Owned and Published 
By and For Labor

VOL. 1, No. 38

Lansing Labor News

Official Weekly Newspaper of CIO Labor in Lansing

MAIL ADDRESS: P.O. Box 657, Lansing 3, Mich.

LANSING, MICHIGAN — DECEMBER 6, 1945

For A Better America
—60,000,000 Jobs

$1.50 PER YEAR — PER COPY, 5c

 Action on Compensation 
For Veterans Immediately 
Is Urged By UAW President

By R. J. THOMAS 
President U. A. W.-C. I. O.

ZELLER SPEAKS AT 1861 HOUSE

The General Motors Corporation sit-down strike against 
collective bargaining has thrown out of work at least 50,- 
000 veterans of World War II who are members of the UAW- 
CIO. These veterans may be ruled ineligible for un­
employment benefits under the G. I. Bill of Rights. They 
are getting no benefits under the state unemployment com­
pensation laws.

Additional thousands of veterans employed in the Ford 
Motor Company and in numerous other auto or parts plants 
not on strike are also out of work as a result of the General 
Motors-provoked strikes.

The situation confronting the veterans in the automobile 
industry demands immediate attention by the U. S. Vet­
erans Administration, by the Federal Congress, and by the 
various state legislatures.

VETERANS HIT HARDEST

Four states have laws providing that works on strike 
are entitled to unemployment compensation after a certain 
period of weeks. The New York law, for example, permits 

a worker on strike to draw benefits after a seven-week 
period. The veterans, however, in most cases has not been 
back on the job long enough to have accumulated earnings 
credits, so he will not be eligible for unemployment bene­
fits.

He may not be eligible, also, for benefits under the G. I. 
Bill. Pening passage of the Wagner bill, S. 1813, which
See VETERANS’ COMPENSATION, Page 4 

Reo Local 650
Gets 2% Bonus

BY RAYMOND W. REED
Pres. Reo Local 650

Reo Local 650, UAW-CIO 
takes pleasure in notifying 
its members that a 2% bonus 
on their earnings will be paid 
and are' eligible under the 
following terms, quoted from 
a letter received from man­
agement on October 24, in 
answer to our letter as of Oc­
tober 3 requesting payment 
of the bonus:

"A bonus of 2% of 
each employee's earn- 
ings during the period 
from November 27, 1944 
to December 1, 1945 will 
be paid to all employees 
on the payroll on the la­
ter date.

“Also, employees who 
were on the payroll on 
August 15, 1945 but who 
were not on it on Decem­
ber 1, 1945 due to termi­
nation or cancellation of 
Government contracts, 
will be eligible to receive 
a bonus of 2% of their 
earnings between the pe­
riod from November 27, 
1944 to the termination 
of their employment 
providing the employee 
makes a written notariz­
ed request for such pay­
ment prior to February 
1, 1946. A letter to this 
effect will be sent to all 
such employees by reg-
See REO BONUS, Page 3

Jack Zeller, above, addresses the Local 724 banquet at the 1861 
House Saturday night. He is director of the UAW-CIO education 
department. Shown with him at the table is Clayton Carpenter, 
Intl. representative from the education department.

Forty-five officers, committeemen and stewards of UAW 
Local 724 enjoyed a dinner Saturday night in the homey 
atmosphere of the 1861 House on South Grand.

Following a n excellent 
dinner which will be long re­
membered by all, Maurice 
Donnell, President of the lo­
cal, welcomed the diners and 
guests and expressed the 
hope that many more func­
tions would be planned and 
as enthusiastically enjoyed.
Donn Hackett from Lund­
berg branch acted as toast­
master and introduced Geo. 
Nader and "Rocky" Stone, 
International Representa­
tives.

Following their remarks 
Don Falor, Sub Regional Dir­
ector outlined a tentative 
program for support of the 
GM strike by non-GM locals.
One of the treats of the 
evening’s program was the 
showing of the picture “Unit­
ed Action,” a documented 
story of the national Gener­
al Motors tool and die strike.
Jack Holt, from Flint, new­
ly elected Regional Director 
of UAW-CIO and member of
See ZELLER, Page 2

Richardson Says:

President Is
Sacrificing
Democracy

History will reveal Tru­
man as one of the weakest 
presidents we’ve ever had, 
according to R. E. Richard­
son, president of Olds Local 
652. He states:

“President Truman has 
sacrificed the principles of 
democracy and alligned 
himself with the lawless 
corporations who would 
deny labor the right of or­
ganization. His proposed 
program would mean the 
end of collective bargain­
ing.

“The president has
See PRESIDENT, Page 5

Big Party 
For Pickets 
Friday Night
An evening of entertain­
ment and dancing has been ar­
ranged for General Motors 
pickets at the Lansing CIO 
Council hall for this Friday 
night, Dec. 7.

Admission will be free. Just 
show your picket card from 
Fisher Local 602 or Olds Lo­
cal 652.

The party starts at 9 p.m. 
and includes a large floor 
show. In it will be the Norman 
English String Trio with 
Joyce Dixon, song stylist and 
specialty entertainer; Frankie 
Parker, “the Bing Crosby of 
central Michigan”; and Benny 
Williams, with his electric 
guitar.

Posters advertising the 
event mysteriously hint about 
a surprise number listed as 
“our 5th Wheel”.

Steven Gmazel and Bill In­
gram, Fisher strike commit­
teemen who arranged the 
party, said they hoped it 
would meet with general fa­
vor and warrant continuing 
with parties each Friday to 
which all CIO members in 
Lansing could ultimately be 
invited. They said limited fa­
cilities at the Council hall 
made that impossible this 
time, so it is restricted to pick­
ets.

The entertainment and mus­
ic is donated by the Drake Re­
finery and the Norman Eng­
lish Studios.

READ IT!
President Truman’s pro­
posal is discussed pro and 
con by Clyde Perkins, presi­
dent of the Lansing CIO 
Council in an article on 
page 5.

Lansing Labor Asks

Why Didn’t Truman 
Ask General Motors 
To Negotiate Wages?

Montgomery 
Ward Store 
Is Picketed

Why the local Montgom­
ery Ward store was picketed 
for three days last week is 
explained by Clyde Perkins, 
president of the Lansing Lo­
cal of the United Retail, 
Wholesale and Department 
Store Workers of America, 
CIO.

“The purpose was to ac­
quaint the Ward employees 
of the Lansing store with 
the union’s case by hand­
ing out prepared hand­
bills and to acquaint the 
purchasing public with the 
facts and to inform all 
CIO members through 
picketing that the Ward 
Company is still unwilling 
to recognize our union.

“No attempt was made 
to close the store or to stop 
the flow of trade through  
other than suggestive me­
thods," Perkins said.

He said picketing was done 
with Lansing union members.

BOUGHT THOSE

VICTORY BONDS?

First reaction to President Truman’s proposal to labor 
this week was unfavorable among Lansing union members 
and officials.

They point out that the president has asked General 
Motors workers to return to their jobs without compelling 
General Motors to negotiate their wage demands.

They point out further that the union exhausted every 
possible resource to compel negotiation before striking and 
that the President had nothing to say about the continued 
stalling of General Motors.

They say that if he had taken action to compel the cor­
poration to live up to the spirit of the law that provides for 
bargaining there might not have been a strike.

About the president’s proposed fact-finding committee, 
they cite reasons why labor would probably have no faith 
in it.

The government months ago had a fact-finding com­
mittee investigate the wage situation and this com­
mittee reported that a general increase of 24 percent 
was easily possible throughout industry without rais­
ing prices and was necessary if the average worker’s 
standard of living was to be sustained.

Furthermore, local labor officials emphasized, the 
president himself confirmed this committees findings 
by saying in a radio speech that wages could be raised 
without raising prices.

Then — and this is the point of the matter, they 
say — he did not do another thing about it. President 
Truman did not demand that General Motors, the 
world’s richest corporation, prove why it could not 
raise wages without raising prices, as it claimed.

His fact-finding committee did nothing about it. The ad­
ministration let the matter drop, which forced General 
Motors employes to strike in order to get action on their 
case.

It is likely that the men on strike will want to see some 
definite action compelling General Motors to negotiate be­
fore returning to work. That seems to be the sentiment in 
Lansing union circles.

The whole matter will be thoroughly discussed at a big 

meeting of union officials in Detroit Sunday.

That Christmas Spirit

That C.I.O. guy is out of work— laid off— on strike— 
sick— savings gone— two kids— maybe three or four 
or more— no Christmas for them— what shall we do about 
it?

Is it the spirit of giving or the spirit of receiving that 
you want to enjoy this Christmas? Well?-----
Toys — Food — Books — Money — Clothing. Do you 
have any that we might use to give to lift up a couple 
of C.I.O. kids? ? ?

IF YOU DO—

Send them, before December 22 to LANSING CIO 

CHRISTMAS GIFT COMMITTEE, 109 East South St.

Monday Nite

Victor Reuther 
Will Talk at
2 Locals Here

Next Monday evening Vic­
tor Reuther will speak in Lan­
sing before audiences at the 
halls of two General Motors 
locals.

At 7:30 p.m. he will address

a group at the Olds Local 652 
hall, 1118 S. Washington. At 
8:30 he will appear at the 
Fisher Local 602 hall, 1111 W. 
St. Joseph St.

Reuther is coordinator of 
the UAW-CIO Veterans Bu­
reau and will discuss veterans 
problems. He is a brother of 
Walter Reuther, UAW-CIO 
vice-president in charge of the 
GM division.

RUBBISH HAULING

For efficient, reliable service on 
rubbish hauling, etc., phone 91642 
—Herman Clement, trucker. —adv.

Lansing View of the Strike General Motors Forced byRefusing to Bargain

More Strike
Pictures on
Page Six

Not Shown in Picture Is Behind-the-Scenes Maneuver to Get Men to Work Without Negotiating 30% Increase

unless heavy culling of the 
laying flocks take place, the 
egg production during the 
first half of 1946 may be 
nearly as great as in 1945.

Another Huge 
Egg Crop Is 
Feared for ’46
A two day conference, De­
cember 12 and 13, has been 
announced by Charles Figy, 
Director of the State Depart­
ment of Agriculture, at 
which time plans for hand­
ling Michigan’s 1946 egg 
crop will be thoroughly dis­
cussed.

It has‘been estimated that

State CIO
Conventions

GEORGIA: Charles H. 
Gilman was re-elected presi­
dent of the Georgia CIO 
Council at the sixth annual 
convention held at Athens, 
Ga., Nov. 3-4. The convention 
voted to enlarge the execu­
tive board to include a mem­
ber from each affiliated in­
ternational union and set up 
a state strike fund, and map­
ped out an intensive organiz­
ing drive.

MINNESOTA:  Walter
Smith was elected president 
of the Minnesota CIO Coun­
cil at the eighth annual con­
vention held in Minneapolis 
Nov. 9-11. He succeeds Sand­
er Genis, who declined to run 
after serving three successive 
years.

Rodney C. Jacobson, who 
was named secretary-treas­
urer by the executive board 
last April upon the resigna­
tion of Leonard Lageman, 
was elected without opposi­
tion. The convention adopted 
an extensive legislative pro­
gram and backed the stand 
of the National CIO on a 
number of important issues. 
One resolution urged an “un­
relenting struggle against 
the evils and dangers” of 
Catholic-baiting, Jew-bait- 
ing, Negro-baiting, alien- 
baiting and other group dis­
criminations that go hand in 
hand with labor-baiting.

CONNECTICUT: Kermit 
Eby, National CIO director 
of research and education, 
was one of the leading speak­
ers at the convention of the 
Connecticut CIO Council 
held at New Haven Nov. 17- 
18, along with Lt. Gov. Wil­
bert Snow, U.S. Sen. Brion 
McMahon, chairman of the 
Senate committee on atomic 
energy, and Thomas F. Burns 
assistant to the chairman of 
the CIO-PAC.

How Many of These Firms Do You Know?

PEARL HARBOR POLKA

LANSING LABOR NEWS, INC.
MAIL ADDRESS: P. O. Box 657, Lansing 3, Mich.
OFFICE: 109 E. South St. — Phone 2-9621 

Entered as second-class matter April 13, 1945, at the post office at Lansing, 
Michigan, under the Act of. March 3, 1879.

A non-profit newspaper dedicated to the interests of the commun­
ity and to the interests of labor here and everywhere. Published 
every Thursday at the Lansing CIO Council headquarters by the fol­
lowing incorporated body, representing local voting to participate.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT—Ernest Miller (Reo 650). VICE-PRES.—Maurice McNaughton 
Fisher (602). SEC.-TREAS.—Kenneth McCreedy (CIO Council). TRUSTEES— 
George Jakeway (Fisher 602). MEMBERS—Robert Richardson (Olds 652), Earl 
Watson, Charles O’Brien (Reo 650), Maurice Mac Naughton (Fisher 602), V. E. 
Vandenburg (CIO Council), Peter Fagan, Adrian Jensen (Olofsson 728), Arthur 
Chappell, Woodrow Brennen (Dairy 93), James W. Roberts, Dean Reed (SCMWA 
276); Louis Newmark (SCMWA 406); Earl McClure, Melvina Stevens (Hill 
Diesel 646). ASSOCIATE MEMBERS—Mrs. Robert Atkinson (Olds Aux.), Mrs. 
Harold Wilson (Olds Aux.), Mrs. William McCurdy (Fisher Aux.) Mrs. J. B. 
Eno (Fisher Aux.), Mrs. Evelyn Moss, Mrs. Etta Kenyon (Local 93 Aux.).

EDITOR — V. E. VANDENBURG

SUBSCRIPTIONS — Included in the dues of participating locals. In­
dividual subscription, $1.50 per year by mail.

CONTRIBUTIONS—Should be typed double-spaced on one side of paper 
and signed with author’s name, phone and address. Name will not be used 
if requested. Notes on news not written up but containing complete names 
and all the facts are acceptable too. Mail all contributions to Lansing Labor 
News, P. O. Box 657, Lansing 3, Mich.

Regarding Dwight H. Rich, 
New School Superintendent

Labor can find basis for a great deal of satisfaction in the 
new superintendent of public schools, Dwight H. Rich, and 
his proposed program for the development of the usefulness 
of the city’s public school facilities.

It will be remembered that during the school board election 
last April, labor’s candidates advocated extended use of the 
school facilities by all groups in the community. Labor’s 
candidates were beaten; that in itself is unimportant. The 
thing that is important is the fact that some of the things 
that labor advocated as part of the school board’s program 
are now becoming a part of the present school board’s pro­
gram.

Another point that one of our candidates, Roscoe A. 
Walters, advocated was a program to obtain visual aid equip­
ment and a remedial aid program for backward students. 
This program, too, is on the way to realization. So, even 
though candidates lost an election, if they have a program 
that is for the benefit of the community as a whole, eventu­
ally that program is carried out.

Labor, too, was concerned with the appointment of Mr. 
Rich ’as Superintendent of Schools, primarily because of his 
activities in organizing the well remembered vigilance com­
mittee back in 1937. Since his appointment, as far as the 
CIO is concerned, Mr. Rich has been more than fair, co­
operative and helpful. Labor appreciates that, and if the 
CIO can be of any assistance in promoting a community 
wide school board program, they will undoubtedly be willing 
to do so.

The education and training of our boys and girls is of 
prime concern to labor. Labor will do everything possible 
to take its full responsibility in seeing that any program 
designed on a community wide basis will succeed.

— H. DEAN REED.

Stop Stepping On It

Since the days of primitive man, the individual has 
wanted “to get from where he is to where he wants to go”, 
sitting down in a hurry.

Almost universal ownership of automobiles attests to 
modern Americans insistence upon comfortable, rapid trans­
portation to satisfy this desire.

Sad to relate, however, the automobile, to too many 
Americans, is not an unmixed blessing. The very speed made 
available by the automobile, in the hands of persons lacking 
in prudence and caution, becomes a menace. It is a menace 
to themselves and other persons on the public streets and 
highways.

Michigan, the birth state of the automobile, like the rest 
of the country, has been on an orgy of speeding since gasoline 
was made procurable in unlimited quantities and speed re­
strictions were lifted following V-J Day.
 Thousands of drivers, the majority of them “in a great 
hurry going nowhere,” have been yielding to the temptation 

 “step on the gas.”

The result has been hundreds killed, thousands injured 

nd sorrow and suffering brought to many homes.

We now are approaching the Yuletide, a time when 
hearts should be light and everyone joyful. But past Yule- 
ides have been marred by tragedies — many of them caused 
by drivers speeding, perhaps to a holiday family reunion.
 Truly Speed is “The Killer.”
 The Automibile Insurers Safety Association, working in 
conjunction with the Michigan State Police, the Michigan 
Safety Council and the Michigan State Highway Department, 
is conducting an educational campaign to help cut down the 
accident toll.
 We all would do well to heed their admonitions.

ZELLER

(Continued from Page 1) 
the International Executive 
Board addressed the banquet 
and stressed the significance 
of the General Motors strike.
His plea for understand­
ing and support of the GM 
strike brought enthusiastic 
applause.
 Jack Zeller, Educational 
Director of the UAW and 
principle speaker, told the 
group:

“The big educational job 
ahead of us is the job of 
educating our own people 
first and then using our 
knowledge to the better­
ment of ourselves and all 
the conununity.

“The lack of college and 
university training of thou­

sands of our people does 
not limit the opportunity 
for a broad educational 
program— rather, the op­
portunity is broadened.

“The tremendously im­
portant job of educating 
ourselves on collective bar­
gaining must also be but­
tressed by a forceful and 
acceptable program of po­
litical action. These are 
two important factors 
which We must recognize 
in an educational program. 
Without them we cannot 
win."

Clayton Carpenter, Region­
al staff member of the UAW 
Educational Department, 
spoke briefly. The arrange­
ments committee is apprecia­
tive of his splendid contri­
bution to the program in

CIO Backs Presidents
Health Insurance Plan

CIO Pres. Philip Murray this week praised President 
Truman’s newly announced Federal health program, pointing 
out that the CIO is already on record in support of it, includ­
ing provisions for national compulsory health insurance and 
for insurance against loss in pay due to illness.

The program drew immediate opposition from the Ameri­
can Medical Assn. which branched it as “socialized medicine”— 
a charge specifically denied by the President. The program 
was supported by the liberal Physicians Forum, which point­
ed out that tens of thousands of doctors soon will be return­
ing to civilian practice.

"Now" said the Forum, “is the right moment to 
set up such a system of national health insurance which 
will permit an equitable distribution of doctors 
throughout the country, before these young men flock 
to the cities, leaving Cast stretches of the counry un- 
proected."

President Truman, in noting that 30 percent of those in­
ducted for military service had been rejected, declared that 
the nation cannot afford such a record and said that health 
security must be made available to all—“regardless of resi­
dence, station or race.”

Among actions he urged were:

1. Construction of hospitals and other health fa­
cilities with Federal aid and with minimum standards 
of operation to be set by the Federal government.

2. Expansion of public health, maternal and child 

health services, with larger Federal aid.

3. A broad Federal program to stimulate medical 

research and education.

Under a cost equivalent to about 4 percent of the 
nation's pay roll, the system should provide for dental 
as well as medical care, the President said.

In discussing preparyment of medical costs by a compul­
sory insurance system that would protect virtually every per­
son in the nation, President Truman said that only 3 to 4 per­
cent of the population is protected now by sickness insurance.
“A system of required prepayment would not only spread 
the costs of medical care; it would also prevent much serious 
disease,” the President declared. “Since medical bills would 
be paid by the insurance fund, doctors would more often be 
consulted when the first signs of disease occur instead of 
when the disease has become serious.”

Truman said that provisions of the plan would not re­
strict freedom of professional choice either of patients or 
physicians. “The removal of financial barriers between pati­
ent and doctor would enlarge the present freedom of choice,” 
he pointed out.

The points outlined in the President’s message have been 
incorporated in a bill introduced by Sen. Wagner (D. N. Y.) 
and Rep. Dingle (D, Mich.).

PLAIN TALK

From Our Readers
Expressions herein will not always 
reflect the policies or views of this 
paper or any UAW-CIO local. Mail 
articles to P. O. Box 657.

THE CHURCH 
EDITORIAL

Congratulations to you up­
on the timely editorial by Mr. 
H. Dean Reed in last week’s 
issue of your paper. It is ab­
solutely true that the Chur­
ches and Labor have much in 
common and should under­
stand each other’s position. 
You are right in saying “few 
labor leaders wear horns and 
most of the clergy are not 
stuffed shirts”.

Certainly it is the business 
of the Church to define and 
defend the principles of 
Christ and point the way to 
a social order which is in ac­
cordance with those princi­
ples. The Church can do no 
less than insist upon the ap­
plication of the Christian 
ethic to the economic order.
We trust that no disservice 
will be done to human prog­
ress by the misuse of power 
by either organized labor or 
management, or by the indif­
ference of the Church to in 
dustrial and economic injus­
tice in human relationships. 
Christians in Management 
and Labor should be able to 
find some common ground 
for intelligent and friendly 
cooperation.

In these critical days it is 
imperative that everything 
possible be done to promote 
goodwill and understanding 
that justice may obtain am­
ong all groups.

It is most unfortunate that 
the Christmas Season of 1945 
is so overshadowed by the 
conflict of clashing powers 
in the industrial world. The 
celebration of the anniver­
sary of the birth of the Babe 
in Bethlehem, who was Him­
self to become a Carpenter 
in Nazareth, should remind 
us again of the dignity of 
labor and of the desire of 
God that peace and happi­
ness should be the common 
experience of all men among 
whom there is goodwill.

Cordially yours, 

D. Stanley Coors

EDITOR’S NOTE: The La­
bor News is pleased to hear 
from Rev. Coors of the Cen­
tral Methodist Church. His 
was one of the first com­
ments received on last week’s 
editorial by Dean Reed.

making available the picture 
“United Action.” Also to 
George Baker of Olds local 
goes the thanks of the com­
mittee for his valuable as­
sistance.

REO BONUS

(Continued from Page 1)
istered mail to the last 
known address.

“It is understood that 
as in past years, employ­
ees who left the Com­
pany either voluntarily 
or who were released 
for cause, prior to Dec­
ember 1, 1945 will not 
participate in the bonus.
“Employees who left 
our employ to enter the 
Armed Services will re­
ceive a bonus of 2% of 
their earnings during the 
bonus period upon re­
ceipt of a signed certi­
fication of service. As in 
the past, a letter will be 
mailed to these employ­
ees, together with a 
blank form for the cer­
tification."

If you have changed your 
address since you were laid 
off as of V-J Day or August 
15, 1945 due to termination 
or cancellation of govern­
ment contracts and have not 
notified the Management or 
Personnel Department as to 
the change, then do so im­
mediately, so there will be 
no question of your not re­
ceiving the registered letter 
that is to be mailed to you 
at your last known address 
along with the form that will 
be necessary for you to fill 
out and have notarized and 
returned to Management on 
or before the expiration date 
of all bonus claims, Febru­
ary 1, 1946.

Buy Victory Bonds

HOLD STEEL VOTE IN RAIN

Bought Those
Victory Bonds?

Because management claimed a strike vote held on company prop­
erty would interfere with production, a tent was erected and these em­
ployes of Bethlehem Steel Co. had to line up in rain at Johnstown, Pa., 
to vote. That did’t cut down size of vote though. Workers backed de­
mand of United Steelworkers (CIO), for $2 daily wage increase by 
vote of 5 to 1.

—Federated Pictures

ergency. “The situation is 
further complicated,” the 
council said, “by the threat­
ened eviction of 23,000 fami­
lies in a strike against the 
OPA by the Apartment 
House Owners Assn.”

Buy Victory Bonds

Housing Vets
Problem In 
Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (FP)— 
“Los Angeles now faces a 
housing disaster as extensive 
as though an earthquake had 
destroyed 135,000 homes. Re­
turning veterans are desper­
ate, thousands of families 
are living in primitive make­
shift shacks without sanitary 
facilities, threatening the 
community with epidemics.”
This warning came from 
the Los Angeles Citizens 
Housing Council, including 
AFL, CIO, civic and religious 
organizations, in a demand 
for action to relieve the em­

FIGHT FOR INDEPENDENCE

—Federated Pictures
Their banners protesting foreign suppression of Indonesian fight for 
freedom, 177 Indoesia seame who walked off Dutch ships rather than 
carry arms to be used against their people march to surrender to im­
migration authorities in New York. If deported, they face imprison­
ment as enemies of Dutch rule of their country.

GENERAL MOTORS EMPLOYES
AT REO, PLEASE NOTICE
By RAYMOND REED
Pres. Reo Local 650

It has been called to our attention that Reo intends to 
hire some of the GM employees who are now out on strike, 
whose skill would kualify them for a job in our higher skill­
ed classifications, providing we have no one with seniority 
layed off in these departments or on the Master List who 
have the ability and skill required to perform these jobs, 
such as First Class Designers, Pattern Makers, Draftsmen, 
etc.

These employees must be Union Members in good stand­
ing and it is mandatory that they report immediately after 
hire to their respective Local Union Presidents, Bro. Robert 
Richardson of Oldsmobile Local 652 at the Local Union Hall, 
1118 S. Washington Avenue, and Bro. Webb Ewing of Fisher 
Body Local No. 602 at 1111 W. St. Joe Street.

Both of these Local Unions are willing to see their mem­
bers avail themselves of the opportunity of acquiring jobs 
in other Local Union Shops while their Local Union is out 
on strike, providing they conform and abide by the rules of 
their Local Unions governing such cases. Rules that I am 
sure no good Union member would hesitate to agree to.

If you are not willing to abide by the rules adopted by 
your own respective Locals governing its members who are 
working out in other plants during the strike, then I can 
assure you there is no place in Reo Local No. 650 for you.

The Management of Reo Motors, Inc. is cooperating with 
us one hundred per cent in the hiring of these employees and 
have agreed to see that we receive a report immediately 
on every one of these hires.

VETERANS COMPENSATION

(Continued from Page 1)
would give him earnings credits of $160 per month for 
every month served in the armed forces, the veteran on 
strike is out of luck, even in the four states that do pay 
benefits to strikers. Thus, in New York and other states the 
veteran in a struck plant will be worse off than the non­
veteran.

The Ford Worker, including veterans, and the workers 
and veterans employed at other auto plants affected by the 
General Motors strike, but not directly on strike, are eligible 
and should be given either G. I. benefits or state unemploy­
ment compensation benefits.

COMPENSATION FOR CORPORATION

The corporation’s plans for carrying out its program of 
starving the workers and veterans into submission, is aided 
by the greatest strike fund in history, given to General Ma- 
tors by the carry-back provisions of the federal tax law. 
The government is compensating corporations for creating 
unemployment, while denying compensation to veterans 
and workers threatened with hunger.

Whatever the outcome of the strike, General Motors can’t 
lost. The corporation is protected by the carry-back provi­
sions of the federal tax laws and by a vast accumulation of 
wartime profits.

U. S. PAYS G. M. LOSSES

Under the existing tax laws General Motors can recover 
from the U. S. treasury a large proportion of the amounts 
paid in wartime taxes. In the event of a net loss this year 
or next, General Motors may claim a refund from the 
treasury of part or all of the $200,000,000 of normal income 
taxes it has paid during two years. In the event G. M. 
profits before taxes fall below $220,000,000 during this year 
or next, it can claim refunds from the U. S. treasury up to a 
maximum of $160,000,000 in two years.

The carry-back provision of the tax law was justified by 
the argument that the corporation needed such funds for 
reconversion. Whatever the merits of this argument, the 
American people never intended such public money to be 
used for strike-breaking.

LEGISLATION IS ASKED

The UAW-CIO calls upon the Michigan legislature, 
which begins a special session in January of 1946, to amend 
the state unemployment compensation act to permit pay­
ment of unemployment compensation to all men out of 
work. Pending passage of such legislation, we call upon the 
governor of Michigan to use the $57,000,000 kitty for vet­
erans in the state treasury to clothe and house veterans out 
of work as a result of this General Motors blitz.

We call upon congress to immediaetely pass the Wagner 
bill, S. 1813, which would give earnings credits of $160 per 
month for every month of service in the armed forces to 
every veteran.

We call upon congress to repeal that section of the G, I. 
Bill of Rights which denies unemployment benefits to G. I.’s 
who are on strike.

We call upon the congress of the United States to amend 
the tax laws to stop providing union-busting corporations 
with strike funds through the carry-back provisions of the 
tax laws. Companies engaged in breaking strikes should not 
be permitted to charge off losses incurred by such strikes 
against carry-back credits.

There are many gaps in the program for aiding the re­
turned veteran. This gap in unemployment benefits is one 
that must have immediate attention.

BUY VICTORY BONDS Union Police 
Given Penalty

Coop Hospital 
Is Organized

ST. PAUL, Minn. (CLNS) 
Two hundred farmers and 
townsmen met in the high 
school auditorium at Pelican 
Rapids, Minnesota recently 
to take steps to organize a 
cooperative hospital and me­
dical center to serve Pelican 
Rapids and surrounding 
communities. This will bring 
up to ten, the number of 
cooperative hospitals organ­
ized or in the process of for­
mation in the United States 
and wjll provide the second 
cooperative hospital in Min­
nesota. The first one in the 
state was organized at Two 
Harbors, a year ago by a 
group of railroad employees.
A modern hospital and me­
dical center, to be operated 
as a cooperative on a pre­
payment basis, will be built 
at a cost of $100,000. The in­
stitution will provide hospi­
tal and medical care and will 
engage a competent staff of 
doctors and technicians. The 
institution was incorporated 
under the name of Pelican 
Valley Health Center and is 
to be capitalized at a quarter 
of a million dollars. Member­
ship will be $50 per family. 
It is expected that construc­
tion will commence in the 
late winter or early spring.

Buy Victory Bonds

ST. LOUIS (FP)— The 
municipal government’s un­
ion-busting drive aimed at 
Local 549, American Federa­
tion of State County & Muni­
cipal Employes (AFL), went 
into high gear when City 
Counselor George L. Stemm­
ler held that formation of a 
union among police employes 
was illegal and called on the 
Board of Police Commission­
ers to take disciplinary ac­
tion against those men who 
have joined the local.

In a double-edged state­
ment issued at the behest of 
the board, Stemmler said 
that the “banding together 
of policemen in a labor union 
is so foreign that ....it is the 
duty of the board to take the 
position that membership in 
a labor union is just ground 
for disciplinary action as 
outlined in the police man­
ual.”

While admitting that the 
union’s charter forbade a 
strike, he stated that permis­
sion to form a union would 
pose an “incipient threat ag­
ainst the people.”

At police rollcalls, the men 
were told to answer three 
questions in a written report. 
The questions were: (1) Are 
you a member of Local 549? 
(2) Did you participate in 
any manner in organizing 
such a union? (3) Did any 
member of the department 
request you to join the union 
and, if so, state name of per­
son who made such a request.
Patrolman Richard T. Mil­
ler, acting chairman of the 
local, and Roderick MacDon­
ald, organizer, instructed all 
union members, estimated at 
1,500, to follow one of two 
courses: To stand on their 
constitutional rights and re­
fuse to testify against them­
selves, or to assert they were 
guided by a public statement 
of Mark D. Eagleton, presi­
dent of the Board of Police 
Commissioners, that police 
have a right to join a union.

BEHIND THE HEADLINES

With IRVING RICHTER
Intl. Legislative Representative, UAW-CIO

THE HEAT IS ON

One hour after the G. M. strike began, the house rules 
committee voted to report out the Hobbs anti-labor bill and 
the revised. Smith-Connally bill.

This was what American monopoly — and probably Gen­
eral Motors — was counting on. They wanted the strike, to 
push through long-prepared anti-labor laws. Republican 
Representatives Woodruff, Jonkman, Michener and Hoff­
man lost no time in blasting the strike and organized labor, 
relying chiefly on the time-worn red bogey. And Rankin 
reminded the house that he had a bill which would permit 
servicemen to be used as strikebreakers.

VETERANS AS STRIKEBREAKERS
I also learned that a representative of the Automobile 
Manufacturers association had advised some members 
of congres that General Motors was planning to use 
seervicemen as strikebreakers.

Labor’s friends in congress have not been idle, though 
none of the five Wayne county Democrats has yet risen on 
the floor to defend the workers. Representative Hook of 
Michigan stated the issues clearly and forcefully, when on 
November 23 he told the house:

“The refusal of General Motors Corporation to bar­
gain in good faith with the U. A. W. on its wage de­
mands constitutes one of the most flagrant examples in 
American industrial history of the Arrogant contempt 
of great corporations for government policy, for their 
workers ,and for public opinion . . . General Motors is 
hell-bent for inflation”

THE RIGHT TO WORK

Representatives Coffee (Wash.), Savage (Wash.), De Lacy 
(Wash.), have all spoken on the floor in opposition to 
the labor-baiters. And Republican Representative Ramey 
of Toledo, Ohio, surprised the House on November 23 by 
supporting Rep. Hook, while Michener again beat his 
breast about the “innocent Michigan citizens (being) de­
prived of the right to earn a livelihood.”

Michener, and other corporation spokesmen, seem to wor­
ry about the right to work only during a strike. But they’ll 
fight to the death against the Full Employment Bill, which 
gives labor the right to work on a year-round basis.

WORKERS AND FARMERS

Representative Charles Savage (Dem., Wash.) made a 
splendid speech showing the joint interest of workers and 
farmers in the question of high wages. Said Savage:

“... Since the level of wages and salaries determines 
how much Americans can buy, and at what price, every 
farmer has a stake in labor's fight for substantial 
wage-salary increases now”

Representative Hugh De Lacy of Washington showed 
how much a progressive Congressman can do to help labor, 
by voluntarily appearing before the Rules Committee to 
protest bringing the Hobbs Bill to the floor. He pointed 
out to the Rules Committee that it shouldn’t be brought to 
the floor because no hearings had been held on the measure. 
Not only did he appear before the Rules Committee, but 
he sent a letter to a large number of leaders all over the 
United States, dated October 30, warning them of the dan­
ger in this bill.

THE DEMOCRATOC PARTY OFFICIAL LEADER­
SHIP IS MAKING NO MOVE TO STOP THE LEGISLA­
TION. MAJORITY LEADER McCORMACK DOESN’T 
DARE CALL A DEMOCRATIC PARTY CAUCUS BE­
CAUSE HE IS AFRAID THE POLL TAX DEMOCRATS 
WILL RUN AWAY WITH THE BALL; THE WORK 
AGAINST THE BILLS IS BEING DONE BY AN INFOR­
MAL CAUCUS.

The real meaning of the new Smith-Connally bill is not 
only that it seeks to cripple unions, but to kill all indepen­
dent political action. The Congressional Tories are afraid 
of the independent political power of labor and progress­
ives; afraid that this political strength will weaken the 
powerful hold which the NAM now has gotten on the Cong­
ress of the United States.

THE TIME HAS COME FOR EVERY MEMBER OF 
CONGRESS TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED. BUT 
THE TIME HAS ALSO COME FOR EVERY CIO LOCAL 
AND EVERY CIO MEMBER TO WRITE AND WIRE HIS 
CONGRESSMAN DEMANDING THAT HE BE PRES­
ENT ON THE FLOOR AND THAT HE WORK, SPEAK 
AND VOTE AGAINST THE ANTI-LABOR LAWS AND 
FOR LABOR’S LEGITIMATE DEMANDS.

Get your Mayor, city councilmen, churchmen, veterans’ 
organizations, prominent citizens and civic groups in your 
communities to speak up. Ask "them to send wires and 
resolutions to their Congressmen, demanding that they 
smash the anti-labor laws and bring out the true facts in 
the present industry sit-down.

DANGEROUS THOUGHTS

While beating down labor, the Congressional Tories hope 
to divert the public, and split labor, by a brand new red- 
hunt by the House “Un-American” Committee.

"The only 'un-American' activities we know of are 
those forbidden . by law and can be taken care of in 
the courts. We are not ready to prosecute people for 
 ‘dangerous thoughts' in America” —(Social Action News 
-Letter, Nov. 1945, published by the United Christian 
Missionary Society, Indianapolis, Indiana)

OAKDALE, Calif. (FP) — An echo of the bad old days 

comes from this San Joaquin valley town.

The Oakdale Employers association has been formed 
with the avowed intention of preventing the A. F. of L. from 
“trying to unionize the town”.

housing facilities in rural 
areas. The Secretary would, 
if he wished, have the right 
to encourage cooperative or 
mutual projects in rural ar­
eas and would have the in­
spiration of mutual develop­
ment in cities to justify him 
in encouraging similar devel­
opments for farmers.

BUY VICTORY
BONDS

by both. I sincerely believe that such an act as suggested 
would be of much more benefit in the long run to labor 
than that suggested in the Hatch, Burton, Ball bill. If 
our labor leaders could present a case and can get our 
legislative assemblies to listen we may be able to attain 
a goal that we all sincerely want— A maximum of in­
dustrial peace.

However, there is little doubt in my mind that most 
of the so-called peace legislation introduced will be of no 
avail until the spirit of partisanship in Congress is stifled.

90 percent of an entire 
project.

2 Mutual housing corpo­
rations may have mort­
gages insured up to 95 
percent of an entire pro­
ject when occupancy of 
the houses is restricted 
to members of the corpo­
ration and where the 
government decides 
there is need for hous­
ing.

The bill also gives to the 
Secretary of Agriculture 
broad authority to promote 
the development of adequate

Cooperative 
Housing Is 
Gaining Now
BY JOHN CARSON
Washington Rep., The Cooperative 
League

WASHINGTON, D. C. — 
The crucial hour for coopera­
tive housing in the post war 
period begins here this week. 
The door to credit resources 
which are necessary to suc­
cessful cooperative housing 
projects has been pushed op­
en— not wholly— but par­
tially.

The Senate committee on 
Banking and Currency will 
begin its consideration of the 
Wagner-Ellender-Taft hous­
ing bill in which provision is 
made for mutual, or coopera­
tive housing. For the first 
time in history, an opportun­
ity is offered to consumers 
to begin to attack the hous­
ing problem.

In the legislation which is 
now proposed are two pro­
visions which are encourag­
ing. If they are adopted, with 
some amendments which will 
be proposed, cooperative in­
surance companies will have 
the opportunity to invest 
their funds in mutual or co­
operative housing projects 
and with the security of gov­
ernment insured mortgages. 
The two provisions are as 
follows:

1. Where new houses are 
needed in a city and for 
families with "lower in­
comes", mutual or coop­
erative associations, and 
mortgages insured up to 
other builders may have 

The President's Plan - 
Good or No Good!

BY CLYDE PERKINS
Pres., Lansing CIO Council

This is written immediately after President Truman’s 
special message to Congress on Monday, December 3, 1945, 
and his request to the G.M. strikers to return to work.

The story may be more thoroughly covered before this 
issue reaches you, but here are some ideas for serious 
thought.

The request to Congress asking that legislation be en­
acted to set up a fact finding board and enable it to have 
some definite powers is not a new approach, necessarily. 
However, lets review the pro and con of the proposal as 
suggested by the President.

FOR
1—Facts are what UAW- 
CIO Vice President Reuth­
er has been asking for and 
any honest labor union does 
want.

AGAINST
1—Can the real facts be 
obtained? We have heard 
rumors that large corpora­
tions keep one to three sets 
of books.

FOR
2—The public wants the 
facts, too. Unions have re­
quested that the public be 
acquainted with the real 
facts in many instances.

AGAINST
2—Money talks so loud and 
the general press many 
times forgets to print all 
the facts. Will the public 
really get the facts?

FOR
3—There is much merit in 
the time limitation of 30 
days total after Certifica­
tion of a dispute to a fact 
finding committee.

FOR
4—An impartial fact-find­
ing board could be of im­
mense help to the economy 
and public welfare of the 
nation.

FOR
5—The power to subpoena 
individuals and records is 
a definite step toward fact 
finding.

FOR
6—The use of such legisla­
tion sparingly is good and 
tends to lessen the thought 
of curbing democratic ac­
tion by unions involved in 
minor disputes.

AGAINST
3—30 days might in some 
cases be too short a time to 
gather all facts yet an abuse 
of the purported time ex­
tension might create dissen­
sion. 

AGAINST
4—How can labor be assur­
ed that such a board would 
be impartial?

AGAINST
5—If the proper records 
were not made available the 
facts forthcoming would 
not necessarily be correct. 
We question the availability 
of the proper records.

AGAINST
6—As our Congress attacks 
the problems of legislating 
there seems to be a great 
deal of going ahead and 
then back continually. 
Could we depend on a sound 
basic use of such legislation 
without its being abused?

In the interests of this nation and its economic and dem­
ocratic welfare, any approach which can help in the favor­
able solution to major industrial disputes is of the utmost 
value. To do that and still maintain all the basic consti­
tutional freedoms is a job.

I am positive that a fact finding board set up without 
legislation will be unacceptable to General Motors Corp­
oration. Perhaps in the final analysis such an act of Con­
gress will be frowned upon by either labor or industry or

pealed and the NLRB scrap­
ped in favor of a 6-man gen­
eral board. Employes’ right 
to join a union and bargain 
collectively is recognized but 
thereafter virtually all the 
rights belong to the employ­
er.

One dynamite-loaded sec­
tion grants employers “the 
right to manage their own 
plants and properties, choose 
their own employees, dis­
charge their own employes 
and enjoy full freedom of 
speech.”

Behind these “constitu­
tional rights”, of course, lies 
the wish to be free to fire 
union leaders, discriminate 
in hiring and propagandize 
workers against unions.

Workers, on the other 
hand, may not use the right 
of boycott, “make, publish or 
issue misleading or untrue 
statements about the busi­
ness activities or operations 
of an employer” or “promote 
strikes when an employer is 
abiding by a decision of the 
board or referee on the issue 
in dispute other than the is­
sue of closed shop, mainten­
ance of membership, check­
off or compulsory arbitra­
tion.”

The board itself is forbid­
den “to impose upon employ­
ers a closed shop, mainten­
ance of membership, check­
off, compulsory arbitration, 
or any other obligations 
which are inconsistent with 
the fundamental rights guar­
anteed by the constitution” 
or “to interfere with freedom 
of speech.”

In other words, unions 
would be permitted to do 
anything but build and stren­
gthen their organization and 
improve the working condi­
tions of their members— if 
Westinghouse and the other 
big corporations dominating 
the U. S. can tie Congress 
to their purse strings.

PRESIDENT

(Continued from Page 1) 
shown inability to recog­
nize the many problems 
confronting the American 
people and has shown 
marked weakness in his 
appointments. An example 
is his secretary of state, 
Byrnes, who is anti-Cath- 
olic, anti-labor, anti-Jew, 
anti-Negro and anti-every- 
thing democratic and con­
structive.

Westinghouse 
Starts Drive 
Against Union

NEW YORK (FP)—Fresh 
proof of industry’s renewed 
drive to hamstring unions 
with restrictive legislation 
came to light here in a pro­
posed law abolishing the 
Wagner act— labor's Magna 
Carta— circularized in busi­
ness circles by Westinghouse 
Electric Co.

The giant electrical mono­
poly, which has forced its 
100,000 employees into a 
threat of strike action by re­
fusing along with General 
Electric and General Motors 
the United Electrical Radio 
and Machine Workers (CIO) 
demand for a $2 daily wage 
increase, is apparently drum­
ming up support for its legal 
blockbuster as a reserve blow 
against the union.

Proposals in the Westing­
house bill are an employer’s 
dream of “satisfactory” la­
bor-management relations. 
The Wagner act would be re­

FACTS

 The UAW STORY

BACK 
HOME 
TO 
WHAT!

 In the next ten months 
200,000 veterans will re- 
turn to their jobs in the 
automobile industry. Al- 
ready, tens of thousands of 
veterans of Normandy and 
Okinawa, Midway, and the 
Coral Sea, are back, punch­
ing the clocks in our fac- 
tories.
Yes, hundreds of thou- 
sands of veterans are com- 
ing back. Coming back to 
tot ? What does industry 
offer these men to whom 
all owe so much? What 
do they have to look for­
ward to as auto workers ?

VETS

The sad fact is that the 
auto industry now offers 
returning enlisted men 
“take-home” pay that  
may actually fall short of 
providing the economic 
security and living stand­
ards they have in the 
Army.
 Of course, hamburger 
cooked at home tastes bet­
ter than any army chow. 
But that is no excuse for 
failing to provide the pay 
that would mean steak and 
apple pie, and enough or­
ange juice for the kids.

DESERVE

 The veteran who re­
turns to the auto plants 
in 1945 and 1946 must be 
assured a better fu­
ture than was the lot 
of the boy who came back 
in 1919 and 1920.
 Wage cuts, inhuman 
speedups, layoffs and the 
nightmare spectacle of 
breadlines . . .these dark 
shadows must not cloud the 
future of the men who 
ought and won for us. The 
UAW-CIO’s full resources 
are thrown into the fight to 
assure that better future.

BETTER

The problem of the veter- 
an’s future cannot be sepa- 
rated from the problem of 
he future of every worker 
n the auto industry.
Any returning service­
man will tell you he asks no 
special favors. He wants 
what every worker wants. 
He wants fair wages for a 
secure job where he can use 
all his skills and develop 
new ones. He wants a 
chance to raise a family, 
with the assurance that his 
Jake-home” pay will pro- 
vide for his children the 
kind of food, housing, medi­
al care and education that 
are the birthright of every 
American child. He wants 
no industrial turmoil, but 
will resent attempts to 
transfer to civilian life the 
brass hat arrogance and 
snafu of which he’s already 

far too much.

FUTURE

Let’s open the door to the 
veteran’s future! We have 
the key in the UAW-CIO 
program for realistic im- 
plement of his employ- 
tent rights and mainten- 
of his “take-home”
ance 
For future prosperity 
the veteran, for every 
worker, for the whole city 
Lansing, the UAW-CIO’s 
right against cuts in “take- 
home’ pay must bring vic-tory.

The fight for jobs at fair 
wages for all our veterans 
and shall be won!

AUTO WORKERS’ 
TAKE HOME 

PAY
KEEPS ALL .
LANSING 
WORKING
UAW-CIO

 
GM Strike May Avert Crash and Depression

THESE IDLE SHIPS COULD BRING GI'S HOME

The time to avert a crash is before it occurs.

But some folks aren’t wise even after the event.

The CIO is working almost single-handed today to 
avert another economic crash, another depression 
like that of the 1930’s, which resulted from the mis­
takes made following the first world war.

It is doing this through the wage demands 
of its unions. It is doing it by forcing the wage 
issue to national attention, at the Labor-Man­
agement Conference, and in every other way it 
can. It is doing it, yes, through the General 
Motors strike.

The depression of the 1930’s resulted from too-low 
wages and too-high profits. Between 1924 and 1929,

factory workers’ wages rose only 5 percent, though 
their productively increased 24 percent. Meanwhile 
profits rose 72 percent.

Too much money was taken out of our economic 
bloodstream in profits. Too little was left for the 
purchasing power of the people. Unemployment 
grew, and America’s worst crash followed.

Is history to repeat itself? Wage rates were 
frozen during the war below the level of in­
creased living costs. Take-home pay has since 
been deeply slashed by loss of overtime. Mean­
while profits are rising to the dizziest levels in 
history.

Substantial wage increases are immediately neces­
sary to avert another crash. They are possible with­
out general price increases, and without cutting too 
deeply into record profits.

Government figures assembled by the CIO show 
that industry can raise wages 31 percent and still 
earn 100 percent more take-home profits after taxes 
than in 1936-39; and that, taking into account in­
creased productivity, it can raise wages 38 percent 
and still double its take-home profits in 1946 over 
prewar years.

The CIO is leading the fight not only for 
labor but for all the American people when it 
insists on immediate and substantial wage in­
creases to protect our country against the 
present economic trends, which otherwise will 
lead us straight to another major depression.

Strike Action Scenes at Oldsmobile Entrances

DIVISION ST.
A long line effec­
tively blocks this 
important rear en­
trance to the plant.

ELM STREET
• The picket cap­
tain punches out 
the pickets on their 
cards at the end of 
a four hour shift.

LOGAN BRIDGE
Even the railroad 
entrances are well 
covered. This one 
is under the Logan 
Street bridge.

PINE STREET
Chilly pickets get 
a serving of coffee 
and doughnuts 
right on the ob, lat­
er get a lunch at the 
hall.

At this War Shipping Administration graveyard in Suisun Bay, near San Francisco, lie over 
a hundred Liberty ships and tankers which could be refitted to bring troops home. While elegible 
GI’s grow desperate overseas, these ships are scrapped. Labor demands that WSA make every 
ship a troopship to bring the boys home now.

—Federated Pictures

30% With No Price Raise; 
But Union Will Take Less 
If Figures Show the Need

WASHINGTON (FP)—General Motors hasn’t “a chance 
to break this strike.” Those words were publicly uttered 
here November 29 by G. M. Director Walter P. Reuther of 
the United Auto Workers (C. I. 0.) and underscored by U. 
A. W. President R. J. Thomas.

The two U. A. W. officers discussed the nation-wide 
strike of the auto union against America’s largest and most 
profitable corporation at a press conference in which both 
agreed that the “union did not want this strike. It was 
forced upon us but we can hold out as long as necessary to
win. We did not come down 
more dealers GM will lose.”
to Washington to ask the 
The two UAW officers 
government to bail us out.”
said they hoped GM would 
Thomas and Reuther also 
realize its obligation to the 
declared that UAW strategy 
public and the nation and re­
was to keep all other auto 
sume negotiations with the 
manufacturers operating at 
union.
capacity during the GM 
strike and they expected to 
do so unless blocked by an 
industry conspiracy. Both 
declared there were signs of 
such a conspiracy to force 
other strikes on the union, 
but they excluded the Ford 
Motor Co. from this charge.

Reuther said the union’s 
demand was not “30%) 
or else— it is 30% with 
no price increase, or if 
the arithmetic shows we 
can get only 20% with­
out a price increase, 
we’ll take only 20%. We 
must see the arithmetic.. 
and if it proves we can’t 
get a penny increase, we 
won’t take a penny. If 
we can get higher wages 
only through higher au­
to prices to the consum­
er, we won’t take an in­
crease.”

The officials said the ar­
ithmetic of GM’s books 
proves it could have given 
a 30% increase to workers 
in the period 1936-41 and 
still made a net, after taxes, 
profit of 13%. Instead, they 
said, GM made a net of 17%.
In answer to a question, 
Reuther said GM “would like 
to smash the UAW. But 
there is not a chance. We are 
stronger and more united 
than ever before.” Thomas 
agreed with his vice-presi­
dent that this was true.

Reuther commented fur­
ther, saying “we whipped 
GM in 1936-37; and again 
when they questioned our 
majority in 1939. We are in 
a much better position now 
than we were then. Hell will 
really freeze over before they 
lick us. This is not a leader­
ship strike.

“The longer it goes on, the