Evening star., 1949-06-12
Wage Talks 10 Begin
In Steel, Coal and
Electrical Industries
BY the ksseeicisd Press

By the Asseeieisd prsss
PITTSBURGH, June il.-Ne-
gotiations on wage demands get
top billing next week on the Ma
tion's economic front.
Crucial talks start in the steel,
coal and electrical industries that
could go a long way toward de-
termining If labor viii get its
fourth round of pay increases
since World War II.
The outcome Of the following
developments will help determine
whether prices are headed up or
down and whether the Nation is
In for some whopping strikes.
/. United States Steel Corp,
with one-fourth the Nations
steel output, starts contract talks
Wednesday with Philip Murray's
CO. United Steelworkers Of Amer
1ca. Other steel producers will
open their negotiations later in
the week.
2. United States Steel will open |
negotiations Monday in Phila-
delphia with the United Mine
Workers. The discussions will COW
er the 10000 miners working In
pits owned by United States Steel.
3. The 00,000-member CIO
United Electrical Workers union |
seeks a $500, 900. 900 program from
the electrical industry with first
bargaining sessions beginning
Tuesday between the union and
the industry's two giants-Gen-
eral Electric Co. and Westinghouse
Electric Corp.
Steel Set Pattern.
1t was the basic steel industry |
which either set the national wage
increase pattern. or was most in
fiuential in establishing 1t, when |
the three previous pay gains were
won by labor.
In 1946. steel granted 19-cent
hourly pay increases and other
industries fell in line. In 1947,
the increases amounted to Is cents4
and In 1948 to about 13 cents an
hour. Scattered wage increases
this year Of from to 10 cents
have not set Nationwide pat
tern.
Coming negotiations will have q
likely effect on the cost Of living |
and the general economy. En-
ployers have protested wage in
creases will bring price advances.
They cite drops in the cost of liy-
ing as ruling out wage increases.
But unions don't agree and point
to recent fat profits chalked up in
many industries.
Pensions and insurance pro-
grams - company f1nanced-are
being emphasized by some unions.
But employers call those objectives
too expensive and say they repre-
sent cost items as much Oh wages
do.
Four Demands Listed.
The steelworkers have listed
four principal demands, headed
by a call for general. but un-
specified, wage increase for work.
ers now earning an average OF
$l69 an hour. 4 The other big
objectives are adequate" pen-
sions, decent" insurance. and i'm
provement Of pension and insur-
ance program In companies where
they are in effect now.
The United States Steel Corp.
has told the union the contract
permits discussions of wages and
insurances only-no pensions. Big
Steel" has indicated .it will take o
Arm stand at the conference table.
The union, however, feels It's
now or never on pensions. The
union has the contractual right
to strike If no agreement Ia
reached by July 16.
Coal miners have not disclosed
their demands. But they are be-
lieved to include O wage increase,
shorter hours and an increase in
employers payments to the union
pension and welfare fund.
, UEW Demands Cited.
The cIO-United Electrical
Workers want a package $500 q
year per member, including wage
Increases and social benefits. The
various locals have the job of de-
Gliding how much of each they
want.
General Electric served notice
some time ago 1t was opposed to
another raise in labor costs. CO.
UEW members now are paid an
average Of $3.50 an hour.
Contract negotiations already
are underway between the Ford
Motor Co. and the Go
Auto Workers. The contract with
Chrysler may be opened after June
IS. The auto workers want 500 o
month pensions, health and well
fare funds and undisclosed wage ,