Evening star., 1951-03-08
Union Leaders Meet
Johnston on Board
To Handle Disputes
By Jones Y. Newton

Ny S0HCS IL t<CWtVu
Union officials were meeting
with Economic Stabilizer Eric A.
Johnston again today amid indi-
cations that part of the contro-
versy with the administration over
defense program planning would
be resolved.
Mr.. Johnston was hopeful that
agreement could be worked out
between labor and industry for re-
establishment of the Wage Stabil-
ization Board, which has net
functioned since the three labor
member resigned three weeks. ago.
The principal demand of the Ia
Dor leaders is for appointment of
a new board with authority to
handle disputes, as well as set
wage-control policy. It was be-
ieved Mr.. Johnston would recon-
mend such a course to President
Truman.
Calling Groups Separately.
Mr.. Johnston discussed the mat
ter yesterday with the four in
dustry members of his Labor
Management Advisory Committee.
Tomorrow he will meet with rep
resentatives of the National Asso-
citation of Manufacturers, United
States Chamber of Commerce and
the Committee for Economic De-
velopment. The three organiza-
tions have opposed giving both
disputes and wage policy to a
single board.
The Defense Production Act
states that a labor-management
conference should be called to
work out machinery for handling
disputes resulting from differences
over wage controls. Mr.. Johnston
is calling in representatives of the
two segments separately rather
than scheduling one big confer
ence.
There were no new develop
ments in labor'S struggle with
Mobilization Director Charles E.
Wilson for a larger part in de-
tense program planning.
UNIV Defends Wilson.
So far, Mr.. Johnston's confer
ences have been with members of
the. United Labor Policy Commit
tee, which has led the attacks on
the stabilization program and on
Mr.. Wilson's actions. The COM
mittee represents the AFL, CIO
and most rail unions, but not John
L. Lewis United Mine Workers.
A new issue of the UMW's Dis
trict SO News defended Mr..
Wilson from Labor Policy Com
mittee criticism of operation of
the defense manpower program.
The News stated it was ready
to give Mr.. Wilson "the benefit of
the doubt" It called the man
power issue "a red herring" in
tended to divert attention from
the Policy Committees participa-
tion in a wage control program.
The committee has demanded
that control of manpower program
policy be given to Labor Secretary
Tobin. Mr.. Wilson has refused
to do that and has established
controls in his own Office of De-
tense Mobilization.
Retail Car Prices Up.
Another committee demand isl
that Mr.. Wilson should appoint a |
labor official to his top policy staff. |
The District so News suggested
that the reason Mr.. Wilson had
not done so might be because the
AFL and CIO can't agree on the
man" One of those suggested
for the post is Walter P. Reuther,
president of the CIO United Auto
mobile Workers.
Labor doesn't want a man like
that representing it," the News
said of Mr.. Reuther.
Meanwhile. in another stabiliza-
tion development, the Office of
Price Sterilization permitted auto
mobile dealers to raise the retail
price of new cars enough to pass
on to customers the exact dollars.
and-cents cost represented by the
3l2 per cent increase allowed new
car manufacturers earlier.