8 Heppner Gazette Times, January 10, 1946
GMC-UAW Dispute Matter
Of National Policy, Not Wages
The following article, briefed Merritt, attorney, in behalf of Gen
from a much longer statement, has'eral Motors before the fact-finding
a bearing on the strike in the auto- j board:
motive industry, particularly in re
union's demands. It is part of a
lation to the motive back of the
statement made by Walter Gordon
On Dec. 21 your fact fnding board
issued a statement to the parties as
to the rules and policies which
It's going to make
A BIG DIFFERENCE
IN YOUR HEARING
THE NEW SONOTONE "600"
Come in for service or a
free Audiometric test.
T. C. Downs will be at the
HEPPNER HOTEL, Heppner, Oeegon
Tuesday, January 15
frssBgears row Sacisal Crops
-iJx:JuW"nrZ, till W
til; v feW&9K3J.
THE GRANGE and its members have been
the educational and motivating spirit which has
brought into being a large percentage of the more
.than 200 farmer-owned and operated cooperatives
in Oregon. During 1944 these did a business of
$105,000,00037 of Oregon's cash farm income.
Cooperative projects are as vital a part of Grange
activities as better agriculture itself. That is why 28,000
progressive farmers belong to the Oregon State
Grange why membership continues to grow why
the Grange is a dominant force for social progress.
Information about the purpose
and accomplishments of the Ore
gon State Grange is contained in
a booklet "Let's Look at the
Record". Contact your local
ngc for copy, or write direct.
1135 S.L Salmon St, Portland 14, Oregon
mm
72 tf&iVvL.
OF SERVICE
TO OREGON FARMERS
would govern the Board in finding
facts and making recommendations,
and declared that "ablity to pay
will be regarded as one of the fac
tors relevant to the issue of an in
crease in wages."
The corporation appears here
today for the purpose of publicly
stating its position, and the reasons
for its position in respect to this
issue of ability to pay. Under the
special circumstances of this case,
the corporation feels that it should
not participate in these fact finding
proceedings, so long as abilty - to
pay is to be treated as a subject of
investigation fact finding and re
commendations. The union has made all too clear
the nature of its objectives in mak
ing prices and ability to pay its
prime issue. The corporation can
not now approach that question as
a mere academic or economic the
ory but with due regard to the ra
dical ideology which the union has
expounded in support of its argu
ment on this issue of the case and
which it seeks to apply in practice.
As the stand now taken by the
corooration is important not only
to those here present but also to an
important part of the American
public, I am asking your indulgence
while I give some of the important
reasons which support its conclu
sion. 1. The Company does not and
will not plead inability to pay as a
reason for rejecting any wage re
commendation based on the cus
tomary tests applied to determine
what is a fair1 and equitable wage.
Or to put it in other words, the
Company will not put in issue any
question of ability to pay a level of
wages which is determined without
regard to prices, profits or ability
to pay. Ability to pay or inability
to pay is a defense which employ
ers have often advanced to keep
down wage increases and a de
fense which Unions have consist
ently opposed as not a proper fac
tor for consideration. It is a defense
which the War Labor Board in
World War I and the War Labor
Board in World War II regarded
See the Job Thru!
TRAVEL:
CHOICE OF THEATER OF SERVICE
EDUCATION:
Up To 2 Yrs. COLLEGE WHILE SERVING
CAREER:
LIBERAL RETIREMENT PROGRAM
17-34
PHYSICALLY and MENTALLY QUALI
FIED ARE ELIGIBLE TO
MEN
the United States
rmy
Post Office Building
Pendleton, Oregon
with disfavor. In this case, sine
there is no such defense, we believe
that ability to pay should not be
considered.
2. The queston of profits ant
prices for the future which are the
factors by which the Union propos
es to measure ability to pay, in
volve forecasts, assumptions, con
sumer demand both foreign and do
mestic, and uncertain variables a'
to material and labor costs, upoi
which this Fact-Finding Boart
could not competently pass. It in
volves judgment by those familia
with the business, and that judg
ment is in the minds of men an!
not in books and documents. Fact
and figures as to wage rates anC
earnings, facts and figures as t
probably take home pay, facts ant"
figures which deal with the ques
tion as to whether wage increase
have kept pace with the increased
cost of living, facts and figure
showing at least equal pay fo.
equal work in this industry and ii
the areas in which the Corporatio:
operates all this and equally per
tinent information will be mad
available if we are assured tha ,
the scope of the board's investiga
tion will be so limited. But the cor poration
is not willing to procee
furter if this board of short dura
tion is to undertake the impossible
task of calculating future costs an
profits and the effect of the expen diture
of hundreds of millions c
dollars for expansion.
3. The question of prices and pro
fits which is involved in the unio
demand that no applications b
made for price relief, must res.!
alone with OPA.
4. Since it has been ruled thr
information as to prices, profits an
ability to pay must be confidentia"
we submit that any investigation i
the field would lead to the inde
fensible result that neither part,
would be made aware of the evi
dence and calculations upon whic.
the board predicated its findings
a result not likely to promote con
fidence in the minds of the partier
But beyond all of these and oth
er detailed considerations it is we'
for the board to remember that thi
issue as expanded by the Union re
fleets, not a mere issue of wages, f
between the corporation and th;
union but a .broad attack on Amer
ican industry and free enterprise
The corporation must deal with thi.,
fundamental issue as it is portraye
by the union and not as an ab
straction. On this point we turn I
a short review of the official recorc'
People wonder why an agreemer
has not been reached between Gen
eral Motors Corporaton and th
United Automobile Workers. C
why the disagreement cannot t
settled by fact-finding, conciliatio
or arbitraton.
The answer is clear. The issue i
not one of arithmetic or facts. Thci
is nothing in the books of the coi
poration to settle it. It is an issu
of national policy.
. -- ' '
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