Evening star., 1949-10-02

His Terms Price
.0f Steel Peace
Accuses FuirIess of
Misstoting Facts;
Wulkout Is Orderly
By the Associated Press

FL l11SBURGH, OCC. L. 1n0
steel strike tightly tied up Amer
ica's basic industry today and
Philip Murray said he would
loosen the stranglehold only on
his own terms.
Here are developments in the
first day of the walkout:
l. Mr.. Murray. president of the
CIO United Steelworkers, gave his
price for getting his half million
unionists back on the job. His
terms are exactly those which
the industry already turned down.
2. Irving S. Olds, chairman Of
the United States Steel Corps
board of directors. told his stock
holders:
~. S. Steel has never opposed
proper and financially sound So
cial insurance programs for its
employees"
3. The White House once more
reported President Truman did
not intend to intervene in the
dispute again.
4. There was no violence of any
sort. The strike was orderly to
the point of dullness.
5. Another comparatively small
steel company, John A. Roebling
Sons & Co., of Philadelphia,
signed a contract with the union.
1t agreed to pay the entire costs
of an insurance and pension pro-
gram for it's $500 workers. Pre-
viously, one other firm, the Ports
mouth (Ohio) Steel Co., signed
a similar contract with its 1000
employees.
Denies Fairless Charges.
Mr.. Murray called news con-
ference to deny charges made by
Benjamin F. Fairless. president
of United States Steel. Mr.. Fair
less had said that the union
clearly indicated Its unwilling
ness to attempt in good faith to
reach a fair and reasonable set
tlement."
Mr.. Murray commented:
This was gross misrepre-
sentation of the facts
Asked for his price of peace, Mr..
Murray said the union had made
three proposals. These were:
/. The original demand that
steel companies accept the presi.
Dental fact-finding boards rec
concentrations that the industry
pay for workers pensions and in.
surance at a cost of 10 cents for
each hour worked.
(U. S. Steel made an offer on
insurance and pensions but in
sisted that the workers help pay
the bilD.
2. A proposal for settling on
the basis of the boards social
security recommendations, plus q
1914 cent an hour wage increase.
3. A proposal that the company
pay out an additional 80 cents
an hour. This would be allo-
Gated among such features as
wages, pensions and insurance.
All Offers Sincere, Murray Says.
All these proposals have been
rejected by U. S. Steel, which sets
the wage pattern for the industry.
A newSman asked Mr.. Murray
why he made proposal No. 2 when
he already had indicated he was
willing to settle for proposal No.
l, which is less.
If you knew the facts of life
on collective bargaining" Mr..
Murray replied, you would reallzs
these union offers were all
sincere"
His conclusion:
Our cause is just. We will win"
United States Steel officials said
there would be no reply to Mr..
Murray's statements.
In his letter to United States
Steel stockholders, Mr.. Olds re-
peated the company's contention
that the employees should share
the cost of any social security
program.
This, Mr.. Olds said, "has been
the established order in this coun-
try for many years"
Quotes House Committee.
He quoted a report of the House
Ways and Means Committee
which said that system paid for
by employees and employers 'is the
(See STEEL, Page A-4.)