Contracts

Two down--one to go. Walter Reuther is keeping the score, and recording it in some of the most generous figures in Detroit's history. By chalking up another victory at Ford last week, Reuther took the contract that he won from Chrysler one step farther toward becoming the labor manifesto of the auto industry. In the worried view of the economists (see following story), he may also have taken the nation another big step toward the revival of inflation.

The settlement, which will cost Ford an estimated 57-c- an hour for every worker, gives U.A.W. members essentially the same wage and fringe benefits obtained from Chrysler: earlier retirement, increased pensions, continuation of the annual productivity raise and more paid vacation time. In addition, there was, as Reuther phrased it, "attractive chocolate frosting to the happy-birthday cake we got at Chrysler"--a $25 to $100 annual Christmas bonus for Ford's 130,000 hourly-rate employees, probably beginning in 1965.

This week Reuther will turn his full attention to General Motors, attempt to obtain similar economic concessions from the biggest and richest of the Big Three. Although there are troublesome "noneconomic" issues involving production standards and working conditions to be resolved with G.M., Reuther seems well on his way toward a perfect season. Would the U.A.W. seek even more from G.M.? Promised Reuther:

"We're going to take the a la mode approach." That approach is sure to prove attractive to more than the United Auto Workers: at week's end six unions set a this-week strike deadline against most of the nation's railroads.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.