The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-06-17
The Midyear Labor Scene
BY NORMAN WALKER


WASHINGTON Up - Whatever
happens in the current steel indus
try negotiations is likely to shape
labor relations for many months to
come.
Steel is a traditional pattern
maker. Its labor contract terms
considerably influence other indus.
tries. So do its prices.
The steel wage settlement in
1916, for instance, and subsequent
steel price increases, touched off
an era of postwar imitation. The
same thing happened to a lesser
extent as an aftermath of the big
1852 steel strike,
So, in assessing potential 1854
labor trouble spots, steel must 20
to the top of the list. This is not
to say there will be another two
month strike like that in 1852, or
that steel will start now-stable
prices off on a new spiral.
In fact, there is every prospect
for peaceful settlement. The big
steel firms get along better with
the present CIO United Steelwork-
ers president, David ]. Mcdonald,
than they did with his predecessor,
Philip Murray. Mcdonald recently
made a goodwill tour of US. Steel
plants with Board Chairman BENZ
amin Fairless.
But McDonald's union has just
pitched a fat set of new contract
demands at Fairless and other steel
employers, including requests for
a substantial pay boost, higher
pensions ard a guaranteed annual
wage.
The steel industry is operting
at about 70 per cent of capacity
and appears reluctant to boost
wage rates now averging well
above 81 an hour. A strike could
happen after present agreements
expire June 30.
Other possible labor trouble spots
are in the electrical manufacture
ing, and telephone industries.
phone industries.
Nothing is permanently settled,
either, in the New York waterfront
labor controversy. A renewal CT
pier strife between rival unions
there would surprise no one.
In coal, John L. Lewis has let
more than six months 60 by with
out exercising an option to ask
mine owners for more pay and wei.
fare benefits for miners. The mine
operators are more in a mood to
seek a wage cut, something Lewis
has pledged he will never allow.
It is possible, though doubtful,
that Mcdonald and Lewis, who
have had their heads together fire.
quently of late, could team up in a
combined coal-steel wage boost
drive.
it's more likely that Lewis will
wait in hopes that coal business
will improve next fall and that Nc
Donald may, before then, reach a
peaceful settlement in steel.
In the textile industry strikes
have developed in New England
mills when employers, because Vt
falling clothing prices, tried to in
stitute wage cuts.
The South is another potential
area for labor strife. More workers
are unorganized by unions in South
ern states than in any other region.
A renewed union effort, such as
that recently announced by the
ALL Transfers Union, could be
expected to meet determined en-
ployer opposition.
The mo raiding" agreements
being negotiated between the ALL
and CIO and within the ALL itself
could touch off new union organic
ing efforts.
If these pacts can be made to
stick--and there is some doubt of
this-it would release union organ
izers and funds now being used for
"raiding" other union member
ships for drives on unorganized
workers. The South is the most OBJ
viouS target.