been giving out
and a wage increase-and still
make scandalous profits" He
emphasized the word "and" each
time.
"A handful of General Mo-
tors executives recently received
bonuses totaling j$58 million" Mr..
Reuter- said. but did not buy
more bread or more washing
machines with the money because
they already had enough"
He said the $50 million would |
have provided an hourly wage in
crease Of 1877 cents for every
General Motors worker, and that
1t would then have increased pur-
chasing power.
Firm on Strike.
Mr.. Reuter- said the strike at
the Chrysler Corp. would not end
until the management agrees to a
pension plan and trust fund SINH
lar to that granted by the Ford |
Motor Co.
Then we'll nail General Mo-
tors" he said. adding that corpo-
rations would stop lobbying in
Washington against increased
social security benefits when they
IND they must otherwise bear the
cost OF pensions themselves.
After social security, his union
will fight for medical care, he
said, using the same strategy of
insisting that what is not legis-
lated in Washington must be bar
gained into union contracts, "and
after that comes a guaranteed an
nual wage"
Branch hickey, president of the
Brooklyn Dodgers, told the edu-
Gators at their opening session
yesterday that racial discrimina-
ton in the Nation "is rapidly ap-
preaching a solution-but not !
through legislative processes"
Setback Held Possible
The baseball club owner said
public antagonism to the prohibi-
ton amendment put back the
cause Of temperance for many
years."
And, he declared, it is possible
that law prohibiting racial dis
elimination would cause so much
antagonism that it would delay
the race issue for years."
Mr.. Rickey-the man who Gre
ated sensation when he hired
Jackie Robinson to play for the
Dodgers-said he faced six prob
lens when he signed the first
Negro in the big leagues.
/ had to get the full support
OF ownership in baseball, he said
I had to get a man who could
carry the burden on the field. Il
needed man to carry the badge
OF martyrdom' on the field and
on it. The press had to accept
him. The reaction OF the Negro
race itself might solidify antago-
nism OF the people of other colors.
And, had to consider the attitude
OF the mans teammates
Can Train Anywhere.
Mr.. Hickey said the qualifica-
tions were filled by Robinson, the
Dodgers second baseman who
was voted the most valuable player
IN the National League last year.
When it was announced three
years ago that Robinson had been
signed, Mr.. Hickey said, Il could
not train in any city in the
South nor in many places in the
North"
But today I can go into any