The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1950-02-23
homogeneous Viewpoint

Following is a condensation of
a statement by Herman l.. Week
ler, Vice President and General
Manager of Chrysler Corporation,
issued after the UAW-CIO called
Chrysler employees on strike on
January 25, 1850.
'The hardships this strike in
flicts on the public, on Chrysler
employees, its dealers and stock
holders are wasteful and I'M
necessary. They follow the ut
most effort on the part of the
Chrysler negotiators to work out
this problem in a sensible and
reasonable way.
"If the Union demand for pen
sions and isurace benefits is a
honest one, Chrysler has met it
guaranteed pensions of 500 a
month, increased life insurance,
improved sickness and accident
and disability benefits.
"Chrysler's offer to pay pen
sions to retiring employees has
behind it the highest credit a
company al have, plenty of as
sets and good earnings.
"These Chrysler benefits, SUI
perior to any the JAW has ne
gotiated elsewhere, yer obtain
able without a strike. The Union
leadership however, has chosen to
sacrifice Chrysler employees in
an effort to escape a political
dilemma of its own making.
The Union leadership want a
kitty that is a get its hands
on for other purposes. That is the
only plausible excuse for its de-
mand that regardless of Chrys-
ler's guarantee to pay pensions to
retiring employees, 10 cents an
hour must be set aside in a fund
over which the Union can share
control.
"Chrysler's proposals yer Of
fered in good faith. These were
subject to development and clari-
flying. The Union was not in
terested. For instance, questions
as to service eligibility for bene-
fits were bargainable. The Union
leadership never got around to
bargaining on these things.
"Chrysler pays wages regular
ly. 1t pays its bills regularly. It's
pension and insurance payments
would be just as sure and sound.
The pesio benefits Of employees
retiring under Chrysler proposal
would be similar obligations.
There is no trick about pen
sion and insurance benefits that
Chrysler has offered. They COM
pare favorably with the economic
benefits accepted by CIO Unions
i'm the steel, glass, and rubber
where there is no
cost-per-hour equivalent.
Insisting on a cents-per-hour
basis Tor pensions and insurance,
the Union leadership ignores the
the essential things: which Is,
that employees can count on get
ting these benefits as promised
regardless of the cost-per-hour
to Chrysler.
Even actuaries cannot say
definitely what the cost per hour
would be or that the cents per
hour demanded would assure the
of the benefits proposed.
"As for the Company's propo-
sal to extend the contract for five
years: Pensions and insurance
came into collective bargaining as
Union demands. They would be
rust as much subject to collective
at the end Of five years
as now. We do not know any in
pension plan that is per-
Comparable pension plans
by other Clio unions
last five years have terminating
clauses and also are subject to re-
negotiation in the light Of pratt
cal experience. The coal miners
experience shows that creating a
-. 49, ~o+ porna-
suity of benefit payments.
"In the last few days, in a
further effort to avoid a strike,
has substantially inn
proved its proposals of last Tues
5ay. But the Union leadership has
continued to demand cents per
nour-or else.
ssThe EMPLOYEES have no choice.