Evening star., 1937-03-02

National Steel Corp. leading the way,
six companies employing 10000 men
announced they we're establishing on
March 16 a minimum wage of IS
day, with time and half for overtime
for all working more than 40 hours q
week
The industry now is on . 48-hour
work week, with a minimum scale Of
$420 a day.
Increases also will be granted other
workers with details to be worked out.
the announcements said. Steel men
expected the raises to average 10 cents
an hour.
Companies making the announce
ments and the men involved were:
National Steel, 10000; Bethlehem,
IS, 900; Republic, $4,000; Youngstown
Sheet g. Tube. 10000; Inland. 5000.
and National Tube, a subsidiary OF
United States Steel, 5000.
Jones e. Laughlin, which employs
5000 men, said it had been comforting
with employees representatives about a
wage hike, but had reached no conclu-
sion
The adoption Of a 40-hour work week
was expected to break a deadlock
which developed between the COM
panies and the Government over
steel for the Navy. The Walsh -Healey
act specifies all Government contracts
must be executed by workers on 40
hour week, and Secretary of Labor
Perkins had declined to waive this
provision. The companies declined to
bid on that basis.
Steel circles are expecting an in
crease in the price of all finished
products ranging from 50 to Sc a
ton as a result of the wage increases.
Carnegie-Illin announced several
day ago it would post prices March
S for the second quarter, which be-
gins April l.
Murray was reticent to discuss any
angles of the negotiations beyond his
formal statement. The company de-
clined to make any comment
Murray estimated his membership
in the industry today at 100000. but
would not say how many of these
were employees of Carnegie Illinois.
This question did not come up in the
conference, he added.
Text Of Statement.
His formal statement was:
AT our request. we met today with
Mr.. Fairless for the purpose of pre-
senting our requests for such en-
ployes of his company whom we rep
resent, on wages, hours of work, etc.
'Mr. Fairless agreed to meet with
us on this basis. The conference will
be continued tomorrow afternoon.
I'VE wish to report a very cooper
ative spirit existed throughout the
meeting
The first intimation given by the
company of the conference was read
to its 399 employees representatives
at 81 plants by the superintendents at
pm. yesterday. The statement said
the employees must have seen news
paper references to conferences pend.
ing between employees representatives
of Bethlehem, National Steel and
other companies regarding an adjust
ment OF wages and working hours.
1t suggested the representatives
quickly advise the company of any
desires they might have, and then
said the steel workers Organizing
Committee had been granted q con-
ference to speak for its members
only.
Representatives Of nine plants in
the Youngstown, Ohio. area had re-
ceived some hint from Fairless per-
sonally last week, that the company
might be thinking of change in It's
collective bargaining.
Plan Declared Not Perfect.
Fairless told the representatives
about their plan during a whirlwind
tour:
IF you like it. we like it. II you
want it, we want it. If you don't
want it, we don't want it.
1.-The plan is not perfect, but re-
member it started from scratch 81
years ago. It has come a long way
since that time and believe it could
be made into workable plan"
He said he had no quarrel with any
"outside organization or men who
favor such an organization" adding:
my only hope is that they are as
sincere in their desire for well being
of the men as is the company. 80
The history of industrial strife shows
that in q vast majority Of cases any
thing gained that way could have
been accomplished over the confer
ence tables without the stopping of
production, sales and employment"
Murray said his request to Car
negie- Illinois for conference was
the first made since the unionization
drive began last June, although his
organization now is dealing with ap-
proximately SO companies employing
10000 men on a temporary basis"
Other large steel companies will be
asked "in due time" he said, to deal
with the union.
The taciturn Scotsman, visibly
elated at the meeting, said:
IT think it is the greatest story in
the history of the American labor
movement"
With Murray at the conference were
Clinton S. Golden, Eastern regional
director Of the steel workers COM
mittee; Van A. Bittner, Western
director with headquarters in Chicago;