AT UAW_ CONVENTION End witch hunts and racism — By GEORGE MORRIS ATLANTIC CITY A comprehensive resolution calling for elimination of all vestiges of McCarthyism and racism was approved by the de- legates to the convention of the United Auto Workers here. The resolution is a section of a long document detailing programs on domestic and foreign affairs under the general title, “Agenda for action in a troubled nation.” Under civil liberties it listed: e Repeal of the ‘anti-demo- cratic Smith Act.” e Abolition of the House un- American Activities Committee, the Senate Internal Security sub-committee and the Subver- sive Activities Control Board, “a vestige of the era of the late Senator Joseph McCarthy.” e Abolition of all loyalty oaths. e Protection of the right of U.S. citizens to travel abroad. e Strict bans against wiretap- ping, illegal searches and seiz- By WILLIAM ALLAN DETROIT Profits by the millions of dol- lars are pouring into the coffers of the Big Three of auto, Gen- eral Motors, Ford and Chrysler as the first three months profits are reported. The headlines tell the story: “GM Profits Rose 17 percent.” “Ford Net Gain in Ist Quarter 84 percent”. “Chrysler - Profits for First Quarter, 1968, up 280.8 percent”. GM in the first quarter of 1968 made, $456,6666,000; Chrysler, $69,300,000; Ford $224,400,000. : For the next three years, 750,- 000 workers in these three great corporations will get approxim- ately 98 cents per hour more money, maximum, following the signing of the recent 3-year con- tract with the companies by the United Auto Workers Union, AFL-CIO. In 1966, the Ford Motor Com- pany made in profits after taxes, $621,02300 and in 1967, when their plants were closed for two months by a strike, they still made $84,000,000. Ford Motor of of Canada, made $31,000,000 in 1967 and 16,000,000 so far in 1968. Chrysler in 1967 made $200,- 430,000 and in ’66, made $189,- 223,000. GM in 1967 made $1,627,276,000 and in ’66 made $1,793,392,000. The drive to maintain these tremendous profits by the Big _ Three of U.S. auto industry now carries them far from the shops they have in the U.S. and Can- ada. GM and Ford now have shops in over 30 countries, with Chrysler having in less than a dozen. At least 25 percent of their net profits. now comes from _ their operations abroad. : ures, and for new legislation to protect an individual’s right to privacy. e “Re-emphasis on the protec- tion of the right of individuals and groups to dissent on great and small issues of the day.” A section of the program, on organization of the unorganized, came in for considerable discus- sion. The convention greeted with a standing ovation Delores Huerta of the Delano, Calif. grape strikers, who brought greetings from Cesar Chavez and thanks to the UAW for the help it gave the strikers—more than from all other sources to- gether. She asked for continued help. Reuther assured her the UAW would stand with the strikers until victory, as the de- legates gave strong applause. The resolution spoke of the need to expand organization, es- pecially in the South, in the UAW’s own field. It also empha- sized continuation of the UAW’s policy of helping all other unions engaged in organizing. find themselves engaged in fierce competition for sales in all the capitalist countries and sometimes in doing business with socialist countries. The U.S. no longer is the leader in car production. Back in 1950 the U.S. produced nine out of every ten vehicles. Today, it’s different. In 1967 some 24 million cars and trucks were produced throughout the world, with the U.S. producing 8,996,- 658 assemblies. Among these global auto lead- ers Japan was big gainer, boost- ing its 1967 production 36 per- cent ahead of its 1966 output: Italy’s output climbed 14 per- cent last year, while France’s rose 6 percent. The U.S. declined 13 percent, and West Germany dropped 15 percent, Great Britain 5 percent. General output in the capitalist countries showed a decline of about 5 percent. In the socialist countries a rise of 5 percent in auto produc- tion was registered. A total of 1,188,342 cars and trucks were built in Eastern Europe during 1967, compared to 1,122,119 in 1966. With the construction of new plants in the Soviet Union and other socialist countries output is expected to be double that of 1967. & While the U.S. auto produc- tion was showing a decline, Can- ada registered a second succes- sive vehicle production increase. Canada’s production was up 4 percent in 1967 and 5 percent in 1966. The reason for this was the Canadian-U.S. auto trade pact, which allows Canadian cars to come into the U.S. without paying tariffs. Also wages in 1967 were about 41 cents an hour less for production workers and $1 an hour less for skilled men than that paid by U.S. auto com- pani ‘or the same ~ work‘ by One of the final acts of the convention was approval of a long document on international affairs. The general approach still retains coldwar influence, but some partial steps away away from the old rabid anti- Sovietism. Much stress is put on what the resolution calls “winds of freedom” and “declining dis- cipline” in certain east European lands undergoing reforms. The union criticizes U.S. policy for not going farther for an im- provement of relations with the U.S.S.R. and other socialist countries, and for not broaden- ing trade possibilities. Observing that other countries are taking advantage of the “great resurgence of the East- West trade” the resolution went on: “We urge in consequence re- newed effort to widen trade be- tween the U.S. and countries of the Soviet bloc. We commend those unions, business organiza- tions and cultural groups which have established direct contact and systems of regular inter- U.S. workers. The UAW in re- cent negotiations won wage parity. by 1970. GM, Ford, Chrysler, dominate auto produc- tion in Canada. Among the countries besides Canada showing production gains in 1967 were Hungary (up 93 percent), Rumania (up 91 percent), Czechoslovakia (up, 19 percent), German Democratic Republic (up 9 percent), Soviet Union (up 7 percent). Poland showed a decline of 2 percent, as did Yugoslavia (down 40 per- cent) . During 1967, non-U.S, output soared to 14,924,689, which was 67. percent more than the vehicles built in the U.S. ® These developments are the subject of great study and con- cern to the leaders of the United Auto Workers Union, AFL-CIO with their 1,600,000 members in the U.S. and Canada. Actually half of the UAW membership work in the auto plants, turning out cars, trucks and_ buses. About 250,000 work in parts and supplier shops, the rest are in farm equipment and aircraft. Vast amount of capital has been exported by the Big Three to establish not just assembly plants but manufacturing plants in 32 countries outside the U.S. Now UAW president, Walter Reuther, has discovered that in these countries, unionizing of the workers is necessary in some cases. In other cases his International Affairs Depart- ment chairman, Vic Reuther, his brother, discovered, left wing forces were indispensable in working with, if plants were to be unionized. Vic Reuther now is an advocate of unity with all forces and has visited many of the countries, including some socialist countries (Soviet ere? aah oe Union, 1966) = He Gica oats ree change of information with re- lated organizations of the east European countries in order to build bridges of understanding, strengthen the sinews of peace and widen economic interchange of universal benefit.” This is the first time the UAW called specifically for relation with unions of the socialist lands. On Vietnam, the resolution re- states the past position of opp0- sition to both “escalation and unilateral withdrawal,” and that there can be “no military solu- tion.” Pledging to continue t0 urge “all constructive efforts aimed towards achieving a nego” tiated peace,” the resolution “applauds” Johnson’s move 10 “de-escalate the bombing” and “prays” for the success of the Paris talks. “If you’re going to ask for a raise the answer is ‘no’ — If you want a day off I can’t spare you — If it’s about com- pany matters see the Superintendent — now what do you want?” : A world auto council has been established by the Reuther brothers of representatives from . 18 nations, but doesn’t include socialist countries. The purpose is to establish a world wide minimum wage for auto work- ers, pensions, fight against speedup, and exchange on con- tract negotiations. A meeting will be held in Italy early sum- mer of ’68, also in West Ger- many, later, with a delegation of auto workers to some socialist countries this summer. This has aroused the ire of AFL-CIO pre- sident George Meany, who sees in this development a blow against his anti-communism. The meeting this summer in Italy and West Germany of auto workers, held under the auspices of the International Metal Work- ers Federation, of which Walter Reuther is President, and under the auspices of the World Auto Councils, which he is also pre- sident of, will mark an effort to speed up world unity of auto workers in face of growing world production of cars. The Big Three of U.S. auto seek cheap labor (South Africa, 15 cents an hour for African auto work- ers) in order to maintain maxi- mum profits at the expense of the workers. More and more the imports of cars into the U.S. made by workers whose wages are far below the U.S. worker who gets $3.80 an hour, is grow- ing. In 1968, it’s predicted that over one million cars sold this year will have been imported, or one.out of every eight cars sold. in, they U.S 7... 195, orisis situ-. 2Alréady, a. growing ation on sales has hit the U.S: Automobile News, _ industry newspaper, reports 1,440,000 un sold 1968 cars in the dealers hands. This is a record. Layoffs loom. Despite this, the compa- nies say they will again increasé car prices for the 1969 cars, a§ they did on the 1968s. Mean: while auto workers are down tO — 40 hours a week, layoffs are be ginning, some are down to foul ‘days, and the model changeovel period is expected to take threé months. But, the companies combine to roll up vast profits as reported here. U.S. Scene “paorel” _. Fred Wright in - WE, News Service (U,>: wach yacnenl Feo MARES oly > = “ ay em