Evening star., 1949-10-01
Steel
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withdrawn and the company
agreed to set aside a 6-cent-an-
hour non-contriputory fund be-
ginning today.
Copperweld Steel, Inc, also re-
portedly came to terms, but
union spokesman said Mr.. Murray
ordered it struck
The strike closed SO steel COM
panies and SO iron ore mining
firms in what may prove to be
one of the most quiet steel strikes
in American history.
Some Jumped Deadline.
Mills had begun to close down
operations as much as two days
before the strike deadline. Scat
tered wildcat strikes dotted the
Nation before the scheduled end
of the truce asked by President
Truman and accepted by both
union and industry.
Mr.. Truman had three times in
tervened-delaying the strike a
total of rs days. But last night
he refused to intervene again.
The strike order came suddenly
but not UNEXPECTEDLY.
1t followed two days of fruitless
negotiations with Federal medi-
ators and months of wrangling
with management-marked by
bitter and sarcastic name-calling.
William N. Margolis, Federal
mediator, entered the picture yes
terday with some hope of settle
ment.
Cards -on-the- table conferences
first turned his optimism into pes
simism and then his pessimism
into gloom.
Mr.. Murray remained cagey
throughout. And right at the
end. Big Steel reported, the union
leader renewed original demands.
These included a request for a
wage increase of 1914 cents an
hour.
Benjamin F. Fairless, president
of the giant United States Steel
Corp, turned Mr.. Murray down.
His firm had made an offer
previously. Mr.. Murray had re-
'jected this.
Welfare Program Is Key.
r Mr.. Murray and his lieutenants
did most of their negotiating with
United States Steel. This firm
generally sets the pattern for the
industry.
The key to the issue in dispute
is a method of providing pen
SION social insurance program.
Both sides agree the workers are
entitled to the benefits, but the
union wants the company to pay
for the complete pension-insur-
ance program at a cost of 10 cents
an hour per man.
Management insists that the
workers pay part of the welfare
program.
A steel finding board ap-
pointed by President Truman had
recommended:
/. No wage increase.
2. A company financed pension
insurance plan, costing 10 cents
an hour.
Mr.. Murray, who had originally
sought a 1212-cent hourly pay
boost, gave that up. But he want
ed the boards program on PEN
sions adopted in full.
Big Steel refused fatty.
Said Mr.. Murray in ordering the
strike:
This strike has been forced
upon the union and the American
people. The responsibility
rests entirely with the company"
Mr.. Fairless retorted that nego-
tiations collapsed because of the
unreasonable attitude of the
union"
The Murray -Fairless battle of
pre-strike statements took a SIM
liar course as past word wrangles.
Mr.. Murray charged that Unit
ed States Steel "stubbornly and
obstinately refused to accept the
tfact- -finding) boards recommen-
dations as settlement of the
dispute
The union leader went on:
This company, in complete dis
regard to the national interest,
has said no to the board, no to
the union and no to the President
of the United States and the
American people.
Calls Cause Just.
"Our cause is just and righteous.
We will continue this strike until
a mutually satisfactory agreement
is arrived at between the union
and company"
Mr.. Fairless was equally caustic.
"The ultimatum issued to us by
Philip Murray continues to
be his inflexible position" the
United States Steel president said.
eve must accept the recon-
mendations of the presidential
steel board or a steel strike will
result tonight at midnight, re-
gardless of the consequences OF
such a strike to the public and
to our employees.