ITO AVOID STRIKE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVXIII, Issue 53, 4 March 1937, Page 7

ITO AVOID STRIKE.

U.S. STEEL INDUSTRY.

New Agreement Recognises

Union

40-HOUR WEEK, WAGES RISE. United Prea* Asuoclation.—Copyright. PITTS IH'!<<.', March S. Tlio Carnegie (Illinois) Corporation lias signed an agreement with the Steel Workers' f'nion granting it recognition, an increase in wages, h 40-hour week and other demand*. This ends the possibility of a general strike in the industry in the spring, which previously was freely predicted.

The agreement is tin- first made with an independent trade union in (he history of the United States Steel Corporation.

The news \mi* r.Meivcd \>itli jjnitiflcetion. in Washington by the Secretary of Labour. Mis* Knin.-cs Perkins, 11 n<l the Secretary of the Navy. Mr. C A. Swanwon. The latter announced that, he would immediately advertise a L-uiii for tender* for g/>,<HH),<MMIIIi of Meel urgently needed for naval lstnict ion.

OfliiUla in Washington f,.,.) that tlu> settlement of the uteel industry's t-ouhlee is particularly timely to the announcement that Uritain will liave 25 («|jital ships by 11*42. It is recognieed that it is the policy of the I'nited Statee to keep j.ale with Britain. Bitter Foe of Unionism. The United States Steel Corporation has been one of the bitterest foes of organised labour, but. hI the conference which resulted in the agreement, for the first time for 50 years, it wag even willinjf to dinciiHH negotiation with the utiiouH. Therefore the victory of the Committee of Industrial Orjianittation is huiled by unions und by leaders of the (ioverument in Washington as the forerunner of widetipread acceptance of the Walsh-Healey Act and it o minimum labour standard by other large industries. - It 18 believed in some quarters that President Roosevelt is delaying the presentation of hi* labour legislation programme in the hope that other induw tries will follow the lead of the steel and motor industries by entering into wages and home agreements through bargaining.

If Mr. John Lewis' Committee of Industrial Organisation can achieve similar successes in other imhhh industries the main objectives of the (invent ment will be accomplished by voluntary agreements and the legislative programme can be limited to the establishment of (ioveriirnent machinery to maintain agreements.