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From Labor Action, Vol. 14 No. 4, 23 January 1950, p. 2.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
DETROIT, January 15 – After marking time for more than six months, the United Auto Workers (CIO) came to grips with the Chrysler Corporation on an adequate pension and health plan for its 70,000 workers.
Norman Mathews, UAW Chrysler director, announced that the union would give the corporation a 7-day strike notice this week, which would make a strike deadline of Wednesday, January 25.
The primary purpose of setting the strike deadline was, of course, to put pressure on the company for written proposals, since the company has been stalling in recent weeks of negotiations, although it verbally has made some concession to the union.
In view of the fact that Chrysler has a relatively small number of employees over the age of 60, it is very likely that the UAW may obtain a pension plan whose key feature is 25 years seniority and age 65 as the basic prerequisites for a $100-a-month pension.
The relatively small cost of such a pension plan, amounting to about 3 cents an hour per man, makes both possible and necessary the winning of a medical plan which would replace the employee-paid Blue Cross hospitalization plan now in effect.
At a recent meeting of over 800 chief stewards and shop committee-men, Walter P. Reuther, UAW president, Emil Mazey, UAW secretary-treasurer, and Norman Mathews promised Chrysler workers a better pension plan than that obtained at Ford.
Since both the union and the company permitted negotiations to drift along for the past six months, the rank and file at Chrysler is not now keyed up to a showdown struggle, although a few months ago the ranks voted by extremely large majorities to support their negotiations by strike action if necessary to win an adequate pension plan.
It seems to be anybody’s guess as to whether or not a Chrysler showdown will lead to a strike. The company has just begun a 6-day week schedule on its 1950 cars and seems very anxious to get production. Top union leaders apparently believe that this factor alone may serve to win a reasonable and acceptable set of proposals from the corporation. Among the ranks there is much uncertainty, and considerable hope that no strike action will be necessary in view of the layoffs last October and November in the Chrysler plants. The next 10 days should tell the tale.
An interesting aspect of the Chrysler stewards’ and committee-men’s rally was Walter Reuther’s very sharp criticism of the Chrysler contract and his pledge that the obnoxious provisions would be eliminated next fall when the contract is subject to reopening and renegotiation.
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Last updated: 24 February 2023