Evening star., 1947-12-28
u. ). Mediation Chief.
Predicts Fewer Labor.
Disputes During 1948.
BY the kssoeiotsd Pres.


The Governments top labor
peacemaker said yesterday he is
"veryeoptimistic" that employers and
workers will settle their disputes
during 1s4a without crippling strikes.
Six-foot, seven-inch tall Cyrus S.
Ching told a reporter he may be
sticking his neck out, but he be-
lieves labor and management have
reached a new level of understand
ing of each others problems and
their responsibility to the public
Mr.. Ching is director of the Fed
eral Mediation and Cancellation
Service.
Maybe I have too much conf
oence in human nature" he said.
But think there is a much better
understanding now on the part of
unions and companies alike of what
is involved in the collective bargain
ing process than there has been at
any other time in our history"
Wage Settlements Predicted.
Mr.. Ching said he recognizes that
serious controversies are just ahead,
with many unions already planning
third round" postwar wage increase
demands, but he said he Is conf
dent these can be settled without
work halts.
He is not daunted or shaken in
his Optimism by the fact that con-
tracts either expire or may be re-
opened this spring for wage changes
in the steel, automobile. electrical
manufacturing, aluminium, rubber
and telephone industries.
The coal contract held by John
L. Lewis miners union expires next
June. James G. Petrillos musicians
union has called for a permanent
ban against making musical record
ings after next Wednesday.
Mr.. Ching said he thinks the rela-
tive freedom Of strikes in 1947 prom
ises an even better record in l94S.
Figures on Stoppages.
Government figures show work
stoppages for the first II months of
1947 totaled an estimated 3.475. af-
fecting approximately 100000
workers
In 1946 there were 4,985 work
stoppages, involving 100000 work.
erS
Although 1947 was not a big strike
year compared with 1916, more time
was lost so far this year-approXi-
mately 34,000,000 man-days-than in
any prewar year, with the possible
exception of 1919 when no records
were kept.
The spring telephone strike con-
tributed heavily to the working time
lost this year.
Mr.. Ching maintained that all
through the early years of the Wag-
ner Labor Relations Act and on dur
ing the war better understanding
between employers and workers be-
came evident.
Averted Telegraph Strike.
"Of course we went through some
major strikes right after the war"
he said. But they only served to
bring home to everybody more
pointedly than ever the respon-
sibility owed to the American people
of settling these disputes without
production stops.
Il think our experience during
the past year certainly has demon
strated that"
The 71-year-old Ching almost
hngle-handedly averted a nationwide
telegraph strike just before Christ
mas, winning an agreement from
Western Union and three AFL
unions to submit couple of their
most knotty problems to a fact
finding panel
President Truman recently ap-
pointed q 12-man national labor
management group, including Presi-
dents Benjamin F. Fairless of United
States Steel Corp, Charles E. Will
son of General Electric, William
Green of the AFL and Philip Muir
ray of the CIO, to advise MI Ching
on improved industrial relations.
Il am very hopeful that with the
help of these men of long experience
in both management and labor that
this service can make contribution
to even better understanding in this
i