Evening star., 1952-06-09
Union Shop Is Last
Big Issue in Way
Of Settlement

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He asked the lawmakers to take
no acion which might upset the
delicate negotiations.
AS a result, the Senate put off
until tomorrow any further con-
sideration of various plans for
legislative action in the steel dis
pute.
Negotiators worked hard to
clear away the last barriers to
agreement on a two-year labor
peace pact in the industry. There
was hope the week-old Nation
wide steel strike might end to-
night.
While formal bargaining was
not to be resumed until pm,
officials of the CIO United Steel
workers and steel companies were
exchanging conversations looking
to a settlement of the long con-
tract dispute.
Union Shop II Last Issue.
Tentative accord has been
reached on wages and other i'm
portant details. But whether
these are written into a final
contract depends on settlement
of the few remaining differences.
The only unresolved major diff
ference was over the union shop
which if written into the steel
contracts would compel all en-
ployes to join the union.
Representatives of the "big
six" steel companies and the
steelworkers were discussing sew
eral compromises of the union
shop demand. One given most
consideration would exempt old
employees who do not wish to
join the union. It also would
provide an escape" period for
those who wish to withdraw from
the union when the contract ex-
pires.
Truman Addresses Maybank.
President Truman's request for
q delay in legislative action was
made in a letter to the Senate.
which went to Chairman May
hank of the Banking Committee.
Senator Maybank is handling
wage-price control legislation and
proposals for dealing with the
steel strike have been offered as
amendments to that bill.
The request came as the Senate
was ready to consider amend
ments authorizing legal seizure
of the steel industry as a last re-
sort or use of the Taft-Hartley
Act to halt the walkout in event
the disputants do not get together.
Senator Byrd, Democrat. of Vir-
ginia, has proposed invoking the
Taft-Hartley Act for an 80-day
Injunction against continuing the
strike. Mr.. Truman thus far has
shown no disposition to do so.
Seizure Would Be Legal.
An amendment proposed by
Senator Maybank would make it
legal for the President to seize
the steel industry-or any other
strike-threatened defense industry
for an indefinite time il recon-
mendations Of an emergency wage
and price board were not accepted
by both sides.
The Maybank plan would forbid
strikes in key industries for 100
days while an investigating board
studied the issues. and came up
with a settlement recommended
ton. Seizure would be permitted
only if the settlement terms were
rejected by at least one party.
The strike of 650,000 steelwork-
ers began last Monday Immediate
ly after the Supreme Court struck
down as unconstitutional Presi-
dents Truman's seizure of the
steel industry. The President had
acted to prevent the strike.
Meet at White House.
Negotiators met at the White
House yesterday for AZ hours.
The bargaining is being carried on
by three-man teams of the union
and industry. Neither CIO Presi-
dent Philip Murray nor John A.
Stephens, United States Steel vice
president, who is chief spokesman
for the industry, would comment
as the session ended.
John r. Steelman. assistant to
the President and acting defense
mobilizer, said merely that the
conference was recessed to allow
the negotiatorsI to discuss the is
sues with their full committees.
The tentative agreement on
money issues calls for a package
increase in wages. paid holidays,
vacations and shift differentials