Reuther Calls For Action on Job Situation
DETROIT, May 5 wÛÓThe United Auto Workers today called on top executives in the auto and farming equipment industries to join in conferences to solve what the union termed ÛÏalarmingÛ unemployment situations in both industries.</br></br>UAW President Walter P. Reuther said the unionÛªs international executive board meeting in Detroit this week unanimously directed him to urge heads of the companies to join in labor-management conferences.</br></br>Reuther said the union was not proposing collective bargaining conferences. lie added, ÛÏWhatever the causes of the difficulties into which the industry has fallen, both labor moral obligation to cooperate and management have a heavy in finding a solution.Û</br></br>Among other subjects, Reu-thcr proposed ÛÏa full discussion of the introduction of automation into the production processesÛ of both industries ÛÏand the impact of such new technology upon future employment opportunities both in plants which arc being modernized and in new plants."</br></br>Reuther said latest Government figures showed layoffs in the auto industry totaled around 123,000. lie added that union estimates showed considerably more unemployment in the industry. He said there appeared to bo no immediate prospect for the situation to improve.