Evening star., 1952-05-01
Steel
CONTINUED From First Page.)

IL \NOIlIlIluCO TIOIIl T SG TdSC.I
action over seizure is clarified
|. :. And he doubted if the worker
. would return to their jobs unit
: Monday in any event.
There was the possibility tina
President Truman would broad
cast an appeal to the workers t
return. The White House wa
silent on that possibility.
AS a lure to the workers to enc
the strike, it was possible th'
!, Government might move to i'm
! pose the higher wages and othel
], benefits on the industry to which
the Federal Wage Sterilization
Board said they are entitled
But any such action seemed un.
!; likely until clarification of the
court fight.
Immediate Raise Seen.
! In their petition to the appel
late court today, the companie'
asserted the Government pro
poses Immediately to prescribe
wage increases and other condi'
tions of employment" They askee
the court to modify the sta!
order by adding a ban against any
such Government action while
the stay continues.
Chief Judge Harold M. Stephen.
allotted IS minutes to company
lawyers and an equal time tt
Justice Department attorneys. HI
referred to the heated exchange!
between lawyers at yesterday
hearing.
! obviously there is great dea
Of heat in this case" he said
This court will greatly appreci'
ate it if arguments on both side!
tare made in a temperate manner.
i Howard C. Westwood, an at.
torney for the United States Stee
Corp, opened the argument b!
charging that the stay order
without the requested modifica'
ton, would be "a means for exec
utive rule for an enforced settle.
ment of a labor dispute before the
courts can act"
No Assurance Given.
The petition noted that Govern
ment counsel yesterday gave NJ
assurance that the status quo
would be maintained" during the
stay.
obviously as matters now
stand" the application stated
"the appellant (Goyernment) will
not rely upon processes of collec.
tive bargaining between appellees
and the union.
IF there are any negotiations
they will be between the appel.
liant and the union. The appel.
liant will divert private funds O.
the companies for payment O
whatever increased wages may bt
determined should be paid to sat
isfy the union. This will cos
the companies hundreds of mil
lions of dollars annually.
ANY change in conditions auto
matically weakens the compa
I1lies' bargaining position with th'
union and strengthens the union
position. 4 change once mad'
becomes TIE new floor for th'
union in advancing it's furthel
demands and becomes a conces
sion forced on the companies"
Sees Bargaining Impaired.
The petition added that genu
inc collective bargaining can no
'.take place with forced prescrip
ton of the terms Of employment
!. about to occur"
i The petition contended further
more that the modification of tn,
stay is necessary to enable th'
Supreme Court to assure tina
Justice is DONE"
Mr.. Perlman was questioned
closely by the judges as to whether
he could give any assurance tina
the Government would not chang,
wages or employment conditions
during the stay.
He replied that he could not givs
positive assurance except to prom
ise that there would be no Gov
ernment move of that kind at leas
until the Justice Department f1leI
its appeal with the Supreme Court
The deadline for filing that ap.
peal is 4::30 pm. tomorrow. under
the appeals court stay order. Mr.
Perlman said he expects to make
the filing by that time.
Modification of Order Asked.
Steel company lawyers urget
the court to order a modification
that would prevent any change IL
wages or employment condition
until the Supreme Court actuall.
acts on the Government appeal
They promised that their forma
answer to the Government appea
would be sent to the Supreme
Court not later than noon Satur
day.
i Mr.. Perlman, speaking in &
much quieter tone than he did yes
terday. told the court:
"Any modification Of the sta,
order you issued yesterday will
put an almost insurmountable oh
stacle in the path Of Government
efforts to get the men back tt
work."
| He asserted that the prediction
!, by the steel company lawyers con
corning d possible wage boost dur
ing the stay period were .'fear
conjured up by counsel for tn
companies.
Yesterdays appeals court or
der came after almost three hour
Iof increasingly heated argument
II One Sentence Dissent.
The nine judges gathered 70
Ianother 40 minutes in their con
ference room. At $50 pm, Judg
Henry w. Edgerton announced tn
stay order. in which Judges T
Barrett Prettyman, David I
~