The Ypsilanti Daily Press

Local Fifty Seeks to Retain Status as Union

Although at present without a plant, officials of local 50, UAW, CIO, representative body of the former Ford Bomber Plant workers, plans to carry on a fight to win job rights for its constituents at the Willow Run plant under Kaiser Frazer operation.

Local 50 was denied jurisdiction in the former Bomber Plant by action of the International union at the recent international convention at Atlantic City, N. J.

Local 142, former Graham Paige local, was granted the jurisdiction. Local 50 still retains a verbal agreement with the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation for preferential hiring privileges.

Officials of the plantless local denied previous reports that it had been dissolved, by action of the international executive council, and that its assets had been confiscated. Local 50, they emphasized, is still in existence and just as financially sound as before the convention.

In two ways the International executive council can dissolve a local and absorb its assets, the first being when the local has less than 15 paying members, the second, by a seven-eighths majority of the voting power of the council.

In the first place, the officers pointed out, local 50 has a dues paying membership of between 700 and 2,000. A total membership of over 5,500 is maintained, the majority of whom are exempted from paying dues because of lack of work.

In the second place, Walter Reuther, newly elected international president, is behind the local 50 fight, and although outnumbered on the council, carries adequate weight to prevent a seven-eighths vote.

The original reports that its contract had been revoked were termed the work of opposition, by the local 50 officers.

Assets of $60,000

As for financial standing, John Bateman, financial secretary, stated that the local still maintained assets amounting to approximately $60,000. This includes property war bonds, and actual cash.

In addition, since the closing of the bomber plant last summer, accounts of the local show it has donated $30,000 to causes it has supported. Included in these is $12,500 to the workers of the Ford Motor Company of Canada, Windsor plant, who were strike bound for several months in the latter part of 1945 and early in 1946. Another $10,000 was given to the C.I.O. Political Action Committee to support Richard Frankensteen's mayoralty campaign in Detroit. Over $4,000 has been donated thus far to the workers of striking General Motors Corp, with the donations continuing on an average of $200 weekly until the effects of the strike are over.

Several local causes and Willow Run Community causes have also been supported by the union, its officials state.

In an effort to disclose the true status of the local to its constituents, a general membership meeting has been called for Wednesday, 5 p. m., in the Willow Run Community building. Presiding will be Brendon Sexton, president of local 50.

Agenda for the meeting includes official installation of officers returned to office unopposed in the annual March election; a report of the international convention, attended by 18 local 50 delegates, who learned this work; an explanation of the jurisdictional situation; and a report on future plans of the local.

Plans for the future, to date, stated John Bateman, are still in the embryonic stage, with but few decided possibilities of local 50 organizing on an amalgamated basis representing the here-to-fore unorganized smaller local plants.

Others point out the possibility that the membership of local 50 could ultimately control local 142 because of its greater membership.

Local 142 expects to have between 500 to 1,000 members enter the employ of the Kaiser Frazer organization compared to an estimated 4,000 for local 50. This can be done only if local 50 can remain solvent and retain its verbal preferential hiring agreement with the company, it was pointed out.