Evening star., 1959-12-29
Steel Concerns
Reject Outside
Strike End Aid
Hit Union in Crisis;
Deadlock Hopeless;
Probe Sessions End
By LEE M. COIN
Star Stan Writer

Dy ACE NNs SOAAAN
Star Stan Writer
Steel management, blaming
the union for the looming strike
crisis, today rejected proposals
for outsiders to recommend
terms of settlement.
Such intervention could pro-
duce no settlement, except
for an inflationary agreement,
r. Conrad Cooper, chief nego-
iator for the companies, main
tanned.
Mr.. Cooper testified as a
presidential board of inquiry
concluded public hearings on
the dispute. After hearing man.
agement's defense of its pro-
posals the board adjourned to
prepare its report to President
Eisenhower due January 6
The hearings ended with a
bitter exchange of charges by
union and industry leaders un-
derlining the hopeleSSneSS of
the deadlock.
Deception Charged
Each side accused the other
of deception, Misrepresentation
and ulterior motives.
DR.. George w. Taylor, chair
man of the three-man board
of inquiry, reiterated his ap-
praiSal that the differences be-
tween the union and the COM
panies are wider now than they
were last October, when the
board attempted mediation.
Mr.. Cooper contended that
the companies have reached
the very outer limits of what
might conceivably be a nom
inflationary offer" He esti-
mated the industry terms would
cost 30.6 cents per man hour
during 3-year contract. The
union estimates the package
at % to "a cents.
Third-party inter vention
could only result in recommen-
dationS of a non-inflationary
settlement that the union has
refused to accept, and would
again reject, or in recommen-
dations for a more costly set
tlement which would clearly
be inf1ationary, and which the
companies could not volun-
tarily accept" Mr.. Cooper said.
Nixon Effort Reported
AS the hearing ended, there
were reports that Vice Presi-
dent Nixon had been engaging
in acknowledgements efforts to
promote a settlement, the As
sociated Press reported.
1t was learned that Mr.,
Nixon called union president
David j. Mcdonald to a pri-
vate conference at his home
about a week ago, but there
was no word as to what was
said.
Mr.. Nixon's move came on
the heels of a visit here by
former Gov. Thomas E. Dewey
OF New York, who conferred
with the Vice President and
also with Secretary of Labor
Mitchell. Informants who told
OF Mr.. Nixon's talk with
Mr.. Mcdonald did not know
whether there was a connec-
ton with Mr.. Dewey's visit
here.
Union Attacked
1T is the unions policies and
bargaining practices that have
been solely responsible for the
continuing dea dlock," Mr..
Cooper told the presidential
board this morning.
Mr.. Cooper said the union has
made "inflationary" demands
right along. Earlier this month,
he said, the union withdrew its
previous offers and Substituted
increased demands for more
costly wage and benefit increases
and more onerous and restric-
tive contract restrictions"
This action, Mr.. Cooper
charged sis the very antitheSis
of union responsibility" and
proves that the union must
bear the whole burden of blame
for the Stalemate in negotia-
tionS.
Strike May Resume
Steelworkers are on the job
under a Taft-Hartley Act in
junction which halted their
116-day strike November Z.
They are scheduled to vote
January II to Is on the steel
companies "last offers" of set
tlement. In the absence of
settlements, the workers will
be free to resume their strike
See STEEL, Page AS