Evening star., 1937-03-02
A Promise of Peace.

At this time and at this distance it
may be difficult to judge as to the rela-
tive Importance of the two developments
on the labor front today which in sig
nificance overshadow all others. One is
the announcement of higher pay, shorter
hours and new overtime scale for the
100000 workers in six large companies
of the steel industry. The other is the
initial conference between officials of
John L. Lewis Committee for Industrial
Organization and of the Carnegie-Illi-
nois Steel Corporation, looking toward
recognition of an outside" union in the
steel industry.
The higher wage scale and shorter
work week announced by the six large
companies mean that the demands of
steel workers for such adjustments have
been met, without disorder, without
harmful tie-ups in the industry and in a
manner that meets the high standards
outlined by the terms of the Walsh
Healey act for Government contracts. 1t
better hours for the half million workers
of the steel industry, with its pay roll
of billion dollars year. In itself it
represents significant turning point on
the road toward prosperity, for the effect
of the new scales will be widespread in
their eventual application.
The conference between the organizers
OF the steel workers industrial union
(Ama1gamated Association of Iron, Steel
and Tin Workers. and the Carnegie
company, however, is probably even
more important. Labor leaders speak
of it enthusiastically as the greatest
story in the history of the labor move
ment in America" The conference marks
the first move in the history of the steel
industry toward recognition of an outside
union. It came about with dramatic
Suddenness, development wholly un-
anticipated by those who from the out
side have been watching preparations
for what seemed to be an inevitable
conflict over union recognition. What
progress this conference made yesterday
in discussion of a contract between the
steel corporation, largest and most
powerful of the U. S. Steel subsidiaries,
and the steel workers union Is not i'm
portant. The importance of the con-
ference and those to follow it lies, for
the time being, in the voluntary agree
ment of the steel corporation officials
to discuss union recognition and the
acceptance of a mutually satisfactory
basis for discussion.
The new wage scale and forty-hour
week, with time and half for overtime,
have been in process of negotiation for
some time between employe representa-
tives and the steel companies. 1t is
substantially the same scale demanded
by Mr.. Lewis c. I. o. There is little
doubt that the new scale within short
time will be adopted throughout the
steel industry. But the real objective of
Mr.. Lewis C. I. o. is union recognition.
For the time being other aims are Incl
dental. The Carnegie officials and the
c. I. o. are reported to have agreed to
discuss such recognition in so far as It
applies to the actual membership of the
steel workers union. Such recognition, in
other words, would not constitute recog-
milton of the c. I. o. as the sole bar
gaining unit of the steel workers. If
this initial concession is correctly re-
ported it will go far toward producing
the formula for amicable agreement
And an amicable agreement on such a
point at this time will mean a great
victory, not by the union organizers
alone, but for the American people.
More than any other single development,
It holds the promise for industrial peace