Evening star., 1947-04-13
Steel Wage PaIleYs
Reported Dead blocked,
Raising Strike threat
By Mourice |. Moran
A..n<;n,.d p,exs ssoff yv,;4er

3 ssslt
PITTSBURGH, April IL Steel
and its labor forces which began
the year in an aura Of good feel
ing now find time running out on
that pleasant interlude.
A strike nobody wants could be
the result.
This grim prospect results from
q reported lack OF compliShment
in contract negotiations between
the United States Steel Corp. and
the CIO- United Steelworkers.
These negotiations In the past
set the pace for the entire industry
Last year they fixed national
wage pattern.
Both sides repeatedly have ex-
pressed their distaste for q strike
The cost would be staggering to In
dustry as well as to the unions
wage earners.
It conceivably could paralyze the
Nations economic structure by cut
ting on the supply of basic steel.
Oficially. the union and Big
Steer' are silent on the negotia-
tions under self imposed censor
ship agreed on when 1947 nego-
|tiations started amiably with the
union granting a contract extension
Of rs days from February IS.
Barely two weeks Of that liberal
extension remain and industry
sources frankly are worried that the
deadline will pass without an agree
ment. The union served its 30-day
strike notice last January Is in
compliance with the Smith Con-
|nal1y Act. So that necessary step
preceding strike call Is accom-
plished.
Philip Murray, president of the
union as well as the CIO, has called
meetings of the steel workers Exec
utiye Board and Policy Committee
for April 1921. He's Stunned COM
ment on the purpose but industry
believes the mementous decision to
strike or extend the contract further
will be made in the Policy Conn
mittee next Monday.
The union has 100000 members
In all Segments Of the steel indus
try, about 10000 in United States
Steel's largest basic steel-producing
subsidiaries.
The difficulties in the United
States Steel negotiations probably
are frustation rather than impasse.
The union has not made its wage
demands specific publicly, the nego-
tiators agreed to pass up such
cost" items for discussion of such
noneost details as the USW's de-
mand for union shop (requiring
employees to join the union after
a certain period; seniority and
other proposals. A mutual desire for
Qualification of the current portal
pay suits prompted the agreement
to steer clear of cost items.
Guesses on what the union wants
in the way of wage boosts range
all the way from liz cents an hour
similar to the raise granted CIO
1AbN4 HU-CCllI~PluS
figure which the little Nathan re-
port" is reported to have fixed as
the amount steel can afford to pay
without heavy inroads on profits.
(The Nathan report was pre-
pared by Washington Economist
Robert Nathan for the uniorl.)
The basic labor rate in steel union
contracts now is 961a cents hourly.
The Federal Bureau of Labor Sta
tistics estimated the average steel
workers in such departments as
blast furnaces, etc, earned 1888
hourly, or $50.96 weekly, for an
average 38.2-hour week during Jan
|uary. The Iron & Steel Institutes
fixed the average earnings at $1.374
hourly and $55.31 weekly for 40.4
hours during the same period.
The union staged its first indus
try-wide strike last year to win its
present contract after a nonth-long
work stoppage.
The walkout cost United States
Steel about $29, 100000 but this was
underwritten from a special fund
for wartime uses and a firm spokes-
man said this kept the loss from
showing in profits.