Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1950-02-03

sued the following statement To-
day:
After six months of negotia-
tions the Chryeler workers have
been forced on strike because
the Chrysler Corporation has
refused to accept its response
bility to its workers and the
people of our community.
The arrogant and stubborn
attitude of the Chrysler Corpora
ton has forced this strike upon
its workers. The issues are
strong and clear. They were set
forth in the Unions proposal
of Monday, Jan. %.
The Chrysler workers and
their union were prepared to
call off the strike if the cor
poration would meet the estab-
lished pattern of 10 cents an
hour-either in form of cents
for pensions and 4 cents for
a hospital-medical program or
in some other combination that
would provide Chrysler work
ers with a guaranteed adequate
pension program and a hospital
medical program or flat wage
increase of 10 cents per hour.
The union was willing to arbi-
trate any technical problems un-
resolved after 30 days of further
negotiations. The Chrysler Cor
poration rejected this proposal
outright.
Among the reasons that make
Chryslers proposal completely
unacceptable to the union are
the following:
/. Despite the highest profits
in It's history the Chrysler Cor
poration continues to refuse to
meet the established 10 cents
per hour economic pattern which
has been accepted by large
section of American industry.
2. The Chrysler pension pro-
possl costs the company less
than cents per hour.
3. The plan does not provide
for the establishment Of trust
fund. No provision is made for
the setting aside OF earmarked
funds to guarantee payment Of
pension benefits.
a. The company can cancel
the plan after five years and the
worker who reaches age 65 even
one day after date Of cancella-
ton receives no benefits.
5. Eligibility rules are rigged
with numerous "jokers" which
will deprieve thousands OF work
ers with long years of continuous
service Of any pension benefits.
This is true with respect to both
past years of work and future
years IL work Examples attach
ed.
8. The Corporations proposal
denies the workers any voice
in the administration OF the
plan.
7. The company insists on
forced retirement regardless of
the individuals wishes.
8. The Chrysler Corporations
proposal provides minor inn
provements on life and disability
insurance representing less than
l cent in cost and makes no pro-
vision whatsoever OF payment
by the company Of hospital and
medical benefits for Chrysler
workers and their families.
9. The Chrysler Corporation
offers its inadequate and un-
sound proposal conditioned upon
the unions extending the present
Collective Bargaining Agree
ments for a period of 5 years.
This would deny the Chrysler
workers the opportunity to ne
gotiate much-needed improve
ments with respect to seniority,
grievance procedure, wage in
equities, union security and
other beneficial contract changes
until 1855.
The Unions proposal to spend I
6 cents for pensions would ,
make il possible to give the
workers better benefits, reason /;
able eligibility rules and an es- I
tablished acturially sound, guar !
anteed plan. {
The Unions proposal would {
earmark cents to provide the I
broadest possible hospital-medi- a
cal protection for workers and J
their families.
The Corporation admits that {
the question of its ability to pay v
Is not an issue in this dispute. a
Its representatives in collective
state frankly that
the demands OF the Chrysler v
workers can be granted easily j
working any financial Z
hardship on the company. a
The corporation does not dis C
pute the fact that it has pro- h
yided generous pensions for its p
lighly-paid executives when they Il
'etire. But its representatives I
;tubbornly insist they will not 2
provide a guaranteed, acturial- h
y sound pension program for Il
he men and women who make W
rhrysler products. Further, they V
ay flatly they will not provide
me cent for any kind of hos {
'ital-medical coversge for Chry-