Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-18
STEEL
Continued From First Page


swer directly when asked about
reuorts that the Kaiser Steel
Corp. @was close to accepting the
unions latest proposal and
breaking away from other COM
panies in the big H."
He said he had not been in
direct contact with Kaiser dur
ing the preceding 48 hours.
R. Conrad Cooper, chief ne
gotiator for the steel COM
panies, said the unions latest
proposal made Friday would
increase employment costs by
nearly 20 cents an hour an
nually. He added the union
offered mo resolution whatso-
ever" of the work-rule problem.
Mr.. Cooper said the manage
nent counterproposal included
q three-year contract which
would increase employment
costs by 2.6 per cent, or nearly
10 cents an hour. in each year.
Cooper Pessimistic
He said the companies offered
improved pensions, insurance
and other fringe benefits in the
first year, and wage increases
of 6 to IL cents an hour in each
of the following two years.
I'VE see little hope" of
achieving a settlement, Mr..
Cooper said, adding that he saw
no hope at all unless the union
changes its position.
The union economic de-
mands, he said, are twice as
large as the maximum that the
tcompanies could grant without
aggravating inflationary
preSSureS.
Work rules were not discussed
In detail. During the 2-hour
and 15-minute conference, Mr..
Cooper said. 1t was understood
that the union proposed a study
of the work-rule problem. The
companies rejected any post
ponement of the issue months
ago.
Disputes over arithm etic
continued.
The union proposal had been
estimated at about 81 cents an
hour in increased wages ana
benefits over a two-year period,
contrasted to Mr.. Cooper's cal
culation of 20 cents hourly each
year.
He indicated one source OF
the discrepancy when he said
the union proposal would cover
only one year and eight months.
Twenty cents an hour in each
year of a new contract was
management's estimate of the
unions first proposal, which
the union figured at Is cents
Until last night, the COM
panies had stood by a wage
and benefit offer they calcu-
lated at 1873 cents an hour
over a two-year period. The
union estimated this offer was
worth only 1912 cents.
Both Sides Standing BY
Management figures its earl.
Ter offer at 2 per cent, COM
pared with its new 90 per cent
proposal.
Mr.. Mcdonald refused to give
his own estimate of what man.
agement's three-year propose
was worth in dollars and cents
Mr.. Cooper said the COM
panies were still exerting "seri'
GUS and strenuous efforts tt
resolve this dispute through
collective bargaining"
He said the companies were
flexible, but the union persisted
In it's "adamant refusal to re-
cede in the slightest"
The two chief negotiators me-
the press separately--Mr. NC
Donald first-instead of jointly
as they usually do. Both Of
them looked grim.
The unions executive hoarc
later unanimously Endorsed Mr.
McDonald's rejection OF the
management counter proposal
Calling the company offel
ridiculous" the union boarc
said it was obviously drafted
with the intention of forcing
us to reject it,"
The companies, the state
ment said, have mo intention
of making any genuine effort
to end this shutdown"
Accusing the companies o.