Evening star., 1959-12-13

resolving issues between worker
letter to Senator Douglas, Dem
Without specifically ment
Meany said he recently has
become concerned that a
number of political leaders are
evidently beginning to think in
terms Of greater Government
intervention into the collective
bargaining process.
Rejecting proposals for Gov
ernment "tinkering," he ap-
peared to differ with several
other top unionists and with
such friends of labor" as
Senators Kennedy, Democrat
of Massachusetts, and Cooper,
Republican of Kentucky. Con-
gress next year is expected to
consider legislation to deal
specifically with the steel strike
and broadly with other ma
tional emergency" strikes.
Steel Talks Recessed
Steel negotiations. which re-
main deadlocked, now are in
recess.
Collective bargaining often
fails to satisfy labor. Mr.. Meany
said, observing that there is
always the temptation to invite
Government tinkering in an
effort to gain some advantage"
But. he warned, ANY such
advantage, for labor, for in
dustry, or for otaher parts of
the economy. would be short
run or illuSory and would not
be worth the price paid in terms
of values lost as a result of
curtailing the fundamentally
free and adaptable bargaining
process. no matter how frus-
strating that process may seem
at times"
Asks Better Atmosphere
Instead of expanding the
Governments role, Mr.. Meany
urged, labor and management
should try to create a better
atmosphere" for settling their
own disputes. He noted that
he has suggested a conference
of union and industry leaders
to develop guiding lines" for
labor-management relations.
Mr.. Meany's comments did
not rule out voluntary use OF
Government facilities to help
settle strikes. He has, for ex-
ample, advocated submission Of
the steel dispute to a fact
finding board. But he indi-
Gated he opposes new legisla-
ton to force the Government
into labor Encouragement bar
gaining.
In fact, he has called for
amendment of the existing law
to prevent use of injunctions
to force strikers back to work.
Mcdonald Asks Intervention
David ]. Mcdonald. president
of the United Steelworkers of
America, has been seeking
Government intervention in
the steel strike-mainly in the
form of recommendations by
fact-finders. He has not stated
his position on new legislation
to impose such intervention.
Arthur j. Goldberg, general
counsel for the Steelworkers
and special counsel for the
AFL-CIO, has advocated in
general terms new legislation
ito assert the public interest"
while preserving free collective
bargaining.
Management leaders gener-
ally are cautious about new
legislation in this field. They
fear Congress would slant Gov
ernment intervention to favor
unions. R. Conrad Cooper,
chief negotiator for the steel
companies, has opposed volun-
tary Neutrality-suspicious. new
legislation-on grounds that
fact-finders almost always rec
ommend inf1ationary settle
ments.
Warned by President
President Eisenhower, while
trying to avoid direct interven-
ton in the steel strike, has
warned that the Government
will have to act decisively unless
the dispute is settled. Secre-
tary Of Labor Mitchell advo-
Gates fact-finding without rec
concentrations in major labor
disputes. He has hinted at more
drastic legislative proposals to
prevent a new steel strike.
Senator Kennedy, who is