Anniversary

The first Sit-Down in the automobile industry--a protest against a company ban on wearing union buttons--occurred just a year ago in a General Motors' Fisher Body plant in Atlanta. Last week, appropriately if unconsciously, a group of rebel United Automobile Workers celebrated that Sit-Down's first anniversary by sitting down once in the Detroit Cadillac plant, twice in the Fisher Body plant in Pontiac, where 14,700 General Motors workers were promptly thrown out of work.* Outlawed by the union, unsupported by officers of the local, the second Fisher Body strike was soon down to something like old times with the Sit-Downers holding a week-end dance in the plant cafeteria.

Feeling the pinch of Recession, the automobile industry has had to pare production schedules, shorten hours. Fisher Body employes in many cases have been working only 24 hours per week, and when layoffs began the shop was apparently ripe for revolt. One strike early in the week was quickly discontinued, but the suspension of four of its leaders immediately brought on another outbreak. In Lansing, Fisher Body workers reached the point of taking a strike vote but direct pressure from U. A. W. President Homer Martin helped kill the move. Adding to the workers' discontent have been the grinding negotiations for a new G. M. contract. After a five-month wrangle at the council table G. M. and the union negotiators finally agreed to a 15-page document. Fortnight ago the document was submitted to union delegates from all G. M. plants-- and flatly rejected.

So worried was the U. A. W. high command by the possibility of the current restlessness developing into a general G. M. strike that the full executive committee was summoned last week into emergency session, and John L. Lewis dispatched a personal representative to attend. After an all-night meeting the faction-torn executive committee broke up for breakfast, went groggily to bed. Meantime a U. A. W. underling went out to the Fisher plant, learned that the rebels were under the firm impression that Homer Martin was scared to speak to them in person. Attempting to report this to his immediate superior by telephone, the underling was connected by mistake with Homer Martin. Leaping from bed the young U. A. W. president, a onetime national hop, step & jump champion, taxied to the Fisher plant, there to face the men who had threatened to turn a fire hose on him if he stuck his head in the gate. At the end of an hour and twenty minutes' palaver President Martin emerged unscathed, the rebels trailing behind him to announce to waiting reporters: "It's all over, boys."

*Another Sit-Down in the rubber industry last week, protesting layoffs in three Goodyear Tire & Rubber plants in Akron, ended abruptly when Ohio's quick-triggered Governor Davey threatened to mobilize his militia.

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