Evening star., 1950-11-29
U. 5. Steel Proposes
Settlement on WAGES,
Union Heads Meetinq
Terms UndiscIosed as
Murruy Coils Executive
Board to Session Today
BY the Associated Press

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 29.-The
United States Steel Corp. today
made an undisclosed wage offer
to the CIO-United Steelworkers
Philip Murray. president of the
CIO and Steelworkers. promptly
called his top policy makers to-
gether to consider the proposal.
The log jam in the current steel
negotiations broke suddenly with
Mr.. Murray reporting he was call
ing both the USW Executive Board
and the Wage-Policy Committee
into session. .
The Executive Board will meet
at 2 pm. today and the Wage
Policy Committee group will con-
vene at 10 am. tomorrow.
Company Terse in Statement.
big Steel" then confirmed it
had made an offer. United States
Steel officials would not elaborate
on the confirmation and refused
to discuss the nature of the offer.
The only comment available
from United States Steel was this
terse sentence from an official
spokesman:
1--WE have made an offer which
is under consideration by the
union"
Negotiations on the unions un-
disclosed pay demand have been
in progress between big Steel
and the union since early last
month. Neither side has ever
made any report of progress.
The USW Executive Board GUS
tomarily meets after a major pay
settlement. It's approval is re-
quired before any new contract
can be signed.
Union Officials Silent.
The action of the Executive
Board must be ratified by the big
unions Wage-Policy Committee
Union officials refused to con-
firm that an agreement has been
reached on the unions demands
for "a very healthy and substan-
tial wage increase"
The Executive Board of the USW
is composed of Mr.. Murray, two
other international officers and SO
district directors from all parts
of the country.
The Wage-Policy Committee
consists of the Executive Board
plus representatives from USW
locals from coast to coast.
The Wage-Policy Committee
group puts the final stamp of ap-
proval on such momentous mat
tiers as signing a contract with
United States Steel or going on
strike. On occasion Mr.. Murray
has given the public the results
of the Executive Boards meetings
but he often keeps the decisions a
secret until after the Wage-Policy
Committee meeting.
Wage Talks Moved Faster.
Wage talks between the giant
steel company and the union hit
faster tempo when they re-
sumed yesterday after a recess to
permit Mr.. Murray to attend the
CIO convention in Chicago.
Government, industry. labor and
the public generally have been
watching the negotiations for their
possible effect on the Nation S
economy.
There have been reports the
Federal Government was pressing
for an early settlement and thst
both sides were in agreement on
wages but were waiting for the
corporation TO make up its mind
about raising prices.
Steel executives of many COM
panies have said repeatedly that
any substantial pay increase will
force them to raise prices. They
have indicated their willingness
to raise wages of steelworkers,
now earning an average of $1.72,
but have not said how much.
Iron Age, the industry's trade
journal, predicted United States
Steel will grant a wage increase
of Is cents an hour, with an
average raise of 16 cents and
fringe benefits of 2 cents. The
also forecast a price
increase of Sc a ton.