Monday, Oct. 24, 1938

Surprise Party

During the past three years. Ford Motor Co., although its big River Rouge plant remains unorganized, has not been able to avoid all contact with organized labor. As local unions of the United Automobile Workers of America established contact with Ford management in regional assembly plants, potent Personnel Director Harry H. Bennett announced in Detroit that Ford's basic labor policy had not changed. Last week Mr. Bennett had occasion to say this again.

One day a plain Ford sedan disgorged Mr. Ford at the door of the company's administration building in Dearborn. He loped into Mr. Bennett's office and called out: "Hello, boys!" Flushed and grinning, who should pop up and shake hands but Homer Martin, president of U.A.W. Then for five minutes Mr. Martin had the fun of talking with the one automaker whom U.A.W. has not yet cracked.

When reporters later discovered Messrs. Bennett & Martin lunching together in a Ford dining room, the two stuck to their story that the meeting "just happened." Mr. Martin said he had heard that Harry Bennett would never receive Homer Martin, had called to find out whether that was so, and was "greeted very cordially." Mr. Ford "just happened" to drop in on his daily rounds. Messrs, Bennett and Martin talked mostly about the 32-hour week, which U.A.W. was trying to sell to Chrysler, General Motors and other automakers as a stimulus to re-employment.

Harry Bennett: "The 32-hour week would be fine if employers did not try to get 48 hours out of a working man for 32 hours' pay....It wouldn't work out...."

Homer Martin (further explaining his presence) : "The 32-hour week is a problem for the entire industry....No one firm should be placed in an unfair position."

Harry Bennett: "I told Martin he could come out here any time to talk about wages, workingmen and working conditions in any plants connected with or supplying the Ford Motor Company. At no time did Martin and I discuss unions. However, I told newspapermen in Martin's presence that if we need a union--U.A.W. or any other--we'll get one. Right now we don't need one. If our men want to organize in any union they'll do it and that's all right with us."

The press, more surprised perhaps than the participants in the surprise party, was jolted into recalling the predictions of some prophets, that at some day unpredictable Henry Ford would surprise the U.S. by making a gesture toward organized labor.

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