Evening star., 1952-04-07
Pictures on Poee A..

Board, met with top unior
officials in a last-ditch attempt tt
prevent walkout by $4,000
members of the CIO United Stee
Workers.
In a statement, Mr.. Feinsingel
announced he had met briefly
with industry leaders late last
night and expects to have "eithel
separate or joint conference.
throughout today"
5, While the search was on for 8
peace formula, furnaces in the
industry's great mills were being
cooled in preparation for a shut.
down.
Mr.. Feinsinger met with unior
and industry representatives fol
several hours yesterday and Later
spoke cautiously Of gradual prog.
ress" toward a better understand
ing" of each others problems.
1T is too early, however," Mr.
Feinsinger added, Ito state whether
or when the dispute would be
settled" He stressed that a strike
would Immediately affect nationa
defense.
Strike Seen Inevitable.
His cautious optimism was tenn
pered by these immediate develop
ments:
Benjamin F.. Fairless, United
States Steel Corp. president, asked
the union to call off the strike
and Philip Murray, president o1
the Steel Workers and CIO
promptly said it was the industry
not the union, which was forcing
the strike"
At Pittsburgh and in nearby
steel towns, there was the feeling
that the strike, postponed severa
times, cannot now be avoided
Mills cooled their furnaces ane
closed their coal mines. Stee
workers were holding on to theil
cash, and merchants reported al
Easter buying slump.
Major manufacturing firm
lplanned for steel shortages. TIL.
General Electric Co. instructed
its executives to stop all overtim,
work as soon as q steel strike
started.
One spark briefly lighted th'
dreary picture-the Barium Stee
Co., with four Pennsylvani;
plants and $500 workers, signet
an independent agreement will
the union, which now has pact
towering four companies will
1900 workers.
Independents Accept Terms.
But these firms produce les
than 2 per cent of the more thar
2 million tons of steel turned ou
each week. More than $4,000
workers are involved in the over
all dispute.
The independents accepted tn
unions terms, that contracts b
based on the Wage Stabilizatiol
Boards recommendation for
|17h-cent-an-hour total wage in
crease and other benefits.
Other steel firms, including tn
"Big Six" have opposed tn
boards recommendations.
At a meeting here Thursday
the last between union and in
dustry leaders before yesterday
talks with Mr.. Feinsinger-the si
big companies offered a 9-cent
an-hour boost and other benefit:
Mr.. Murray turned it down. The
Mr.. Feinsinger was sent here iron
Washington to try to break tn
deadlock.
1 Fairless on Radio.
Mr.. Fairless, whose Unite
States Steel Corp. is the Nation
largest, said in a radio broadcas
last night that the strike woul
"benefit no one on this side Q
the iron curtain"
The steel executive called on tn
union to bargain" on the Wag
Board proposals. He noted re
'ports that the Government nigh
seize the industry, and said tina
such action would "gravely i'm
pair" production and "ultimatel
!. must lead" to naturalization
of all vital industries.
Mr.. Murray, answering MI
FairlesS, said the WSB'S recon
mendations were a compromise
which industry would not accep
althougn it submitted its cas-
Ito the Government, He said tn
Fairless speech was "a reiteratiol
lof the industry's negative atti
Itude."
al