Evening star., 1952-05-01
Union Awaiting
Murray Ruling on
Future of Strike
BY the Associated Press


ing steel workers held fast to their
picket lines today awaiting orders
from their leader what to do next.
1t now rests with Philip Muir
ray, president of the CIO United
ISteelworkers, whether some ESQ.,
900 men remain idle or go back
Ito their jobs.
Mr.. Murray says he will have
no comment until sometime today
on the action of the United States
Circuit Court of Appeals in Wash
ington which restored Govern
Iment control of the steel industry
Some well-posted sources said
IMr. Murray may issue no state
ment before President Truman's
weekly news conference today.
U. S. Steel Corp. Silent.
There was no comment from
the giant United States Steel
Corp, bellwether of the industry
However, a close source that re-
quested anonymity said:
"The next move seems to be
up to Mr.. Murray"
He odded.
1T is doubtful if the mills will
be back in operation at once,
whatever happens. Shutting
down and opening up steel mills
is a costly business. We can't
shut them down one day because
of one court opinion. then open
them up the next because of an
other opinion"
The steel plant shutdown
speediest in history, was accom-
plished with a minimum of. dam
Iage to costly machinery, accord
ing to all reports. A few plants
still are closing of furnaces
slowly to prevent damage. Some
companies thanked employees fol-
their cooperation.
Defense Production Stalled.
With defense production stalled
in plants of nearly 100 basic steel
companies, the strikers stuck
doggedly to picket lines, asserting
What else can we do until we
know for sure who's running the
Show?"
Most of the picketing Is Of the
token kind-sparse rather than on
extensive scales. It is orderly.
In Buffalo, N. Y, USW District
Director Joseph P. Molony said:
1T is unlikely that the men will
return to work until they find out
just whom they are working for
and who is going to give them
raise in wages"
That sentiment was echoed ir
this steel capital.
Walter Kills, head of a USW
local at Jones & Laughlin Stee
Corp. declared:
ITO put it bluntly, this is q
farce. AS far as I am concerned
things stand the way they are
until somebody in Washington is
big enough to make up his mind
Industry Feels Pinch.
Industries allied to steel OF
highly dependent upon steel are
beginning to feel the pinch.
From Buffalo. N. Y. it was re-
ported that continuation of the
steel strike might result in a seri-
GUS tieup of Great Lakes shipping
The United States Steel Corp
laid off all its 14,500 coal miner
employes for the duration Of the
strike.
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
gave orders to furlough nearly g.
900 employees. New York Central
said it is laying off 1000 owing tc
the effects of the steel strike and
the walkout of oil workers.
The Governments embargo on
steel shipments idled 1900 Stude-
baker Corp. employees in South
Bend, Ind.
AS the tension heightened, Mr.
Murray received pledges of sup
port from several national organ
izations. Among them were the
400, ,000- member CIO Amalgam-
ated Clothing Workers Union, the
Progressive Party and the indie.
pendent United Electrical Work.
ers, once CIO. but expelled fol
allegedly following the Commu-
mist line.