Evening star., 1946-01-11
Timken Offers
In Six Plants
Action Is Regarded
As First Major Break
In Steel Strike Front
(Fact-FinderS' Report on Page As
BY JAMES Y. NEWTON.

Declaring that the proposal
follows the national pattern set
by President Truman's fact-find-
ing board in the General Motors
case" the Timken Roller Bearing
co. today offered 1900 workers
in its six Ohio plants a IT'S per
cent wage increase in what was
regarded here as possibly the
first major "break" in efforts to
avert Mondays scheduled steel
industry strike.
The Aluminium Co. of America re-
ported from Pittsburgh, meanwhile,
that walkout started today among
the 1000 employees of its big plant
at New Kensington, Pa, who are
affiliated with the CIO United Steel
Workers. That is the union which
has set the strike date.
Word of the new wage offer to
Timken employees, also affiliated
with the Steel Workers, came from
company headquarters in Canton,
Ohio, as Federal officials worked
frantically to head off next weeks
strike threats in three big indus
tries, including steel, used as a
yardstick for the ia per cent wage
increase which the presidential
board recommended for settlement
of the 51-day-old GIN automotive
strike.
Optimism Is Expressed.
There was definite optimism at
the Labor Department that the
findings of President Truman's fact
finding board holding that GINS
100000 striking auto workers were
entitled to 1872 cents an hour more
pay. would be used as the basis for
early settlement of the strike, al
though the company withheld COM
ment and union acceptance of the
report was not final.
The boards wage suggestion, which
is not binding on either side, COM
pareS with the unions demand for
80 per cent increase, or about "a
cents an hour, and GINS best offer
to date of 1872 cents an hour more.
The company offer is slightly under
II per cent.
The Governments chances of
heading off walkout of more than
million workers in the steel, meat
packing and electrical appliance in
dustries, meantime, seemed to de-
teriorate.
Drioa DaI;.e
Here's the way the situation
shaped up in the three disputes:
l. In meat packing, the outlook
was dark following rejection by Ar
mour & Co. and Swift & Co.-two
of the industry's big Four''-of a
Federal offer of price relief. More
than 100000 CIO Packinghouse
Workers are set to strike Tuesday,
and they probably will be joined by
$4,000 AFL workers, resulting in
complete tieup of the industry.
Patrick German, secretary-treasurer
of the AFL, said his groups
Executive Council would take the
final decision on striking at meet
ing today, United States Concilia-
ton Chief Edgar L. Warren said
in Chicago, 1.-The situation looks very
bad"
2. CIO United Steel Workers were
negotiating a second day in New
York with officials of the United
States Steel Corp. in an effort to
break deadlock over the union S
demand for a wage raise of So a day.
There was no report of progress, but
officials expected a showdown to-
day. Steel workers are scheduled to
strike Monday.
Electrical Talks Continue.
3. There was no new development
in the electrical appliance industry.
General Electric Co. and CIO United
Electrical Workers held second day
wage talks yesterday. Negotiations
were not in progress with the other
two big concerns-Westing and
General Motors electrical divisions
which also would be affected by
the January 16 strike.
In reporting to the President that
GIN workers were entitled to a wage
boost of 1914 cents an hour, the
Fact-f1nding Board, headed by
Lloyd K. Garrison, said the pay in
crease could be granted by the
company without necessitating an
increase in the price of automobiles.
President Truman indorsed the
report, saying that if it's recon-
mendations are accepted "the in
dustrial skies will rapidly clear and
American industry and labor will
go. forward to new heights of
achievement in the interests of the
whole country"
Walter P. Reuther, vice president
of the CIO United Auto Workers, in
charge of GIN negotiations, an
nounced that the recommendation
will be submitted to national con-
ference of GIN workers to be held
in Detroit Sunday.
He said that Sin clearly stating
that the wage increase will not re-
(See LABOR, Page A-4.)