Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-16
STEEL.
STEEL
Union Offers NewPIon
To Settle WoIkout
Continued From First Page


Continued From First Page
say they have settled" he said.
The indications of a break
in the long deadlock were re-
Elected on the stock market this
morning. Lukens steel company
stocks were up more than two
points. Bethlehem and Jones
81 LAughlin stocks rose about
a point while United States
Steel was UP a fraction.
Mr.. Cooper headed the four
man industry negotiating team
which met with the union lead
ers in Mr.. McDonald's suite at
the Sheraton Carlton Hotel.
In addition to Mr.. Cooper,
who is executive vice president
of United States Steel, the in
dustry bargaining team in
cluded r. Heath, administra-
tive vice president Of United
States Steel; H. C. Lumb, vice
president Of Republic Steel,
and John H. Morse, counsel to
Bethlehem Steel.
Mr.. McDonald's union nego-
tiating team icnluded Arthur
j. Goldberg, general counsel;
I. w. Abel. secretary-treasurer
and Howard r. Hague, vice
president.
Need of country Stressed
Union and company negotia-
tors agreed to get together
under the urging of the presi-
dental board of inquiry.
DR.. Taylor told the antag-
onists to bargain because "this
country needs a settlement" "
Secretary of Labor Mitchell also
pressed the union and the COM
panies to negotiate.
Lecturing both labor ana
management at the close OF
hearings yesterday, DR.. Taylor
put much heavier pressure on
the companies than on the
union to give ground. He called
on the companies to increase
their offer of wages and other
benefits, and to soften their
demands for changes in work
rules.
Secretary Mitchell. working
behind the scenes, was pursuing
parallel tactics. Management
leaders were extremely un-
happy about the turn of events.
They had counted on Presi-
dent Eisenhower'S campaign
against imitation to bolster their
case.
DR.. Taylor's three-man board
worked on its strike report, due
at the White House Monday.
He said, however, he was mot
without hope" that a voluntary
settlement over the week end
would make a report unneces-
Sary. The President must re-
ceive the report before he can
seek an Injunction to send the
100000 strikers back to work
for 80 days.
Injunction to Be Delayed
It was learned that the
President will consider post
poning injunction action even
If no settlement is achieved by
Monday. If the parties have
made progress by then, Secre-
tary Mitchell will recommend
giving them more time. He
doubts an injunction viii solve
anything, since the strikers
would be free to walk of the
job again at the end Of 80 days.
Concluding formal hearings
yesterday, DR.. Taylor COM
mended the steel companies for
resisting inflationary increases
in wages and benefits. But he
questioned whether the indus
try's proposal of a 2 per cent
increase is the maximum offer
that can be made without con-
tributing to imitation.
"Is this 2 per cent figure as
immutable and magic as it has
been painted to us?" he asked,
adding that it would be "ironic
if by holding to a figure you
have a strike causing an un-
balancing of the budget and
contributing terrif1cally to in
fiation."
The Budget Bureau has said
failure to settle the strike, soon
would reduce tax revenues and
thereby perhaps unbalance the
budget.
Noting that Mr.. Mcdonald
had offered to trim his wage
and benefit demands, DR.. Tay-
lor said, II think there is room
for bargaining at this point. !"
He suggested the union might
reduce its demands closer to-
per cent, and the companies
might exceed that figure.
The companies maintain that
output of steel per man-hour-
one measure Of productivity
increases by an average of less
than 2 per cent per year. When
employment costs rise faster
than productivity. they con-
tend, production costs increase
and prices must go up.
DR.. Taylor agreed with the
companies that some procedure
is needed to change obsolete
work rules" But, he added,
you must pay attention to
minimizing the impact of this
upon the people affected" He