**Date:** 7-5-67
**Source:** Unknown
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the Rubber Workers is interest-ing aside from his friendship with Peter Bommarito, URW president. The URW begins its new contract negotiations with the auto companies next Monday and Reuther has let it be known that a guaranteed annual wage, a key hurdle in the rubber talks, will be an agreement “must” in the auto bargaining.
Meanwhile, pressure on the companies to resume production is eased by the combination of high tire inventories, an estimated 50 per cent of the industry still at work, auto manufacturers’ switchover to 1968 models coming earlier than usual and the industry’s mutual assistance pact.
Consequently, the companies can be expected to remain firm on the basis of their latest contract offers, which they say represents additional employment costs in wages, fringe benefits, pensions and insurance of some 70 cents an hour over three years. But URW officials con-tend the offer, which they claim adds up to about 60 cents an hour, is inadequate.
Locally, the URW Local 45 and the UniRoyal footwear plant is awaiting the decision of Judge Leo V. Gaffney on the request for a restraining injunction to be issued against the Footwear plant. The Judge is expected to make his finding known some-time the latter part of the week.
The Footwear plant seeks to start production on some 45,000 pairs of sample shoes using non-bargaining personnel. The Local is blocking this move, bringing into court an agree-ment made between plant offi-cials and the Local, April 18.
The Judge must find whether this agreement was in effect at the time the company sought to start production with non-union personnel.