U.S.A. INDUSTRIES

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 September 1945, Page 5

U.S.A. INDUSTRIES

STRIKE AT DETROIT WAGES TEST CASE NEW YORK, Sept. 15. The United Automobile Workers’ Union in Detroit has set aside a 4,000,000 dollar strike fund, and has indicated that it is making the dispute at the General Motors’ plant a test case in its demands for an industrywide 30 pei' cent, wage increase. There are' at present 77,000 workers idle in Detroit, as the result of industrial troubles. The United Automobile Workers’ Union is seeking to establish the principle that workers should receive as much “take home” pay for 40 hours’ work in peace time as they received for 48 hours’ work in war time. Officials of the General Motors, Chrysler and Ford plants—the automotive Big Three—are reported to have exchanged informal views on the union’s threat to pick them off one by one. Union officials are taking the attitude that General Motors is the one firm to beat, because the industry tends to follow this company, which alone produced 45 per cent, of the nation’s cars and trucks in 1941. The Ford Motor Company has announced that it is immediately suspending the employment of 50,000 men indefinitely because of strikes against many of its suppliers. The company in the last 10 weeks produced fewer cars than it could in three hours of normal production. Strikes caused by irresponsible groups are impeding the reconversion of the works to a peace-time basis. President Truman, who is spending the week-end at Independence, Missouri, indicated to the Press that one of his first concerns when he returns to Washington will be to consider steps to iron out the increasingly serious disputes between labour and industry. The Associated Press says the total number made idle through disputes throughout the country is at present 218,000. EISENHOWER’S NEW POST NEW YORK, September 15. The London correspondent of the “New York Post” says: “It is authoritatively reported that General George Marshall (Chief of Staff of the United States Army) will retire soon and will be succeeded by General Eisenhower, who is leaving Germany in three or four weeks. “Lieutenant-General McNarney, former American Commander in Italy, will be appointed Commander of the United States zone of occupation in Germany. General Carl Spaatz,, Commander of the Strategic Air Forces in the Pacific, will succeed General H. H. Arnold as Commanding General of the United States Army Air Forces.”