SONY?... BALONEY
Union confronts sexist g
\' 1 I'ANS MUST KEEP and loaned the union 100,000 most uncomfortable moments at to the opportunity to teach
in mind that Japan has yen of her own savings. the collective bargaining table young Japanese who are able to
been to women what America "The Japanese public itself have come when the Sony LL master the foreign words and
has been to blacks," cautioned is largely unaware that Sony Workers' Union raised women's pronounciations more rapidly
Yachivo Fuiii a woman organ- it not only the most anti-union issues and charges of "male than their elders.
izer for the Japanese National
Union of General Workers. Ms.
Fujii helped the American
teachers at the Sony Language
Laboratory (1.) form a union
multinational corporation in Ja-
pan, but also by far the most
exploitative of women," she
added.
Perhaps the- management's
I
III E
Michigan Daily
Edited and managed by Students at the
University of Michigan
Wednesday, July 24, 1974
News Phone: 764 0552
chauvinism" on the part of the
Corporation.
"Look at your (Sony's bar-
gaining team - all coats and
tics and sweaty hands. Not only
do you men claim to be com-
petent to determine what's best
for Sony's women workers. but
you seem to be afraid to face
us directly and tell us exactly
what you've decided about ma-
ternity and paternity leave", in-
terjected an angry Anslie Bren-
nan.
SONY EMPLOYS L A R G E
numbers of young women in its
factories, many of whom come
from the economically depress-
ed Tohoku region to Tokyo
where they are housed in com-
pany dormitories called Sony
Village. Karen C., an instruc-
tor of Japanese literature at a
prestigious Christian university
in Tokyo, explained the situa-
tion this way:
"These young women are
country bumpkins. Their par-
ents are contacted prior to high
school graduation by school of-
ficials representing Sony, and
the parents pack their daugh-
ters off to Tokyo feeling 'as-
sured that our girl will be in
good hands with Sony.' Many of
them end up under the thumb
of gangsters in the Shinjuku,
I I
LIVING IN JAPAN, tends to
have a radicalizing effect on
most American women who ac-
tually reside there for any ex-
tended period of time. This
point was missed by Sony's Ja-
panese and American male ex-
ecutives - and also by the
leadership of the Japanese un-
(ant
The real purpose of the sys-
tem, however, is to cut down
equipment operating costs with-
out hiring more workers. It has
not yet been discontinued.
In a letter of protest con-
cerning the union's first 'teach-
out', Sony LL Director K. Kur-
ita threatened, "While it may
be the right of the union to
strike, the Sony management
deplores and protests the meth-
ods employed . . . We urge
you, the Union, to . . . cease
from luring students away
from the schools."
In response, the Union lead-
ership wrote, "The union is pre-
pared to wage a long, protract-
ed battle with Sony that will not
end Funtil it meets our non-ne-
gotiable demands such as an
end to racial discrimination in
hiring and an end to sexism.
The Union demands a full and
public explanation of the dis-
graceful treatment of Sony wo-
men workers at the Atsugi Fac-
tory."
The letter - copies of which
were sent to Sony Corporation
President Morita, concluded:
"When American Blacks and
minority groups, as well as the
strong women's organizations
learn . . . of the way that world-
famous Sony . . . treats minor-
ity groups and women in Japan
. . . there will be a lot fewer
Sony products in American
soiseholds throughout the U.S.
A."
IN A PAMPHLET distributed
to probationary employees en-
titled "The Management Ideals
of Sony Atsugi Factory", Fac-
tory OperationsChief, Shigeru
Kobayashi states, "The heart
of management is human re-
spect and human Trust. The
corporation itself is truly a
school of humaneness . . . Sony
develops resources".
At present, the union in To-
kyo is trying to convince Sony
to accept The Equal Employ-
ment Opportunity Commission's
(Title 29, Labor, Chap. xiv,
Syou love Fido,
curb. his breeding
THE TIME HAS COME for pet "owners" to have a little
less consideration for themselves and a little more
concern for their animals.
One can see, after a stroll through town, that pet
over-population has reached serious proportions and
something must be done immediately.
Much of the blame lies on the owners who lack re-
sponsible attitudes toward their animal and its offspring
and do not get it spayed or neutered. All over the city
animals run unrestrained impregnating one another and
the circle goes on while the owner does nothing.
All the time people are giving puppies and kittens
away on the street. The lucky ones find a home where
people care about them and take care of them. The un-
lucky ones end tsp on the diag and various other parts of
town. If they have a home, they wander there for a meal
or two. Many kittens and puppies end up at the Humane
Society, where the problem is most visible. Only one pet
in ten will find a good home.
It is important to note that the price of spaying an
animal in Ann Arbor is exorbitant, so much of the blame
must rest on area veterinarians. The going price for spay-
ing in Ann Arbor is now $40 and up. This price is ridicu-
lous considering the routineness and simplicity of such
an operation. Most veterinarians will tell an owner that
the operation is major and serious, which is an effort to
justify the price: however, in actuality, it is not as dras-
tic as one has been led to believe.
THE ANN ARBOR HUMANE Society is currently work-
ing on a clinic in which people can spay their pets
cheaply; however this clinic will not be completed until
the end of the year at the earliest.
There is an organization in Sterling Heights called
"Friends of the Animals". They will put money toward
the neutering of an animal. Through the "Friends of the
Animals" one can have their dog fixed-by any veterinar-
Ian in town for $18; the "Friends" pay the rest.
If you really care about your animal, do it a favor
and do the pet population problem a favor and have
your pet spayed or neutered.
-ANDREA LILLY
Union representatives Meg Lester (third from left) and
Anslie Brennan (center) join male counterparts b e f o r e
negotiations with Sony officials.
ion (National Union of General Ikebukuro,
Workers) to which the Sony LL of Tokyo.
Union is affiliated. work in Tu
In addition to raising the us- brothels, a
ual equal work-equal pay, more either beint
women in management, a n d work on Si
equal chance for advancement sembly line
demands, feelings of interna- "And thi
tional sisterhood developed be- Sqony thatr
tween the American and Japa- w o m e n
nese women members to the about," Ms
point where the union also
warned Sony to "end harass- powerless
ment tactics against married present, Sor
Japanese women workers; es- set ot
pecially constant, unreasonable, shift prods
Atuifact
and indiscriminate job transfers tion which
which are designed to make tits for
them quit and be 'good house- fits for Sn
wives'." Second, the Union de- men, codmise
manded that Sony "end male living
chauvinist policies whereby Ja- qiset healt
panese women are initially hired Transistor
as Sony teachers, credentials not only th
and qualifications having been also the n
carefully investigated, and manding in
then gradually demoted from tration req
teaching jobs to typists, book- with produt
keepers, or 'ocha' tea-servers." Without a
The women instructors, with to protect
the strong support of the male workers (pt
union members, including the cluded, the
Japanese, took Sony to task for years accor
its policy of concentrating wo- 1970 issue o
men English teachers' in the
Sony Language Laboratory THE SY
schools with the highest per- Tohoku wo
centage of children as pupils. 5:00 a.m. tc
Sony's "Only women can teach Tokyoites f
young children" argument did 8:20 p.m.,,
not find much favor with the temporary1
men who were looking forward eled off.
and Shibuya wards
They are forced to
rkish baths, saunas,
nd cabarets after
g fired or quitting
bny's transistor as-
s as 'operators'."
s is the face of
most of the world's
never see or hear
. C. concluded.
nen are relatively
within the firm at
ty introduced a two-
ction system in its
ory - an innova-
netted greater pro-
y and, for the wo-
rable working and
tions, including fre-
h breakdowns.
assembly lines are
e most tedious, but
host physically de-
terms of concen-
uired to keep up
ction quotas.
strong labor union
these 3,400 women
art-time married in-
average is 19.1
ding to the July 19,
fthe Ashai Journal).
STEM, WHICH has
men working from
12:30 p.m. and the
rom 12:30 p.m. to
was supposed to be
until production lev-
Contact your reps-
Sen. Phillip Hart (Dem), Rm 253, Old Senate Bldg., Capitol
Hill, Washington, D.C. 20515.
Sen. Robert Griffin (Rep), Rm 353, Old Senate Bldg., Capitol
Mill, Washington, D.C. 20515.
Rep. Marvin Esch (Rep), Rm. 412, Cannon Bldg., Capitol
Hill, Washington, D.C. 20515.
Sen. Gilbert Bursley (Rep), Senate, State Capitol Bldg.,
Lansing, Mi. 48933.
Rep. Perry Bullard (Dens), house, of Representatives, State
Capitol Bldg., Lansing, Mi. 48933.
Sony LL Union member Lin-
da Miller, pickets the Sony
Main Corp., Tokyo, on April
30 of this year.
Patt 1604) Guidelines On Dis-
crimination Because of Sex and
the Commission's Establishing
A Policy And Implementing A
Plan For Affirmative Action re-
port.
NEXT: Sony and Corporate
Ecological Irresponsibility - A
Case Study: The SLAUGHTER
of the WHALES.
Mark Lavelle, Director, Insti-
tute of Multinational Corporate
Research, SONY LL English
Teacher, and former graduate
student at the U-M's Center for
Japanese Studies
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