ELECTIONS 10. On the day of elections each qualified voter shall be furnished by the joint committee, through tellers designated by such committee, a ballot on which the names of the candidates for employees' representatives shall be printed in the order of number of votes received at nominations. In case two or more persons shall have received at nominations the same number of votes, then the names shall be placed in the alphabetical order of their respective surnames. The voter shall indicate his preference by placing a cross (X) opposite the name of the candidate or the name of each of the candidates of his choice. 11. The number of candidates for whom the employees in each voting division shall be entitled to vote for employees' representatives of such voting division shall be stated on the ballot. If this number is exceeded, the ballot shall be void. 12. Each voter shall deposit his own ballot in a box provided for the purpose by the joint committee, and the ballots shall be counted under the direction and supervision of the members of said committee who shall be employees' representatives at the time in office. The candidate or candidates of each voting division receiving the highest number of votes (in accordance with the number to be elected) shall be declared elected as the employees' representative or representatives of such voting division. 13. In the event of a tie, selection shall be made by lot under the direction of the joint committee. 14. In the event of a controversy arising concerning any nomination or election, it shall be referred to and decided by the joint committee. 15. The joint committee may make such provision as they may consider necessary for assisting any voter who may so request, in properly marking the ballot. 16. Candidates failing of election shall stand as alternates in the order of the number of votes received and in such order shall become employees' representatives as need may arise through vacancies. V. MANAGEMENT'S REPRESENTATIVE The company shall appoint a management's representative to facilitate close relationships between the management and the employees' representatives. The management's representative shall represent the management in negotiations with the representatives, their officers, and committees. He shall respond promptly to any request from representatives, and shall interview all of the representatives, from time to time, collectively or separately, with reference to matters of concern to employees. VI. JOINT COMMITTEES 1. The joint committee shall consist of the committee of the employees' representatives with the addition of the company's representatives named by the management, who may equal but shall not exceed in number the employees' representatives. 2. The joint committee shall select their own officers and arrange their own procedure. VII. COMMITTEE MEETINGS 1. After each annual election the employees' representatives shall meet immediately for the purpose of electing a chairman, vice chairman, and secretary for the general body of employees' representatives. 2. Regular meetings of the general body of employees' representatives shall be held once each month. 3. Regular meetings of the joint committee shall be held once each month. 4. The joint committee and general body of employees' representatives shall meet between the hours of 3 and 5 in the afternoon, unless otherwise determined by joint approval of the chairman of the general body of employees' representatives and the management's representative. 5. Special meetings of the joint committee may be held as occasion may require, on approval of the chairman of the general body of employees' representatives and the management's representative. 6. For time necessarily lost, through actual attendance, at regular or special meetings or conferences jointly approved, representatives shall receive from the company, payment commensurate with their average earnings. 7. Any matter may be referred by the management through the management's representative to the joint committee for consideration and report, and any matter may be presented by the joint committee to the management through the management's representative. 8. The company shall arrange a suitable place for meetings of the general body of employees' representatives and of the joint committee and the company shall defray such expenses as are necesarily incident to the discharge of duties herein set forth, when approved by a majority of the joint committee. IX. PROCEDURE FOR ADJUSTMENTS 1. Any matter which in the opinion of any employee requires adjustment, and which such employee has been unable to adjust with the foreman of the work on which he is engaged, may be taken up by such employee, either in person, or through any representative of his voting division in writing, first with the department head; second, with the management's representative; third, with the management, who shall endeavor to effect a settlement, or who may with the approval of all the parties refer the matter to the joint committee. 2. Unless satisfactory disposition of any such matter has been effected within a reasonable time, any employee through his representative, or the management through the management's representative, may require such matter to be referred to the joint committee, by a request in writing addressed to said committee specifying in detail the matter requiring adjustment and the reasons which warrant its consideration by said committee. The joint committee shall consider any such matter with reasonable promptness, at a regular or special meeting, and may adopt such means as are necessary to ascertain the facts and effect a settlement. 3. If the joint committee shall fail to effect a settlement, the president of the company shall be notified, and the matter may be referred, if the president and a majority of the employees' representatives on the joint committee agree to such reference, to an arbitrator or arbitrators, to be determined at the time according to the nature of the controversy. X. GUARANTEEING THE INDEPENDENCE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1. It is understood and agreed that each representative shall be free to discharge his duties in an independent manner, without fear that his individual relations with the company may be affected in the least degree by any action taken by him in good faith in his representative capacity. 2. To insure to each representative his right to such independent action, be shall have the right to take the question of an alleged personal discrimination against him on account of his acts in his representative capacity to the management's representative, to any of the superior officers, to the joint committee, and to the president of the company. Mr. LESINSKI. And here is a plan by the Fisher Body Co. (The plan above referred to is as follows:) I hereby voluntarily make application to become a member of Fisher Body Employees Cooperative Association of Cleveland, Ohio, and agree to abide by the constitution of such association, which has been submitted to me, and to be represented as therein provided. Date__ Signed_ (Employee's signature) Received_.. (Chairman-Secretary) FISHER BODY EMPLOYEES' COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION, Cleveland, Ohio, May 2, 1934. To employees of Fisher Body, Cleveland division, who are not members of Fisher Body Employees' Cooperative Association of Cleveland, Ohio: On April 14, 1934, we addressed to you a letter, copy of which is enclosed, disclosing the formation of Fisher Body Employees' Cooperative Association of Cleveland, Ohio. With such letter was enclosed an application blank which an employee must sign to become a member of the association, and a copy of the constitution of the association. Since the date of such letter over 3,500 employees at the Cleveland plant of Fisher Body have become members of the association, but you have not done so. The employees' committee, the governing body of the association, is composed of employees at the plant where you are working and were elected by you. We believe that this committee can more effectively represent you in bargaining collectively with the company than can any outside individual or group of individuals, and that it is in your interest to become a member of the association. You, consequently, are urged immediately to sign the enclosed application blank and either deliver it to any of the following individuals, or mail it in the enclosed envelop, which will make you a member of the association. Very truly yours, George Kromer, Daniel Small, Ray Adams, Dick Chandler, Walter E. FISHER BODY EMPLOYEES COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, To employees of Fisher Body Cleveland Division: April 14, 1934. In August 1933 a plan was adopted for representation of the employees of Fisher Body at its Cleveland plant, which resulted in their election of a works conference. This works conference has negotiated with representatives of the company on a great number of matters affecting the employees, and it is believed that this has been to their distinct advantage. However, the conference believes that it can represent the employees more effectively if the plan is revised through the adoption of a revised constitution. Under this constitution, which was adopted by the works conference and a copy of which is enclosed, an association is created under the name Fisher Body Employees' Cooperative Association of Cleveland, Ohio. Under this an employees' committee will be elected annually from the various major departments, so that every employee who is a member can take his complaints to a fellow employee in his own department and know that he will be represented adequately and forcefully in negotiations and collective bargaining with the company. The election of the employees' committee will be by secret ballot under the sole control of employees who are members of the association. The members of the present works conference will serve as this employees' committee until the first election, which will be held in July of this year. To become a member of the association you must fill out and sign the enclosed application blank and either deliver it to your representative upon the employees' committee or mail it in the enclosed envelope to the secretary of the association. Employees can secure the benefits of this plan and representation of their interest by the employees' committee only by signing and delivering this application blank. It is believed that the employees' committee, which is composed of employees at the plant where you are working and whom you elected, can more effectively represent you in bargaining collectively with the company than can any outside individual or group of individuals not familiar with the work or the conditions of your employment. The employees' committee is not and will not in any way be under the control or domination of the company or its management. No one from the company even has the right to attend meetings of the employees' committee, and the committee is and will be interested solely in representing and helping you. It is hoped that the small expense of running the association can be financed by dances and other social affairs. At all events, the members of the association will not be requested to make any payments. You need not pay dues in order to get a square deal. You are urged immediately to sign the enclosed application blank and deliver it to any of the following individuals or mail it in the enclosed envelope, which will make you a member of the association. Very truly yours, George Kromer, Daniel Small, Ray Adams, Dick Chandler, Walter E. Mr. LESINSKI. I have here a record of a shop committee meeting that was held under the auspices of the employers on January 29, 1935, and here is another report on a shop committee meeting on February 5, 1935. (The reports above referred to are as follows:) SHOP COMMITTEE MEETING, CLOSED, JANUARY 29, 1935 Department 134: Reports that the floor needs to be fixed. Department 162: Would like to have the roof fixed. Faucets need fixing in locker room. Would like to have immediate attention. Department does not get enough stock. Production control: Would like to have a new floor. Reports that oil from the screw department leaks through. It was brought up by three different representatives, and it was never taken care of. Department 561: Would like to have window sash fixed. It chills the glue. Department 563: Windows have not been painted as yet in the tool room. The tool and die makers are asking for more money. The shop committee suggests that all the employees who are to get service pins should get them as soon as possible. Shop committee suggests we should have a gavel at our meetings. M. SMAREK, Secretary. SHOP COMMITTEE MEETING, OPEN, FEBRUARY 5, 1935 Minutes of previous meeting read and approved. Kleinecke.-Mr. Kleinecke commented on the minutes of the previous meeting as follows: Flooring has been ordered for department 134 and stock room. Floors will be fixed as soon as this material arrives. Regarding new floor in department 541, we hesitate to rip up this floor as part of our plans apprehend vacating this building. We do not desire to go to this expense unless it is absolutely necessary. Probably we could exercise a little more care as we do not want to put a new concrete floor in this department that might only be used temporarily. Window sash will be fixed in department 561 very soon. Messrs. Kovach and Colegrove are checking into the roof in department 162. Regarding leaky faucets throughout the plant, Mr. Grothe suggests we have someone in each department check the faucets at noon and evening to make sure they are shut off tight. We could also shut off the main valve back on the line when they are through at noon and in the evening-this would protect these faucets. Mr. Kleinecke believes this is a good suggestion and we will give it attention. Mr. Kovach will paint the windows in the tool room. Service pins will be presented at a dinner meeting-same as those previously given. Our records will be completed within the next day or two. Mr. Kleinecke suggests that a committee be appointed to arrange the presenting of these pins. Grothe. Mr. Grothe advised that the topic pertaining to the tool and die makers asking for more money was a perfectly fair topic to bring up at the shop committee meeting-that is what these meetings and committees are for. Mr. Grothe believes that the rates, as a whole, throughout the plant are fair and equitable. One of the chief difficulties is our lack of being able to put in sufficient time, but, of course, this is due to business conditions. It has been the expressed desire of everyone in the plant, as a whole, that what work there is should be spread out; and the management itself is heartily in favor of this. We realize that this has put our company, and the people themselves, somewhat to a disadvantage compared to institutions that have a force where they can work about 40 hours per week. We would like to work 40 hours per week too, but we have not been able to get enough business. We do believe, in comparing our hourly rates as nearly as we are able to get information from other institutions, that we are in very favorable comparison-I mean the plant as a whole. I think that in the tool room itself, if you took the service bonus and the hourly rate, that we are about on an average with what you will find in other institutions. In the first place, as I assured you before, our president is anxious at all times to do everything he possibly can for everyone. If anything, he leans backward to do it. He would be tickled if our business warranted more than we are doing. We will come very close to breaking even for the year 1934, on a cash basis. Our losses will be just about the amount we set up for depreciation on building and equipment. Our operations from a cash standpoint, cash in and cash out, will be about an even break-that is not bad. We have a regular schedule and scale of classification for each job and its rates, and one is related to the other. We have accumulated data on this from all angles. We think we have a very fair, just, and equitable set-up of relations of jobs throughout our institution. You men are probably not familiar with the method in going about in setting those rates. I think you should be more familiar with it. We would very much like to see a committee appointed by the chairman of the shop committee, consisting of three to five people, to go over with two or three of the management who are familiar with the way those rates are arrived at, and analyze the situation. The records are all open and we will be thankful for any assistance or help or criticism which may come from anyone at any time. If you are talking about this company putting out more money, increasing its costs in general, we might as well close down. I will tell you honestly now that I would not recommend it for you. I would not go to the directors of this company now and suggest a general increase today. I don't think this would be fair to the institution. They have come across with everything we have asked for so far. If you could show just cause, I would be glad to fight it for you, but I would have to sell myself on this point first. We know if we run our costs up higher that it will mean loss volume; and in the final analysis we will have less hours to work and our pay envelop will not be larger but may be smaller. I desire to be very frank with you and I'm telling you just what the situation is. The company is paying everything it can bear at the present time. Right now, Mr. Clyne is working on some figures for Sears. Their plan is to go into a considerably bigger volume. They are talking about 30,000 machines for this year. I think they are talking a whole lot more volume than they have any chance to reach. I believe their volume ran around 15,000 last year. But I assure you if we have to go back to them and increase their cost still more, it will not give us more volume. Thirty percent of our business last year went through Sears. Don't get the wrong opinion that I am trying to give you arguments in connection with this request; but I'm just trying to put the facts before you. I am not adverse to wanting larger pays; I'm in favor of it when it is possible, |