Henry Ford II, after reading the steel fact finders' report, said in effect to his executives: "There's no reason why we should have this shoved down our throats. Let's take the lead on pensions." Last week Ford's Vice President John Bugas offered Walter Reuther an 8 3/4 ¢-an-hour, company-financed pension.
The offer ended negotiations which had been going on for almost 100 days. Reuther happily accepted. By all indications, so would Ford workers when they voted on the proposal. By winning peace, Ford had won a lead in his increasingly competitive industry. By winning the contract, Reuther had gained a weapon...