TERMS DECLINED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21925, 21 January 1946, Page 3

TERMS DECLINED

STEEL DISPUTE

PRESIDENT REBUFFED

MAJOR STRIKE THREAT

CIO a.m.l WASHINGTON. Jan. 20. The C. 1.0. has accepted President Truman’s compromise proposal of 18$ cents an hour increase, but the proposal has been rejected bv the United States Steel Corporation on the ground that it was almost equivalent to the granting of the union’s full demand for 10i cents an hour, whereas the corporation's offer of a 15 cents an hour increase was the limit it was prepared to go. Seriousness Emphasised It is now assumed that 800,000 steel workers will strike “It is a matter of great regret that all our efforts to avoid a steel strike have so far failed,’’ said President Truman in a statement, “because a strike in .the steel industry will be felt in practically every major industry. It will hamper our reconversion effort, and its repercussions will be felt throughout the nation for a long time to c'me.

“I strongly urge the United States Steel Corporation in the public interest as well as the good of business to accept this settlement.

Mr. Henry Kaiser, after conferring with Mr. Truman and the president of the C. 1.0 , Mr. Philip Murray, announced that he had accepted Mr. Truman's suggested steel industry wage compromise of 18£ cents increase. Mr. Kaiser said he had signed an agreement with the C. 1.0. for his West Goast plants. The New York Transport Workers’ Union has threatened a strike of 32,000 municipally-employed sub-way bus, tramway and elevated railway workers which would cause chaos throughout the city, say s the Associated Press. New York Strike Threat The president of the union, Mr. Michael Quill, said the workers might be called out as early as January 21 as a protest against the proposal to sell the city-owned power plants to the Consolidated Edison Company, which is the largest utility concern in the New York area.

Mr. Quill claimed that the private operation of power plants for the city’s transport system would cost about 10,000,000 dollars more annually than at present, and also would jeopardise the jobs and pensions of 1500 . men. The union, therefore, demanded a referendum of the transport workers and was also , seeking a two dollars’ daily wage increase, which would be included in the demands if the strike was called.

The chairman of the Transportation Board. Major-General Charles Gross, said the recommendation regarding power would be submitted to the Mayor shortly. He said a referendum was not required by law. The abrogation of power to dictate the board's decision by a strike threat could not be recognised.