Evening star., 1949-10-03
Steel Strike Called
Tragic Defeat in
Human Relations
Nothing Is Really Settled
By Stoppuge in Major
Industry, Writer Says
Bv David Laurence

&S3etCAo33Os ~ 40 q NSASoo ASA WAN
process Of reason. 1t underline
the fact that in a supposedly ad'
vanced state of human society
there is nevertheless resort to CO.
ercion and a willingness to dt
economic harm to each other a!
the sole means of compelling
settlement of issues.
Nobody wins and everybody
loses by a strike. Nothing il
really settled by the work stop
page and the huge economic
losses affect the innocent by.
stander-the public-even more
than the two parties at interest
This has been said about every
important strike. But what l!
there to do about it? There Il
only one answer-to apply the
conciliating influence of an in
formed public opinion. II this
had been operative before the
present steel strike began. the
work stoppage might have beer
averted. Now that the strike is ir
progress, it is the only influence
that can bring a settlement.
Public opinion does not func-
ton effectively through emotional
propaganda offered by either OF
both sides. Nor does it function
by trying to convince half a mil
lion workers that they must abarl-
don their leaders when the latter
are proved wrong. 1t functions
only when the leaders OF both
unions and management are
brought into the court of public
opinion, with the facts before
them, and they themselves see
their duty clearly defined.
Truman Commended.
President Truman tried o very
commendable approach when he
appointed the fact finding board.
It's recommendations could have
been of immense value in inform
ing the public and in bringing
about q Settlement.
But the fact-finding process has
by no means been perfected. Its
techniques and uses need further
exploration. There were mistakes
made by both sides in dealing
with the report Of the Presidents
board in the steel industry.
The fact-finding method is not
q substitute for collective bargain
ing. Judge Samuel j. Rosenman
himself stated recently that 1t
was not intended to be a COM
pulsory arbitration. Phil Murray
of the CIO made a grievous error
in trying to get a tactical ad-
vantage by insisting that the
boards recommendations had to
be accepted as written. He ignored
the fact that the real purpose OF
a fact Finding board Is simply to
clear the air and explain the
issues for further collective bar
gaining.
When the bargaining negotia-
tions were resumed last week after
the Government mediators had to
extricate the union from an
adamant unwillingness to con-
slider the boards report as subject
to any variation whatsoever,
there was really little bargaining,
Minds were made up and the
strike ensued.
What has been needed and still
is needed is more fact finding and
more investigation. Mr.. Truman
now should reconvene the three
member board for a further exam
nation and clarifcation OF the is
sues. The sections Of the report
on pensions and Social Security
are by no means a clear guide.
Complex Principle At Stake!
As it is, the union and the man
agement are not far apart but
the principle at stake-whether
pensions and social insurance
shall be paid for in entirety by
the company or by joint contribu-
tions-is too complex to be settled
by q show of economic force. It
is q principle which certainly re-
ouires further discussion and nego-
tiation.
Curiously enough the boards
report against a fourth round OF
wage increases was accepted by
the country and really by the
union mostly because Of the per-
suasive nature of the fact-f1nding
boards argument and reasoning.
The same cannot be said Of the
treatment Of the pension issue.
The board should have another
opportunity to hear testimony on
this point and to examine the
long g-range implications from an
economic standpoint Of any one
sided pension or insurance scheme.
That's the civilized way to deal
with such disputes.
A suddenly patched-up truce
will not be a lasting solution for
the strike problem. Nor will in
functions or any other govern
mental measures of a coercive ma
ture that might be applied to
either or both sides be of avail.
The facts alone and the public S
understanding of those facts can
bring a solution-and the first step
is to get more facts on the pen
sions and social-insurance issues
In this, the President Of the
United States and the agencies OF
Government can help, for the SUBJ
ject is. closely related to the whole
Social Security program Of legis-
lation. The Government as an
employer and custodian Of Social
Security funds is an interested
party.
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