Evening star. [volume], March 15, 1937, Page A-9, Image 9

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
% The letter reproduced here wat tent
today to the dittrihutort and dealert
of Chrytler Corporation.
TO THE DISTRIBUTORS AND DEALERS
OF THE CHRYSLER CORPORATION:
J^URING the afternoon of Monday, March 8, the C. I. O.
Union, directed by persons who were not in our employ,
with employes belonging to the Union, seized eight of this
Corporation’s principal plants in the Detroit area, including
its general offices, and are still holding them. Our executives,
plant managers and their staffs are being kept out by force.
The agents of the Union took over the plant gates and
barricaded them.
They refused to let either the factory employes or office
employes leave or enter the plant without their permission.
In many cases, they took the company badges of the
employes away from them. They did not permit employes
to leave the plant unless they signed Union cards.
A military organization manned by this Union’s agents
was set up in the plants, and the company’s plant protec
tion men were ordered out of some buildings, leaving the
Corporation’s property wholly in possession of these Union
agents.
Our mail trucks, carrying company mail from the post
office to its offices, were stopped by this union’s agents and
delivery of mail obstructed.
The company consequently has been unable to carry on
its business in its own offices. The company has set up
offices elsewhere in Detroit. Its files and office records in
the plants are in the possession of this Union.
As is well-known, there was no dispute over wages and
working conditions of our 60,000 employes. Our rates of
wages are substantially in excess of ninety cents an hour,
and tb* weekly, monthly and annual, earnings of our
employes have been not only the highest in the history of
the company but among the highest of all American
Industry.
March 12, 1937 '
This company has conducted its industrial relations by
and in accordance with general acknowledged standards of
fairness and equity, with the purpose of giving our employes
the highest possible earnings and the best working condi
tions the prosperity of the business can afford. We have
constantly negotiated with these people over a period of
more than three years and at their request entered into
further negotiations with them on Wednesday, March 3.
While these negotiations were going on, the agents of this
Union seized the plants.
This Union is demanding a closed shop. They have
stated that their demands mean one of three things: either
an employe signs up with the Union; or he will be ostracizei
and subjected to intolerable intimidation and coercion, both
in the shop and at home; or Union men will refuse to work
with him. Under these conditions, however designated, it is
impossible for us to make products of Chrysler quality and
Chrysler price.
As citizens of your communities, as well as representatives
of the Chrysler Corporation, it is important that you under
stand these plain facts. In our close relations with you, we
believe that we should tell you frankly what our situation
is, and we ask you for your understanding and co-operation.
We are advising you of it so that you may conduct your
affairs accordingly. We ask you to be patient with us in
our attempt to do our office work in temporary offices
without the records and files necessary for carrying on busi
ness in the normal way.
You will recognize that the capture of our plants in
• •
time of peace, and what is going on in the plants today, is
a form of revolution which concerns not only Chrysler
Corporation but concerns you and everybody.
K. T. KELLER
PRMIDRNT, CHRYSLER CORPORATION