Evening star., 1946-01-10
Labor
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have to. approximate 20 cents an
hour to be acceptable to the union
Steel workers have demanded a
pay hike of So day, or Is cents
an hour, and CIO and Union
President, Philip Murray said he
would notify union offieiaIs to hold
Mondays strike Sin abeyance" if the
corporation made satisfactory wage
offer..
In Chicago, conferences arranged
by the Government in an effort to
head off tuesdays scheduled Ma
tton-wide walkout of 100000 CIO
United Packing House Workers en-
tered its second day. Edgar L. War
rem, head of the Labor Department
Cancellation Service, yesterday pro-
posed a basis for settlement of the
wage dispute to Swift g. Co. and
Armour g. Co., two of the country s
big Four meat packers.
While the terms of MIR. Warrens
proposal were not made public, the
offer was said to involve promise of
a price increase for meat bought
under Government contract. Such
an increase, it was hoped, would
allow, the packers sufficient profit
margin to offer a satisfactory COM
promise to the unions demand for
25 cents an hour higher wages
Members of the AFL packers union
about $4,000 strong, have threat
ened to join the C1O in the strike.
The third of the days major wage
negotiations also was taking place
in New York, where General Electric
Co. officials met with the CIO United
Electrical Workers for second day
The CIO scheduled for next Wed
nesday strike Of about 100000
members in plants of GE, Westing
house and electrical divisions OF
General Motors Corp.
Apparently less progress toward
settlement was taking place in the
electrical dispute There was no in
dication that GE had improved its
offer, rejected by the union, of a
wage increase of 10 cents an hour
for workers making up to ST. an
hour and a fiat 10 per cent above
that figure.
The fact-f1nding board appointed
by the President to investigate the
steel dispute made the announce
ment late, yesterday that United
States Steel and the CIO had agreed
to resume wage negotiations. Chair
man Nathan P. Feinsinger said it
was reasonable to assume" the cor
poration would make a wage offer
Meantime, the board postponed fix
Ing a date for a meeting to set
hearing procedure pending outcome
OF company-union talks.
Price Increase Indicated.
To prevent strikes in both the
steel and meat processing indus
tries, the Governments plan was to
give ground on prices in the hope
that such action would encourage
the employers to settle wage de-
mands of their workers.
While no official word was forth
coming, the size of the steel price
increase was said authoritatively to
approximate 81 ton. Price Admin
istrator Chester Bowles strenuously
opposed any price rise above $3.50
a ton, but he was said to have been
overruled by Reconversion Director
John w. Snyder, who believes it
expedient to give on the price line
in order to get full production of
scarce civilian goods.
Senator George, Democrat, of
Georgia told reporters, meanwhile
that Congress lis going to act" in
the Nations labor crisis, as he ad-
vocated7 that the legislators and
President Truman get together on
"a reasonable Legislative solution. .
He expressed fear that unless cur
rent disputes are settled before Con-
gress convenes Monday I'VE may get
drastic and ill-considered legisla-
ton
1T would be helpful" Senator
George said, "if the President could
get together with leaders of both
parties on reasonable course. Ger
tainly the country's present plight
Is above politics" 5.