STRIKERS REJECT OFFER

Southland Times, Issue 23179, 21 April 1937, Page 5

STRIKERS REJECT OFFER

Ontario Branch Of General Motors

PREMIER’S PLAN TO OUST AMERICAN UNION

(United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received April 20, 11.15 p.m.) TORONTO, April 20. The strikers at the Oshawa plant of the General Motors Corporation at a mass meeting rejected a new peace proposal, the vote being almost unanimous because of the failure of the offer to include recognition of the Committee of Industrial Organization, despite the fact that the president of the United Automobile Workers (Mr Homer Martin) and Oshawa officials of the union urged acceptance of the proposal. The Mayor of Oshawa (Mr Hall) presented the company’s proposals and pleaded with the strikers to accept them. They included a 44-hour week and increases in pay ranging from five cents to seven cents an hour. Mr Hall after the vote was announced shouted: “You are being fooled, duped and hoodwinked! You will regret this!” The Premier of Ontario (Mr M. F. Hepburn) announced that he was studying a plan to licence international labour unions as a means of driving the C. 1.0. from Canada. He said he was particularly anxious to prevent the C. 1.0. from obtaining a foothold in the gold, nickel and mining regions of northern Ontario, where the organizers threatened to call a strike within 10 days. The presidents of the two largest mines said that they would be closed indefinitely if the C. 1.0. called strikes; they positively would not recognize the union. INDICTMENT OF FORD COMPANY ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION AGAINST UNIONISTS (Received April 20, 11.55 p.m.) WASHINGTON, April 20. Officials of the United Automobile Workers announced that charges of violation of the Wagner Act against the Ford Company had been filed by former employees at Detroit, with the Regional Labour Board. The charges involved discrimination on a basis of union activities among the personnel of the employees. A director of the company, Mr Bennett, termed the charges “all hot air.”