Evening star., 1949-09-12
Union Leaders
Weigh Decision
On Steel Strike
Executive Board and
Wage Policy Group
Study Board Report
By the Associated Press

icy makers of the CIO United
Steelworkers gathered today to de-
eide if the presidential fact-f1nd-
ers' report offers a satisfactory
solution to settle the steel wage
dispute.
Similar decisions from more
than 60 steel companies also are
expected just as soon as officers
and boards of directors finish
studying the fact-fnding boards
recommendations. The board sug-
gested a 1O-cent hourly package
covering pensions and insurance,
but not wages.
Also before the unions 36-man
Executive Board and 170-man
Wage Policy Committee today Is
President Truman's request that
strike deadline-now set to ex-
pire at midnight tomorrow east
ern Standard Time)-be extended
for at least II days, until Sep
tember 25.
Executive Board Meeting.
The unions Executive Board,
composed of international officers
and SO district directors, which met
this morning, must have its de-
cisions ratified by the Wage Pol
icy Committee, made up OF the
Executive Board, plus representa-
tives of local unions.
If President Philip Murray
comes from the union meeting and
flashes the green light to post
pone the strike. that will allow
the union and the companies
more time to go over the boards
suggestions.
The Big Five Of the steel indus
try have told the President they
would continue operations at least
until September rs as he request
ed. But their decision won't mean
a thing unless the steelworkers
report for work. CIO steelwork-
Iers in four States. where strike
ballots are required before walk
out, have Is to l for strike 4
necessary, the union says.
Inland Steel Slowing Down.
The steel companies who COM
prise the Big Five are United States
Steel Corp, Bethlehem Steel Co..
Republic Steel Corp, Inland Steel
Co. and Jones & Laughlin Steel
Corp.
Inland Steel, however, has be-
gun gradual showdown opera
tions. The company said 1t would
follow through with its program
by starting to close SO open
hearths at noon tomorrow but
that stable layoffs would begin
today. The plant. which employs
1900 produces about 1900 tons
of steel daily.
Generally speaking. from "a to
48 hours is required to bring about
the orderly closing down Of a
steel plant.
United States Steel Corp. and
more than SO other steel plants in
the Pittsburgh district have an
other strike to worry about, in
addition to the enc called by the
steelworkers. At 7:30 am. tomor-
row the Brotherhood of Railroad
Trainmen is scheduled to strike on
the union railroad.
The railroad is a vital inter-
plant connecting line which serves
all subsidiaries of United States
Steel in the Pittsburgh district.
along with many other steel
plants. If the 1900 trainmen
members strike, the company says
it will have to lay off 10000 men.
And the other plants will have to
furlough about 10000 employees.
Work Rules in Dispute.
There's no wage dispute be-
tween the railroad and the train
men. It's simply a matter Of
Interpreting work rules. The
brotherhood and railroad have
been negotiating for months. A
Presidential fact-flnding board
which reported July % reconl-
mended arbitration. The railroad
agreed. The union refused and a
spokesman says a strike tomor-
row is inevitable.
But United States Steel and the
other steel companies are more
interested at the moment in what
the steelworkers' union will decide
today. s
In suggesting the 10-cent hour
ly package on Saturday, the
Presidents board fatty rejected
the steelworkers' demands for the
fourth general wage boost since
the end Of World War II. The
10-cent figure would cover pen
sions and insurance, the board
said.
Both company and union
sources expressed belief the
boards recommendations hold the
skeleton around which the meat
of an acceptable settlement might