The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-01-07

Unless settlements come within the next week to 10 days, an esti- mated 100000 workers in the steel, electrical and meat packing indus tries may join the 3760O0 already idle in strikes and shutdowns.
 Breakdown of Scene
 Tn disputes of nationwide scope:
 1. Seven hundred thousand members of the United Steel Workers. second biggest CIO un- ion, were scheduled to walk oil their jobs Jan. IA.
 9. Officers of the United Elec- trical Workers, next in C1O strength, set Jan. IS strike date for 100000 members employed by General Electric, Westinghouse and General Motors.
 3. AFL officials authorized 1S5,0OO meat workers to join 20O,- 900 CIO Clearinghouse Workers in a work stoppage slated for Jan. IS.
 All Seek 30 Percent
 Tn all three cases, the unions were seeking wage boosts approximating 30 percent to compensate for in- creased living costs.
 Meanwhile, the threat of na- tionwide telephone tieup became more serious as striking Western Electric employees pressed for an im- mediate sympathy walkout by ap- proximately 250,000 telephone oper- ators and installation workers.
 A strike vote was in progress among members of the National Federation of Telephone Workers, and American Communications alNl Equipment workers, employed in telephone installation, were sched- uled to leave their jobs Tuesday or Wednesday.
 Price Rise Expected
 Tn Washington, top Administra- ton leaders eyed the troubled in- dustrial picture with growing con- cern. Capitol Hill developments pointed to an increase in steel and meat prices to avert paralyzing shutdowns affecting every Ameri7 can.
 Leading. representatives of both industries protested inability to in- crease wages without correspond ing price boost.
 A fact-f1nding board for the steel industry awaited an answer rom the q, S. Steel Corporation and the United Steel Workers (CIO) on an appeal to resume negotiations of union demands for a $2-a-day in- crease. The steel company has re- jected two such invitations by Labor Secretary Lewis B. Schwellenbach.
 Action Unprecedented
 In an unprecedented action, of ficials of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters (AFL) last night pledged financial support to their CIO rivals in. the meat packing industry and authorized members to join the Jan. l6 walkout if Federal conciliation efforts were unsuccessful.
 A possible precedent in the over all wage situation was hoped for from the General Motors strike panel, expected to issue a report at any time.
 In Detroit, where negotiations were resumed for the first time in three weeks, CIO Auto Workers of- ficials said they would continue their fight for a 90 percent wage increase regardless of the boards findings.
 There Is Bright Side
 The union continued to partici- pate in hearings before the fact finding panel, but the corporation withdrew after the group voiced in- tention to investigate GM;s ability to pay.
 On the brighter. side of the labor ledger, CIO glassworkers reopened contract negotiations with two major glass companies with a view toward ending a strike now enter ing its 18th week. The walkout crippled production in Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company and Libbey- Owens-Ford Company plants in seven states.
 Tn Chicago, the United Farm Equipment Workers (CIO) post poned decision on a strike date of 90, 900 International Harvester Com- pany employees, involving II com- pany plants. The union seeks a 90 percent pay hike.
 Elsewhere, CIO Western Union empIoyes in New York went ahead with plans to strike tomorrow, pub licati0n of three Cleveland daily newspapers was suspended by a pFessmens strike. and a fact-fnd- ing committee resumed hearings in a dispute between 10 major reflner- les and the CIO oil Workers union.