Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-06-06
Steel Reported
Ready 10 Make
Union New Offer
Concessions Seen
BY Industry Heads
In Effort to End Strike
By jones Y. Newton

Industry leaders repeatedly will
make new wage offer this AFTER
noon aimed at settling the Nation
wide steel strike.
Contract negotiations sponsored
by the White House were post
poned until 2 pm. at the indus
try'S request. The companies ex-
ecutives needed additional time to
prepare an offer for CIO President
Philip Murray and his $4,000
striking United Steel Workers.
There was no official word as to
what the offer would be. But an
Informed source said it likely
would call for an increase to the
workers of 20 cents an hour in
wages and fringe" benefits.
According to this source, is cents
OF the increase would be in wages
and the rest in paid holidays, i'm
proved vacations, and higher pre-
MUM pay for workers on late
afternoon and night shifts.
Improves Earlier Offer.
The best offer made by the in
dustry was for an increase of 171z
cents-12h cents in wages and 5
cents in fringes.
The steelworkers have been
holding out for the full settlement
package" proposed by the Federal
Wage Sterilization Board. This
called for 26 cents an hour in
crease in wages and fringes over
an 18-month contract period and
the union shop.
Under the WSB plan, the work.
ers would get a wage boost Of
12R cents an hour retroactive
to January l. expiration date of
the old contract. Two other
raises of 21l2 cents would be forth
coming July l and next January l.
The operators were expected to
ask the union to forego the IA
cents which would be paid next
January and to accept a one
year contract. It was said they
would also propose dropping time
and a quarter pay for Sunday
work.
Full Retroactivity Opposed.
The WSB said the higher Sun.
day rate should start next Jam
uary. 1t is valued at ga cents
an hour.
Steel producers also were ex-
pected to suggest dropping a large
part of the retroactive pay which
WSB said the workers should have
and to modify demands for the
full union shop.
John R. Steelman, President
Truman's assistant. who is in
charge of the negotiations, gave
no reason for postponement Of
peace talks until this afternoon
other than to say the industry
officials asked for more time to
discuss events at yesterdays bar
gaining session.
Senate Majority Leader McFar-
land told the Senate last night
there might be a settlement over
the week end. The Senate then
put aside until Monday all legis-
lation dealing with the strike.
Mr.. Steelman wasn't so specific
but said he had talked with Sem
ator Mcfarland.
II certainly am not pessimistic,
Mr.. Steelman told reporters, but
I wouldn't want to overstate my
optimism"
The steel strike began Monday
after the Supreme Court ended
President Humans seizure of the
steel industry.
First Break in Strike.
The first big break in the strike
came last night. 1t was an
nounced that the Detroit Steel Co.
had reached contract agreement
with the union covering $500 en-
ployes. Details of the pact nego-
tiated in Pittsburgh, were not
made public.
However, union official said
the terms followed recommends
tions of the Federal Wage Stabili-
cation Board.
Senator McFarland's statement
to the Senate that an agreement
may be in the making won a AZ
38 vote to suspend until Monday
action on legislation to extend
wage, price and other controls.
Senator Mcfarland told the
Senate he had been advised that
the steel negotiators have been
discussing a settlement as they
haven't been for weeks" He told
newsmen later. however, that he
was largely expressing a hope.
and had no definite information
Ia settlement was near.
The immediate effect of his
statement was to cut off action
urging Mr.. Truman to invoke the
80-day, no-strike injunction pro-
visions of the Taft-Hartley law.
1t appeared that Mr.. Truman
had no intention. at present at
least, of invoking that act.
Before the postponement the
Senate slapped down a series of
Republican led moves to sus-
pend or curb Fedral controls over
the Nations economy.
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