Evening star., 1951-12-28
Steel Workers
Defer Strike at
Least 3Ddys
Special Convention
At Atlantic City
Given Final Say
BY the Associated Press

Nation will escape a Gripping
steel strike on New Years Day
but will have to face the threat
again on January 3.
The Wage Policy Committee of
the CIO United Steelworkers
voted to defer work stoppage
for at least three days. That
gives the special USW conven-
ton in Atlantic City the final
say on calling a strike.
The convention also will make
the unions formal answer to
President Truman's appeal to
avert a strike and submit the
steel contract dispute to the Wage
Sterilization Board. The steel
companies already have agreed to
the Presidents proposal.
The action of the Wage Policy
Committee had been widely pre-
dlcted. Mr.. Truman, who says
there must not be a steel strike
in view of the national defense
emergency, has declared he will
use every law on the books to
iprevent a Nation wide steel walk
out.
WSB Will Study Case.
If the convention accepts the
Presidents plan. the Wage Sta
bilization Board will study argu-
Iments of both sides and outline
recommendations. These will not
be binding on either side.
An entire new contract between
the big union and the country's
steel companies is at stake.
The unions % demands are
topped by a call for an 1872
cent hourly wage increase. Mr..
Murray also wants a guaranteed
annual wage, union shop, and
other concessions for the men in
the mills. He says higher living
costs and industry profits justify
a substantial wage increase.
/ The $4,000 USW members en-
ployed in the industry now average
slightly less than 81 an hour.
The Wage Policy Committee
emphasized that the strike was
put off only until the convention
at Atlantic City.
4 Mr.. Truman expressed happi-
ness and hope when he heard the
news at his home in Independence,
Mo-, where he is spending the Yule
holidays. The hope was that there
will be no strike at all.
The Government stepped in after
negotiations stalled. The contract
talks began November 81.
| When Federal mediators failed
to make any progress, Mr.. Truman
turned the dispute over to the
Wage Sterilization Board for a
recommended settlement.
| Hasn't Made Wage Offer.
The steel industry has not made
a wage offer and Phillip Murray.
president of the CIO and USW.
accused company negotiators of
bargaining in bad faith. The in
dustry maintains pay increase
would only add to lnflationary
pressure.
Mr.. Murray announced the de-
cision to hold off the strike after
a tWo-and- -half-h hour confer
ence with the Wage Policy Com
mittee. The January l deadline
did not allow the WSB time to
/ study the situation and make q
recommendation.
i After the policy group meeting,
Mr.. Murray extended an invita-
), tion to Benjamin F. Fairless, pres
ident of United States Steel Corp.
to address $500 USW delegates at
the Atlantic City convention.
! Company spokesmen said Mr..
Fairless would not comment on
the invitation until he receives it
officially. Mr.. Murray sent the
invitation by telegram.
Murray Won't Predict Action.
Mr.. Murray refused to predict
what action will be taken at the
convention. He said the Govern
ment has not yet made a sugges-
tion toward a settlement.
The labor leader said he will
cali a meeting of the Wage Policy
Committee for January to draft
recommendations for the conven-
ton He added:
But no recommendations have
been made. He will make them in
Atlantic City"
The Wage Policy Committee
issued a four-page statement
which reviewed the history of the
1851 contract negotiations. 1t
called United States Steel's argu-
mentS "phoney'' and added:
THE industry will not even bar
gain with us on wages unless the
Government first guarantees them
price increase sufficient to main
tain and, in fact, increase their
present exorbitant profits.
"The steelWorkers (union) will
not permit itself to be used as a
cats paw so that the industry may
obtain unjustified price increases
to the detriment of the consumers
and the defense program"