Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-01-19
Kaiser Signs Steel Pay Contract
Granting Raise Urged by Truman
But General Strike Remains Likely
IndustriuIist Asks
Peoples Support
For President
By JAMES Y. NEWTON.

alGllUuSll Tile government To-
day had abandoned virtually all
hope of averting the general
steel strike set for midnight to-
morrow, Henry J. Kaiser an
nounced he had signed a wage
agreement with the CIO for his
big West Coast steel mill on the
basis of President Truman's
proposal for an 18R-cent an
hour pay boost.
Mr.. Kaiser's announcement, made
after White House conference with
Mr.. Truman and CLIO President
Philip Murray, brought a small ray
of hope for peace in at least part of
the steel industry. 1t led Federal
officials to predict that other scat
tered agreements would be made be-
fore the strike deadline.
The West Coast industrialiSt, bet
ter known as a shipbuilder than as
steel producer, has large war
built steel mill at Fontana, Calf.
1t produces about 100000 tons of
steel annually, and the new agree
ment covered from 5000 to 1000
workers.
Support for President Urged.
ut is not only time to sing Amer
ica'-but it is time to live and love
it, Mr.. Kaiser said in a prepared
statement. Shall we support the
President of the United States? The
peoples answer will be yes-it can
be no other way. Too much is at
stake not to support him."
Mr.. Kaiser was referring to the
rejection by the United States Steel
Corp. of the Presidents proposal to
end the steel industry's wage dispute
and head off the strike
Despite the Kaiser agreement and
Mr.. Murray's promise that any
company agreeing to raise wages
1872 cents an hour would not be
struck, officials believed Big Steel's"
rejection would have the almost
unanimous support of the rest of the
industry.
Il have signed this agreement"
Mr.. Kaiser said, because I am con-
f1dent that only by integrity and
fair play on the part of both labor
and management can we ride the
perilouS seas ahead and achieve in
dustrial harmony and security for
our people"
He added that he could not CON
ceive that sum of 81 cents (the
difference between U. S. Steel's offer
and the Presidents 181z-cent pro-
posaD should be permitted to retard
or destroy the possibility of real
peace and prosperity for the Nation >
Mr.. Murray said "the Nation owes
debt of gratitude to Mr.. Kaiser"
He reported that Mr. Truman
seemed to be delighted" with the
agreement.
Bitter Showdown Seen.
The steel impasse threatens to
spread into bitter showdown battle
between the CLIO and a major seq
ment of American industry.
If the President and his ad-
visers had any last-minute plans for
heading off the walkout of 100000
workers in steel and related indus
tries they were guarding their secret
closely. One top official answered a
firm mo" when asked if there was
any chance the strike might not take
place.
Besides the huge number of work.
ers who will take part in the strike,
the American Iron and Steel Insti-
tute released figures showing that
"over 40 per cent of all the factory
workers in the Nation earn their liv-
ing by making steel into useful
products. ="
Federal Seizure Not Considered.
Federal seizure of struck prop
critics, a weapon the Government has
used successfully in recent years to
keep vital industrial operations 60
ing, apparently was not in the cards
for the steel crisis. The White House
said seizure of the far-flung industry
had not been considered.
A strike by the CLIO United Steel
Workers would swell to 100000 the
total number of strike idle over the
country. Most of these are CLIO
members in the automobile, glass,
electrical appliance and meat pack
ing industries.
The rejection yesterday of Mr..
Truman's proposal by Benjamin F.
Faiyless, president of United States
Steel, threatened to amount to a
declaration of war between industry
and the CLIO.
Murray Charges Conspiracy"
Mr.. Murray charged at news con-
ference late yesterday that big busi-
ness had formed a conspiracy Ito
defeat not only the union, but the
people of the United States" He
declared that "the steel industry
damns the President of the United
States and the American Govern
ment."
Officials feared that should the
steel strike materialize, the war will
be long and bitter and will make
more difficult settlement of strikes
and threatened strikes in many
other industries.
CLIO officials described the steel
strike as one affecting the Nation
(See STEEI, PAGE A-o0