Evening star., 1949-09-14
New Threat Of Strike
Clouds Steel Talks
Before Date Is SET
BY the Associoted Press

BY the Associofed Press
PITTSBURGH, Sept. IA. -
Storm clouds hovered over the
coming steel contract negotia
tions today even before time ano
place was decided on for the new
sessions.
Reluctance of some steel com.
panies to approve in advance the
presidential boards proposal thai
they pay for insurance and pen.
sion programs was interpreted ir
some quarters as holding a new
strike threat.
A spokesman for the CIO United
SteelWorkerS said Philip Murray!
statement that he is ready to re.
sumo negotiations for contract
based on the boards report mean
that he will strike any companie:
which failed to agree to pay al
insurance and pension costs.
Mr.. Murray is president Of the
SteelworkerS and the CIO.
The United States Steel Corp
and three other large producers
agreed to President Truman's re-
quest for an 11-day extension OF
the strike truce expiring last mid
night.
None Indorse Recommendation.
All said they are ready to talk
contract again but none whole
heartedly Endorsed the boards S rec
ommendation for a 10-cent pack
age covering company financed
insurance and pensions.
At least two company officials
said workers ought to share the
costs of such programs.
The union said it had received
no word as yet from United States
Steel, the industry leader, on
when it will resume contract talks
The union accepted the boards
recommendations without reserva-
tions. That meant giving up its
drive for a fourth postwar round
of wage increases in 1949. The
union said the boards suggested
1O-cent increase in the form OF
company-f1nanced insurance and
pension programs was good
enough.
Ready to Negotiate.
Republic Steel Co.. Jones &
Laughlin Steel Corp. and Inland
Steel Co. joined United States
Steel in announcing willingness to
renew negotiations. Other firms
were expected to follow suit.
A United States Steel spokes-
man, asked if big Steel" was ac-
cepting the boards recommends
tions as a basis for contract, re-
piled: Il would think So"
That led to speculation that
the corporation, the industry's
oellwether, might be planning
to fight the suggestion it pick UP
the check on pension and 'nsur-
ance costs. Last July United
States Steel-and other COM
panies-refused to bargain on
denied a wage increase
and offered an insurance plan
which called for workers and en-
ployer to share the costs $3.50.
The reply of President Clarence
B. Randall of Inland Steel also
indicated the union would not
have clear sailing when contract
sessions begin again. He said
would review it's present
pension programs and added:
1--WE are prepared to make
changes and to bear a substantial
part of the cost. but we think the
worker who is benefited also
should share the cost"
Murray's Major Point.
Republic Steel also said it felt
workers should help pay for pen
sions and insurance.
A united company stand on
that issue may bring Mr.. Muir
ray to a fighting pitch. Convic-
ton that such programs are q
company financial responsibility
is major point with Mr.
Union spokesmen were gratified
by the presidential boards state
ment that companies should beal
the entire cost. That decision
by the board went far in win
ming union acceptance of the
panels report.
The union originally demanded
q 30-cent hourly package for its
900, 900 members, whose average
hourly pay rate now is about 81 .65
That package would have included
q 1917 cent pay boost as well as
SGT cents for insurance and 1928
cents for pensions.
The companies fiat refusal OF
that demand resulted in last July's
steel crisis. A strike then was
averted by President Truman's ap-
pointment of a fact-f1nding board
The new strike deadline is 1901
q M, September Is.