Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1949-10-14
Press Plays Industry
Game AS Usual
In Big Steel Dispute
By NATHAN ROBERTSON

COmpleISly TSVeIS6Q themselves OH LIl6 ISSUES
in the steel strike-showing clearly once
more, that they can be trusted on showdown
to side with the big economic interests.
When the Steel Industry Fact Finding Re-
port came out it was hailed almost universally
as statesmanlike document that would settle
the long and bitter dispute in the steel indus
try. The union quickly accepted the report,
although that meant giving up two thirds of its
original claims. But the industry held out BY
the time the strike started most of the news
papers had worked themselves around to the
position of supporting U. S. Steel and denounc-
ing Philip Murray for refusing to negotiate
The newspapers are now doing their best
to befuddle the public mind on this controversy
and to put pressure on the union to give in.
Friends of labor everywhere should counteract
the injustice of the press by studying the issue
and making up their own minds
1t is perfectly silly to accuse the union of
refusing to negotiate when it is plain for all
to see that in accepting the fact finding report
it surrendered two thirds of its original de-
mands. In the beginning the steel workers
asked a total of 30 cents an hour, including
higher wages, pensions, and social insurance.
On the basis of the fact finding report they
dropped their demands for wage increase,
and agreed to compromise settlement on pen
sions and social insurance adding up to 10
cents an hour-just one third of their original
demand
This is the essential and basic fact in the
controversy over who is right and who should
now do the conceding necessary to end costly
strike that might start the nation back into a
downward economic spiral. Industry has not
yet made half the concession-measured none
tarily-that the union has made. Industry and
its Charlie McCarthys of the press are now try
ing to make the public forget that fundamental
fact by talking in terms of great principles"
But there were great principles, too back
of the steel workers demand for higher wages.
They felt higher wages were necessary-not
only as a measure of justice to the workers in
the face of the high profits of the industry
but also to avoid national depression. They
felt that the industry was following the same
high profit policies that led to the depression
of 1929 and they felt that great economic
principle was involved.
Yet when the fact finding report came in,
the union quickly conceded this great issue
in the hope of reaching settlement and avoid
ing strike costly not only to the men them
selves but to the nation Even the conservative
newspapers suddenly began lauding the
craftsmanship" of Murray 1t was generally
conceded that the union had made great con-
cessions in the interest of industrial peace.
The reaction of David Lawrence's publica-
tions, which are certainly more friendly to in
dustry than labor, was typical, They forecast
that there would be no steel strike, because the
remaining issues were not important enough
to strike about. They had conceded in advance
that the industry could afford concessions up
to 10 cents an hour in view of its profit
position.
But as the big steel magnates continued to
hold out the editorial writer's began to find
great principles involved in the issue of con-
trbutions by the workers They backed up the
industry's demand that workers should con-
tribute part of the cost of social insurance
even If 1t meant a cut In take-home pay instead
of the pay increase the workers had demanded.
In order to make this sound like a big
Issue, the newspapers had to ignore the fact
that the $4,000 year steel company execu-
tives get $4,000 year pensions without con-
tributing toward them out of their salaries
pensions paid for entirely by the companies.
Apparently 1T is unsound for workers making
$4,000 year to get pensions paid for by the
company; but quite sound for top officials
making $4,000 year to do Just that.
The newspaper apologists for u S. Steel
and Bethlehem, also had to play down the fact
that the Ford Motor Co.. in the midst of the
steel showdown, accepted the fact finding re-
port and settled with the auto workers union
on that basis Apparently this Is principle
that is only important in the steel industry
and even in the steel industry only important
so far as the workers are concerned, not the
executives.
Furthermore, in contendng that II was
unsound for pensions and insurance to be pro-
vided entirely at the expense of the companies,
the industry apologists had to forget the work.
ers were contributing their chance for pay
increase-an increase which was warranted by
the industry's profit level
In order to put the blame for this strike
on the union, the editorial writers have had to
forget the issues involved before the fact find
ing report and the big concessions the union
already has made. They have started with the
issues as they stood after the union had agreed
to accept the report and have tried to make IL
incumbent upon the union to negotiate be-
tween that and the do-nothing position of the
companies. Maybe we should have another
fact finding report now, cutting the union de-
mand down to five cents an hour, and then
negotiate on the difference between that and
zero. David Lawrence is now seriously sug-
gesting this).
Even then, If the steel moguls held out,
the press probably would find great principles
involved on the side of industry,
per year, and c. M. White, president, $780,
600 per year. The record seems to indi-
cate that Mr.. Girdler's pension is non-
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