Evening star., 1949-10-10
Nations Strike Idle
May Be Boosted 10
2 Million This Week
BY the Associated Press

Z Million IhIS week
| BY the Associated Press
PITTSBURGH, Oct. 10-More
labor walkouts may increase the
Nations strike idle. to two million
this week.
There's no sign of peace in
either the steel or coal strikes
which have cut off paychecks to
approximately one million.
Adding to the bleak picture is
the threat that aluminium and
steel fabricating plants may join
the 454, 900 CIO United Steel
workers already on strike for free
pensions and insurance.
The only sign OF optimism comes
from the fact that John L. Lewis
head of the United Mine Workers
plans to go back to the bargaining
table with coal operators Wednes-
day. The Government is prodding
both sides to end the 22-day-old
walkout of 100000 soft coal dig
gers.
May Call Steel Disputants.
There's also a possibility the
Government may try again to end
the nine-day-old steel strike. Cy-
rus Ching, director the Federal
Cancellation Service. may summon
Steelworkers' President Philip
Murray and industry leaders to
Washington this week.
Mr.. Murray spent the week end
writing speeches. He's going on a
tour to give pep talks in steel
centerS.
/ Meanwhile, Mr.. Murray's lieu
tenants mapped final strike
strategy for half a million steel
workers employed in fabricating
plants where steel is used to make
hundreds Of articles.
| Contracts in the fabricating
companies start expiring Satur-
day and Mr.. Murray wants the
men in these plants to get what his
basic steel workers ask-free pen
sions and insurance.
Aluminium Deadline Oct. IL.
October II is another deadline
/ for steelworkers. Some 10000
men employed by Aluminium Co,
of America have voted to strike
unless they get company paid
pensions and insurance. along
with a wage boost.
Thousands of persons in allied
| industries will be thrown out OF
work if the fabricating plants
strike.
In the auto capital at Detroit
most firms are operating on a
normal basis but uncertainty pre-
walls regarding future operations.
Packard Motor Car Co. resumed
operations with two-third work.
ing force today after a two-day
shutdown to look over its steel
Inventory. So did Briggs Manu-
featuring Co. which makes Pack
ards bodies.
Most of the unemployment re-
sulting from the twin strikes to
date has been on the railroads
where approximately $4,000 men
have been furloughed.. But here
land there other thousands have
been idled or are working at re-
duced schedules.
Gary Hard Hit.
Ordinary business in the steel
and coal centers has been hit
heavily. At Gary. Ind. 10000 OF
the city's 36,100 payrollers are
idle and general business is esti-
mated to be IS to Is per cent off
In Pittsburgh retail merchants
are appealing to strikers to hold
off on credit purchases. Virtually
all types of retail shops report a
sharp drop in business.
Steel Magazine said full
effects of the steel strike won't
be felt for two or three weeks.
1t predicted at the start of the
strike that consumer inventories
were large enough for 80 days.
The Nations ingot rate was
placed at rs per cent of capacity
and the magazines said this re-
suited from a Surprisingly large
number of steelworkers" which
have contracts with independent
unions or have met union de-
mands.
Eight Accept Terms.
So far eight steel companies,
employing 11,450, have accepted
Murray's terms. The terms are
simply what the presidential fact
finding board recommended-6
cents per man hour for pensions
and 4 cents for insurance.
United States Steel Corp. took
full page newspaper advertise
ments reiterating it would not
agree to a on-contributory plan.
It has offered to pay 10 cents
an hour for pensions and insur-
ance-if Murray's men chip in.
Mr.. Murray is slated to talk to
strikers tomorrow at Youngstown,
Ohio. He'll be in Homestead, Pa,
Thursday and at Bethlehem, Pa,
Sunday. Talks on undesignated
days are slated for Chicago, Cleve-
land and Lackawanna, Pa. The
steelworker president also will give
a Nationwide radio broadcast