Evening star., 1952-06-22
Union Shop Rejection
By Steel Firms Dashes
Hopes for Settlement
By james Y. Newton


The nationwide steel strike was
near settlement Friday, but the
high hopes for peace finally were
dashed against the industry's op-
position to the union shop, it was
learned last night.
Secret meetings in New York of
striking CIO United Steelworkers
and company officials produced the
''near-miss" to agreement. The
fact that company and union
leaders had gathered in New York
was known previously. Details of
the meetings were obtained from
industry and union sources.
At one time, the sources said,
the union and officials of two
big steel companies reached ten
tative agreement on all issues
which have been in dispute for
seven months. But the terms were
rejected when presented to the
other four of the big six" steel
companies.
compromise Is NcJeCVeO
The tentative pact was said to
have included agreement on q
compromise form of the contro-
versial union shop issue. Under
the full union shop all employees
are compelled to join the union.
The compromise exempted from
membership present steel COM
pany employees who do not wish
to join the union. 1t also provided
for a period when new employees
could get out of the union.
It was the refusal of the four
steel companies, including the
giant United States Steel Corp.
to go along with this compromise
which led to the latest breakdown
Of steel peace talks. it was said.
II another development related
to The steel dispute, the Senate
will take up as the first order of
business tomorrow a proposal to
amend the Constitution to bar
the President from seizing any
private property without specific
consent of Congress. President
Truman's seizure of the steel in
dustry was struck down early this
month as unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court.
McCarran in Surprise Move.
Senator McCarran, Democrat.
of Nevada, made surprise move
to obtain an early vote on his
resolution to amend the Consti-
tuition. He acted to get vote
near the end of yesterdays ses-
sion. It caught administration
leaders by surprise.
Senator Johnson, Of Texas, act
ing Democratic leader. urged
Senator McCarran not to press
his motion. But in the end Sena-
tor McCarran won agreement that
his proposal will be taken up first.
thing when the Senate returns
to work tomorrow.
The motion to take up the con-
Stitutional amendment must first
be approved before the amend
ment itself is technically pfera
debate and a vote: Senator No
Carran said he will not yield mhtil
he gets vote on his motion.
The Senate Judiciary Com
mittee, which Senator McCarran
heads, said the proposed amend
n1ent is intended to eliminate all
doubt lover the question Of
whether the President has any
right, inherent or otherwise, to
seize an industry, or any other
Eprivate property, when he has
mot been authorized to do so by
Congress.
A constitutional amendment
requires approval by a two-thirds
majority in the House and by
three-fourths of the states.
Murray Joins Meetings.
& Here are the reported details
Of the steel meetings in New
York.
& The first talks were held by Of
1lcialS of two companies-report-
elly Republic and Bethlehem
and Arthur j. Goldberg, general
counsel of the CIO Steelworkers.
Progress was made and later CIO
President Philip Murray came
from his Pittsburgh home to join
the meetings.
This group worked out the ten
tAtive agreement. The wage and
other money terms were said to
be the same as tentatively agreed
10 in talks here early this month.
They included wage boost Of
Is cents an hour and an additional
five cents an hour in paid holi-
days, improved vacations and
higher premium pay for late after
noon and night shifts. The con-
tract was to run for two years
from the date it was signed. It
eotlld be reopened to discuss wage
changes after one year.
This plan then was presented
to representatives of all the big
six" companies. The companies
had agreed in advance that none
would settle unless the terms to be