Evening star., 1949-07-10
Steel Industry Dispute
Over Wages 10 Come
To Head This Week
By jones Y. Newton

i 1IC OlSPutC UCGWCCl GllC S4S
and major steel companies over
wages and welfare benefits comes
to a head this week with the
Government represented as pre-
pared to use its full powers" tc
head off q strike in the vital in
dustry which may be set for Sat-
urday.
Negotiations between the CIC
United Steelworkers and most OF
the big producers have collapsed
and President Truman Is known
to be concerned over the possibil-
tty that q strike, at this critical
time, would spin the country's
economy into serious recession OF
depression.
White House officials believe
Mr.. Truman will act to prevent
q strike If last-minute efforts fail
to bring about agreement in the
matters In dispute. The man.
agements and the union, headed
by CIO President Philip Murray
are so far apart that virtually nc
chance is held for a settlement
Ching to Seek Settlement.
The union leaders will decide
In a meeting Tuesday whether tt
call a strike July 16 against 18!
companies employing about 500,.
900 workers. That date is the
deadline for agreement on wage!
and insurance provisions which
were reopened under the current
contract.
# the union decides on a walk.
out. 1t Is expected that the Presi.
dent will declare the dispute q
national emergency" under the
Taft-Hartley Act. The injunction
machinery Of the law could delay
. strike for 80 days.
Meanwhile, Cyrus S. Ching, di.
rector of the Federal Mediation
and Cancellation Service, will try
to settle the dispute in a meeting
here tomorrow with the unior
leaders and representatives Of sew.
en- big steel producers. The medi-
alton session is set for 4 pm.
The companies involved are
the United States Steel Corp.
Bethlehem Steel. Weirton Steel
Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co.
Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp.
Republic Steel and Armco Steel.
Murray to Unveil Arguments.
Earlier in the day, Mr.. Murray
will unveil his economic argu-
ments in support Of the demand
on the steel industry for q fourth
round" wage increase, pensions
and free insurance for the work
ers.
A new study of profits. wages
and production has been pre-
pared for the C1O by Robert r.
Nathan, Washington economist
who formerly served the Govern
ment in q number Of important
Jobs. Mr.. Nathan issued a similar
report three years ago, purporting
to show that industry generally
ut that time could raise wages
without raising prices. The new
Nathan report will be made pub.
lie ut . luncheon.
The United Steelworkers rep.
resent nearly q million workers ir
the entire industry, but only abou'
half Of them may legally be
called out on strike in the week!
ahead and Mr.. Murray has re.
ferred to the whole pattern as 9
rolling strike"
The big steel companies have
turned down cold" the unions
demand for a wage increase anc
United States Steel has argued
that the subject Of old age pen.
sions may not be discussed under
the reopening provisions of th'
current contract. Some Of th'
companies have made offers TO!
improvements in workers disabil
ity and life insurance plans. Th'
union has rejected the offers.
$3.50 Pensions Mentioned.
Mr.. Murray never has mad
public his exact wage or pension
demands. One union spokes
man said he wants $3.50 MONTH!
pensions-$50 more than John I
Lewis won for his United MINI
Workers last year.
Labor-management relations II
other major industries rapidly
are reaching the boiling point with
strike threats hanging over ths
manufacturers of AUTOMOBILES
electrical equipment and soft Goa
producers.
The week-long convention II
Milwaukee of the C1O United
Auto Workers postponed tempo
rarily a showdown in contract ne
eotiations between that union and
the Ford and Chrysler companies
two of the industry's big three
producers. But the contract talks
which already have been held
show the unior and the companies
are far from agreement. The Ford
contract has expired and work is
continuing on a day-to-day basis
The same deadlock exists in new
contract talks between the CIO
Electrical Workers and the big
producers Of electrical equipment,
including the General Electric Co.
Coal Talks Resume Tuesday.
The three-day work week which
John L. Lewis has imposed on the
soft coal industry enters the second
week tomorrow. UNIV officials
are scheduled to resume negotia-
ton Tuesday in Bluefield, w. Va.
with the Southern Coal Producers
Association, now representing less
than a fourth of the industry. The
1% %o hnray, Nav OF