Evening star., 1949-09-20
Murray Goes0 On
With Plans for
Steel Wa|kout
Sees No Reason After
Talks With Ching to
Drop Policy Meeting
BULLETIN

pOLLE IlN
The Government failed to
make progress toward resolving
the steel industry crisis during
a three-hour meeting today. but
C1O and company representa-
tives were called to another
mediation conference later in
the afternoon. Cyrus S. Ching.
Federal mediation chief, COM
'mented between the meetings,
I'VE are about where we were
at this time yesterday"
Philip Murray, president of the
CIO United Steelworkers, said to-
day that nothing has happened
in conferences with Government
conciliation to cause him to cancel
a union Policy Committee meeting
scheduled for Pittsburgh tomor-
row to lay plans for a Nationwide
steel strike.
Mr.. Murray made the statement
in the middle of a conference
which Cyrus S. Ching. Federal me-
diation chief, was holding in an
effort to obtain a strike-averting
agreement from the steelworkers
and the steel manufacturers.
Mr.. Ching was holding separate
meetings with union and employ
er representatives at the Labor
Department. After the sessions
had gone on past noon today
there was no indication that Mr..
Ching was making progress to-
ward settling the big dispute.
Set to Strike Saturday.
About 100000 workers in the
steel industry are set to strike as
midnight Saturday if their differ
ences with the steel producers
over company-supported pension
and insurance arrangements can
not be settled. Mr.. Murray sum-
moned the unions Policy Com
mittee for a session to make
strike plans. .
Presidential Press Secretary
Charles G, Ross said President
Truman has nothing in the
works" to offer as a new formula
for settling the dispute.
He said that also applies to the
Nation-wi coal strike. .-
Nothing is in sight," Mr.. Ross
told a news conference.
Twice before, the President
has succeeded in averting an in.
dustry-wide steel strike by per-
sonal intervention.
Mr.. Ching limited that he may
have peace plan or two to toss
at the hotly arguing steel firms
and union.
Mr.. Ching told reporters he will
have "lot of suggestions to
make" as the pension-insurance
issues get boiled down in the talks.
Mr.. Truman was reported as
disturbed by one report that he
intended to step into the steel
dispute again. An aide said this
was untrue, that he had "abso-
lutely no plan"
This same official said Mr.. Tru-
man was concerned with the dark
turn of the labor situation gener-
ally, including the strikes in the
coal industry and on the Missouri
Pacific Railroad, and seeming lack
of progress in Ford Motor Co.
negotiations. He said the Presi-
dent had no plan to try to stop
the coal strike unless it dragged
on month or two.
In steel. Murray lieutenants
were checking reports that Ford
had offered the CIO United Auto
Workers an employer-paid pension
plan costing 8 cents an hour per
worker. They hoped to use it
as an argument with steel firms.
The steel industry has baked at
putting into effect 10-cent
pension insurance plan recon-
mended by a presidential fact
| finding board to be wholly paid
by employers. Steelmen contend
that workers should bear part Of
such welfare costs.
This is probably the toughest
single issue in the steel dispute.
The industry so far has refused to
bulge in arguing that workers
should contribute. too. And Mr..
Murray has made it plain he con-
siders the employer-paid idea a
must"
E1