Burger: Let's hear from you first, Bob, about that check on the presses and the blanker. Any clues to those burrs?
Polk: Nope. Everything is OK with the machinery, according to Engineering. They even thought I was nuts to e questioning them and making them double-check.
Burger: I can imagine. But we can't overlook anything, no matter how impossible Engineering may think it is. By the way, Ben, are the rejects still running as high this afternoon?
Peters: Higher. Line #1 is lousing up nine or ten an hour, Line #2 is ruining about a dozen, and Line #4 is burring about seven an hour.
Burger: What about Line #3?
Peters: Nothing so far. Dawson's line has been clean as a whistle. But, with Valenti's brother on the line, we can expect trouble any time.
Polk: Maybe not. Dawson's reject rate have always been a bit lower than the others'.
Burger: That so? How do you account for that?
Coggin: How about better supervision accounting for it? Dawson's men always seem to take more pride in their work than the other men do, and they really operate as a team. The other day I heard two of his men talking about one of their crew who apparently was getting careless, and they decided to straighten him out themselves, without bothering Dawson. When you get that kind of voluntary discipline, you've got real supervision.
Burger: Glad to hear that some of our men feel responsible for doing good work.
Polk: Dawson's crew is OK. One of his men will always tip me off early if they're getting low on blanks, but the night shift on that line is mighty careless. That crew left Dawson's line with only a half-hour's stack of blanks to start with this morning.
Peters: by the way, Bob, have you heard that some of the men on the other crews are calling his men "Dawson's Darlings"? The rumor is that those shallow Cheetah panels are easier to make, and someone played favorites when they gave that production run to Dawson's crew.
Polk: That's crazy. We gave those panels to Dawson's line because this makes it easier for the Shipping Department, and they just aren't any easier to make; you know that.
Peters: I know, but that's what the men say and I thought you'd like to be cut in on the grapevine.
Coggin: If the men think the deep panels are a harder job, maybe there's something to it. I've heard this story, too, and there's a chance the union may try to review our rates and standards one of these days.
Polk: Yeah? Well, I say nuts to it. If those items go on the agenda, then Patella might as well be running this shop. Why don't we ask the union: "How about making up for that half-hour Line #2 lost this morning while Valenti argued with Farrell about his suspension?"
Coggin: While you're asking, ask Farrell why he didn't call me before suspending Valenti yesterday. What a mess Farrell put us in!
Burger: What do you mean, Ralph?
Coggin: Just that we've got a real big grievance coming up, for sure. Patella tells me that after Farrell suspended Valenti yesterday, he went looking behind the tool crib and couldn't find any sign of a liquor bottle. Also, Patella claims there were no witnesses around when Farrell accused Valenti of drinking on the job. It's going to e impossible for Farrell to prove he wasn't acting merely on his suspicions, without evidence. And the union is sure to hit us hard with this, especially with contract negotiations coming up.
Burger: Damn it, Farrell should have known better! This isn't the first time he's been tough with a man, but he's got to learn to use better judgment. Bob, you'd better have a talk with him right away. See if anything special is chewing him. Maybe a little firm advice from you will sharpen him up.
Polk: OK, Oscar, but Farrell's a very good man, and we ought to back him up on this completely.
Coggin: If you do, you're going to have real trouble with the union. Patella says if we don't drop the charge against Valenti and reinstate him, he's going to propose a strike vote, and he claims that men will positively go out. It looks like they have a clear case against Farrell and, except for Dawson's men, a lot of them seem plenty sore. And those rejects they're producing are telling you so, loud and clear.
Polk: Oscar, we can't undercut Farrell! If we do, we're playing right into the union's hands. It's obvious that Valenti is in collusion with Patella on this, and they're framing Farrell to get themselves a hot issue for the contract negotiations. I say we should charge the union with framing Farrell and willfully producing rejects. If they try to strike, get an injunction immediately so we can keep production up and satisfy Detroit.
Burger: Not so fast, Bob. I'd rather first try to get the union off our backs before they seriously start talking about a strike. Ralph, what about that demand the local union agent told you he was going to make something like 10 minutes' extra wash-up time? If we gave in to him on this, do you think he could hold Patella in line on this Farrell-Valenti problem?
Coggin: Probably. But you would want to find some way for Patella to save face, as well as farrell.
Burger: You may be right, but we can't let Patella think he can go on using this sabotage technique of his. I want to mull this over some more before deciding what our answer will have to be. Meanwhile, Ben, you keep a close check on the reject rates. And you, Bob, check on the operation on Line #3 to see if there really is anything to that rumor about our favoring Dawson's crew. Ralph, see what you can find out about the extra wash-up time deal and how Patella feels about it. That's about all I can suggest for now. Let's meet again tomorrow at 10 o'clock and wind this thing up.