Evening star., 1945-02-18
Board Of Cancellation
SET Up in NewC Contract
OF u. 5. Steel and Clio.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PITTSBURGH, Feb. 17.-Com-
pletion of a new labor agree
ment, including the establish
ment of a three-man board OF
conciliation and arbitration to
settle grievances, was announced
today by the United States Steel
Corp. and the CIO United Steel
Workers of America.
Five steel-producing subsidiaries
of the corporation are affected by
the contract. The agreements
reached by the corporation usually
are the pattern for those through
out the industry in which the union
claims 100000 members. Negotia-
tions for the contract began in De-
cember, 1943.
The companies represented at the
meetings were the American Steel
and Wire Co., Carnegie = Illinois
Steel Corp, Columbia Steel Co., Ma
tional Tube Co., and the Tennessee
Coal, Iron and Railroad Co.
Term Is Up to WLB.
The term of the contract was left
subject to determination by the War
Labor Board which has scheduled q
hearing next Friday. The union
asked the contract be for a fixed
term running to the fall of 1916,
and the company sought termina-
ton clause as in prior agreements,
making agreements subject to re-
opening within 80 days upon no.
tice by either side.
Establishment of permanent
board of conciliation was hailed by
a spokesman for the union as "a
momentous advance in manage
ment-union relations The con-
tract said, with respect to grievances
brought to the board, there shall
be no interruption or impeding of
the work, work stoppages, strikes or
lockouts on account of such differ
ences."
The corporation said the agree
ment contains only minor changes
over the 1912 contract, except for
provisions directed by the War La
Dor Board. These include vaca-
tions, shift differentials or premi-
ums, and establishment of guide
posts for the determination and
correction of alleged intraplant
wage inequities.
Check off Ordered Again.
Maintenance of membership and
check-off again were ordered by
the WLB, the corporation said, and
are incorporated
The agreement will be signed
after approval by the subsidiary
companies and after the WLB has
passed on the question of termina-
ton.
With regard to the Board of Con.
ciliation, the corporation stated II
its announcement that, under priol
contracts since 1887, arbitration wa.
the final step in grievance pro-
cedure, and when occasion de-
individuals were selected by
agreement between the company in
volved and the union.
The USW announcement sale
headquarters of the board are to be
in Pittsburgh, and it is to be avail
able at all times to settle grievances
first by seeking to conciliate ano
then by arbitration, which shall be
final and binding.
To meet an urgent situation, the
union said, the board is empowered
to refer disposition of grievance
to single arbitrator in the locality
where it arose. But this step re-
quires unanimous decision of the
board, whereas all other decisions
may be by majority vote.
Contract includes Recent Directives
The unions announcement SAID
the contracts included recent direc-
tives of the WLB, which it itemized
and described briefly as follows:
81. A Accent premium for the
afternoon shift and a Scent prem
ium for the night shift. APP
plication of these shift premiums,
such as afternoon men working
into the night shift and night shift
working into the day shift, as well
as inclusion of the premiums in
computing overtime, makes it the
best premium clause in American
industry. in the opinion of the
union.
"2. One weeks vacation for five
years service and two weeks for
service beyond five years.
"3. Creation of a commission
(not to be confused with the
board of arbitration) to settle wage
rate inequalities, with a fund pro-
vided which shall average not more
than 5 cents per hour per employe.
Six Holidays Provided.
"a. Six holidays Thanksgiving
New Years Day, July 4. Labor Day,
Christmas and Memorial Day. BY
local agreement another than Me-
mortal Day may be chosen, with
time and one-half for all hours
worked.
IS. Dismissal or severance pay.
This is the first time in the steel in
dustry this basic principle has been
included in a contract.
"6-Reduction of the number Of
classifications of mechanical and
maintenance employees to three
wherever practicable and adoption
for the first time in basic steel of
automatic upgrading where men
perform the work.
"7-Maintenance Of membership
and check-off."
The USW said most of these pro-
visions involve retroactive pay, and
that while no exact figure is avail
able of the sum involved, "the re-
cent financial report Of the United
States Steel Corp. provided . fund
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