Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-08
Negotiotors Apparently Resigned
To Toft Law Action in Steel Strike

PITTSBURGH. Oct. 8 (Ap).
Steel negotiators today came
UP against President Eisen-
hoWer's implied strike settle
ment deadline without hope Of
quickly ending the 86-day-old
strike and apparently resigned
to Government use of the Taft
Hartley Law.
Each side said It did not want
Government legal intervention.
David j. Mcdonald, United
Steelworkers president said his
union would undertake a legal
fight to prevent it. But he said
workers would obey the law Of
the land.
The actions OF both sides,
however, indicated they pre-
ferred operating under a court
Injunction rather than ac-
ceptance of the others de-
n1ands for a dispute-ending
agreement.
Last Session Tuesday
The last joint negotiating
session was held Tuesday night.
It ended in complete deadlock.
Since then there is no evidence
that either slde has attempted
to arrange further joint meet
ings.
Eight days ago President
Eisenhower called union and
industry leaders to Washington.
He said he wanted to see some
progress in negotiations before
his scheduled return from a
California vacation today.
The President. didn't say so.
but he left the impression he
would invoke the Taft-Hartley
Law and seek a Federal court
Injunction to halt the strike
If there were no signs Of
progress when he returned to
Washington.
The Taft-Hartley Law pro-
vides for Federal court in
junction to halt a strike for
an 80-day cooling of period.
Uryn Will Dnk.ook
Yesterday. as the President
wound up his vacation at Palm
Springs. Calf. a motorcade of
steelworkers visited his retreat
with a petition asking that he
not invoke the Taft-Hartley
Law.
James Hagerty. White House
press secretary, greeted the
steelworkers and after reading
the petition told them:
"The President hopes the
strike will be settled by COL
lective bargaining, too"
After the White House meet
ing in Washington last week.
industry proposed a 15-cent
hourly package increase over
a two-year period. 1t was the
first money offer submitted by
industry.
The proposal was contingent
on union agreement to allow
management greater control
over working conditions in the
mills. This was to be accom-
plished by changing language
in the contract.
Union Rejected Offer
The union rejected the money
offer as completely unsatisfac-
tory and said the move to
change working conditions was
union busting.
Mr.. Mcdonald said the in
dustry offer would be worth
something like 10 cents an
hour over two years.
The union said it wanted a
15-cent hourly package increase
for each year of any new con-
tract. But industry said the
union was making demands
that would amount to so cents
an hour over a three-year pc
Rod.
The Government says steel
workers earned an average OF
S3.11 an hour last June.
An atmosphere of gloom that
settled around the negotiations
Monday when the industry Of
fer was turned down thickened
yesterday.
Committee Goes Home
First, Mr.. Mcdonald dis
missed the unions 170-member
Wage Policy Committee that
must act on any contract or s
wage proposal. Committee |
members began leaving for f
their homes across the country t
Immediately. ]
Others connected with the S
talks either left or made trav-
cling reservations.
Each side sent out word that 8
1t was willing to resume nego- t
tiations. But neither union nor
industry showed any indication I
of moving from its last stated
position. c