Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-20
Guaranteed Wage May Symbol of Labor War or Peace

10 W VIC Sud1aAOCCu Wy VIC PAOPOoCo
CAV is. therefore, likely to be
major point in bargaining.
Whatever amount of money
worker might get in State jobless
benefits or in pay from a temporary
job would be deductible from the
amounts due from the employer who
originally guaranteed his wage.
The union feels this would give
employers an incentive to try and
induce State legislatures to increase
jobless payments.
Under the CAV plan, an unem-
ployed worker would be required to
register with his State employment
service and accept a suitable job
whenever one became available. His
original employer would then have
to pay only the difference between
his temporary salary and his pre-
vious wage.
What would be suitable" Job?
That, says the JAW. would be de-
fined in the labor contract.
Other Questions
Other questions being thrashed
out include whether the economics
Of the industry would permit even
an estimate of the costs of CAV.
Another is whether CAV funds
could be jointly administered by
union and management, with year.
round production a prime objective,
without joint management of the
various auto companies.
Without referring specifically to
CAV, General Motors recently is
sued statement on progress in
stabilizing employment which shows
its awareness of JAW intentions.
while automobile customers, ex-
ercising their free choice, tradi-
tionally buy large percentage IF
the years production in the spring
and summer months" said the
statement, General Motors has
been able to minimize the impact
of this seasonal customer prefer
ence upon employment stability by
operating on an overtime basis dur
ing these periods of peak customer
demands"
The company said it also had
made progress by moving the date
OF model changeovers from winter
to fall and shortening the duration
of the shutdowns involved.
Ford officials also have outlined
steps they have taken to stabilize
MISREPRESENTATION saying a word
about CAV.
Management Stroteey?
Some observers feel that this ST.
lence is a part of management
strategy, designed. for one thing, to
prevent tipping JAW as to what
arguments to expect at the nego-
tiation table.
Although the auto industry has
remained officially silent, other seq
ments of industry have voiced opin-
ions concerning GAW. Charles r.
Sigh. jr., an official of the National
Association of Manufacturers, said
recently:
ut would be poor business for
management to guarantee work or
wages. Free government can't guar
antee employment without freezing
over the economy with an icecap
of socialism. And the unions aren't
going to guarantee anything"
All told, about 200 firms now have
some type of work or pay guaran-
tee. But they apply to fewer than
/ per cent of the Nations produc-
ton and maintenance workers.
In these days labor-management
negotiation battles are seldom
"won." They are compromised. Then
leaders of both sides can report
to their factions that they scored
a victory. That is, they came OF
better than they had feared they
might.
There may or may not be COM
promise on CAV. But it is possible
that both sides will give q little
before the negotiations are ended.