Evening star., 1951-12-16
Effort 10 Avert
Steel Strike Due
eMadeH Here
CIO Union Expected
To Authorize Tieup
Starting January ]
By jones Y. Newton

The Government last night was
expected to call deadlocked steel
negotiators here this week in an
effort to head off a possible strike
January /.
This plan was based on the as
sumption that CIO United Steel
workers tomorrow will authorize
a strike of their / million men,
bers.
CIO President Philip Murray
who also heads the Steelworkers,
has called meetings In Pittsburgh
tomorrow of the unions 36-man
executive board and 170-member
wage policy committee.
The meetings were arranged so
Mr.. Murray could report the sta
tus of wage talks with the stee!
companies. He also will receive
any instructions the union leaders
may give.
Contracts Expire December 81.
1t was generally expected by
Federal labor officials that the
union will issue strike call since
little or no progress has been
made in new contract negotia-
tions. The present industry wide
contracts expire at midnight De-
cember 81 and the steelworkers
are free to strike after that.
Government officials. who have
described a steel strike as "un-
thinkable" and Catastrophe" al
this stage of the defense program
are gravely concerned.
Federal Mediation Chief Cyrus
S. Ching was expected to invite
union and company representa-
tives here in an effort to settle
the dispute over the unions de-
mand for a substantial" wage
increase and 81 other concessions
Clyde Mills. Mr.. Ching's CHIEF
lieutenant who returned yesterday
from conferences with the dis
putants in Pittsburgh. indicated
Mr.. Ching may be ready tomorrow
to say what his next step will be-
Could Be Sent to Board.
1t was uncertain whether Mr.
Ching will invite officials of all
major companies or only those OF
the United States Steel Corp,
giant of the industry. Mr.. Muir
ray and his men have concen-
trated on the negotiations with
United States Steel which Gus
tomarily takes the lead in such
matters.
If the attempt to mediate the
dispute fails, Mr.. Ching then was
expected to report the impasse to
President Truman. The President
then would certify the dispute to
the Wage Sterilization Board
which would make settlement rec
concentrations provided the par
ties agreed in advance to accept
its findings.
The steel industry has said it
cannot give the workers a wage
boost unless the Government per-
mits a price increase of CORE
spending size. Roger L. Putnam,
Economic Sterilization Admin
istrator. has told the United
States Steel president, Benjamin
F. Fairless. that price ceilings will
not be raised to reflect any new
wage costs.
But the steel industry may get
a price increase of undetermined
size under the so-called Capehart
amendment to the price control
law. The amendment requires the
Government. in setting ceilings,
to allow for nearly all increases
in costs incurred by manu-
facturers from the start of the
Korean fighting to last July 26.
Disable Calls Conference.
Steel prices have not been ad-
justed to reflect provisions of the
Capehart amendment, although
adjustments have been made for
many other manufacturers.
Along that line, it was learned
that Price Director Michael v.
Disable has called steel industry
(See STEEL, Page A-5.)