New Pain

A new problem of reconversion was posed by a strike of 45 workmen belonging to Detroit's Building Trades Council (A.F. of L.). They struck because Chrysler Corp. could not assure them that all machinery in the new building would be A.F. of L.-installed. The United Automobile Workers (C.I.O.) had alreadypublicly insisted on doing all the coveted installation (tying in powerand cooling lines, etc.)--in other words, the auto workers should getthe jobs as well as the layoffs occasioned by reconversion.

While matters simmered, U.A.W. Vice President Walter Reuther began discussing interpretations of the no-strike pledge with representatives of Detroit's 350,000 U.A.W. members. Reuther's interpretation: that the pledge applies only to plants doing war work. This stand seemed to add new strike threats to automakers' other reconversion bogies. But labor said no--it would mean fewer strikes. Reason: collective bargaining machinery, which has rusted under cover of the war emergency, will again be used to settle disputes, thus avoiding needless walkouts.

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