Evening star., 1949-10-02
A SenseIess Strike

It is a shame that the people OF THIS
country must submit to the ordeal OF a
steel strike which Is wholly oeVolo VI
substantial Justification.
When Philip Murray gave the signal 1or
the strike, the real dispute had oolled
down to a single issue: Should the Steei
industry pay the full cost OF an emp4oye
pension and insurance plan, or snoulo tie
workers make some contribution OF tneu
own?
At the eleventh hour the industry mace
a substantial offer. 1t said that IL was
willing to put up six cents Tor pensions
and four cents for social insurance, as rec
commended by the steel fact-flndlng ooaro.
But it insisted that the steel workers muSt
contribute something as matter OF prln-
ciple.
How valid, and how strong, Is this posi-
ton? It runs counter to the 1act-nnolhe
boards conclusion that the trend IS toward
non-contributory pensions. The coai
miners pay nothing toward their pensions.
The Ford Motor Company has just agreed
to nav the cost of pensions for its workers.
And in steel there are pensions for execu-
tive employees toward which the Dene-
ficiaries contribute nothing. Considering
these things, it is very doubtful that the
industry can successfully maintain the
issue of principle which it raises. Ger
tainly it will be hard pressed to convince
the public, when the pinch begins to oe
felt. that it has an issue which is important
enough to justify subjecting the country
to the enormous consequences OF long
steel strike.
Mr.. Murray's position, so far as the
equities are concerned, is even weaker.
It Is probably true that as union lead
er, he is in bad spot. 1t would be dlfncult
for him to agree to contributory pensions
when John L. Lewis and Walter Reuther
have gotten free pensions for the coal
miners and the Ford auto workers. II ne
did agree, he would suffer by comparison.
But should the country have to submit to
a steel strike because of Mr.. Murrays union
political problems?
Mr.. Murray, of course, does not state MS
case in these terms. He says that his peo-
pie are entitled to free pensions as mat
ter of right because that Is what the fact-
finding board recommended. 1t is true
that the board did so recommend, but the
President had given written assurance IN
advance that the parties would not be
bound by the boards recommendations,
and it was on the basis of this assurance
that the industry submitted its case to the
board. So by what process does Mr.. Muir
ray come to his conclusion that the boards
recommendation is mandatory upon the
industry?
If Mr.. Murray is willing to inflict enough
damage on the country, he may be able to
win his point. He makes up in power Tor
what he lacks in Justification. But II he
gets his free pensions through strike &C
ton, he will do SO by demonstrating that
solemn assurances from the President are
worth nothing in labor dispute, and that
the country is at the mercy of the compe-
tition for prestige among the labor bosses.
What will Mr.. Truman do If this is to be
a long strike? Having rescued the steel
workers from their original refusal to live
I'D to their contract and having bypassed
the Taft-Hartley law by convening the
fact-finding board, he has large measure
of responsibility for what has happened.
An associate has been quoted as saying
that "the President is through-from now
on they (the industry and union) are on
their own" But the President, though
he might like to do so, cannot retire from
the field at this stage of the battle.
Yet Mr. Truman is also on pretty hot
spot. He has assured the steel industry
that it need not accept the fact-anding
recommendations. However, his friend
and political ally, MIR. Murray, says he will
settle for nothing less. Unless somebody
backs down, it looks as though the Presi-
dent is going to be firmly impaled on both
horns of a self made dilemma.