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Show October 11, 1949 The Dragerton Tribune, Dragerton, Utah rAGE TWO J.El Brinley, Sunnyside, Frank and the Governor speaking. Merlene Stark was chosen as Sacco, Sunnyside, James Stewart coining year. Vernon Wayne Parris resident and Joe Archuletta of Dragerton homecoming queen at Carbon. of Dragerton was killed instantly and Ivan McCourt all attended the BOOST YOUR TOWN when the car in which he was UMW convention at Cincinnati, Tiding hit a utility pole three miles Ohio.. - IT BOOSTS YOUM Morris Nelson elected Junior north of Price on 50-- 8 Highway. A it H Market opened its doors class president at Carbon High. Sunny Worthington of DragerVera Scow and Don Parmley to the people of East Carbon. ton is visiting with her parents J.A. Theobold resigned with the were married on October 10. Democrats stage rally in Carbon at Dragerton, Sunny is attending Carbon County Chamber of Commerce to take a position with the county with Senator Thomas, Wasatch Academy at MSy Pleas- heading the One Year Ago Allred the YMMIA for Two blast furnaces were out in the Provo area. A breakout at the taphple took the. No. 1 blast .furnace out of production, the second time within less than two months that this trouble has occurred. Underground water forced a shutdown in the Iron ton plant Mrs, Vera Warren was named , to head the YWMIA with Nordell state government Walter Representative Granger ant Carbon Dinosaurs Play At Richmond Wednesday and win the remaining games, of Sam Stoddard Elected the year. 'president 7th Grade Th Carbon Dinosaurs, after defeating Tooele a week ago last Friday- 40 to 0, will travel to North Cache where they will play Richmond. The Carbon high team is beginning to show form after losing two games so far this year. reIn order to get state-wicognition it will.be necessary fox the local lads to put the steam, on The old Wasatch store-buildi- ng in Sunnyside has only a wall left standing thatshould be torn down this week. The space has already been leveled and will be used for parking facilities. Mr. and Mrs. Dick of Salt Lake are visiting at the home of Mr. and Mrs... Jack Brace of Drager ton. - de Stoddard was elected president of the Seventh grade ri as nt East Carbon last Wedelec- -' nesday. Bessie Marakis was Ronald with vice president ted and Skaznas, secretary-treasurLois Ann Price, reporter. The meeting was held in the study hall with Mrs. Mary Crawford in charge of the election. Sam er Geneva Steel Company, U S Steel Corporation subsidiary, presents to its employees and to the public the following statements regarding The Issues Involved in the Current Steel Strike Statement By Statement By IRVING S. OLDS Chairman, Board of Directors, United States Steel Corporation New York City, October 1, 1949 ' ' BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS President, United States Steel Corporation Pittsburgh, Pa., September 30, 1949 i Murray, President of the United Steelworkers of America has ordered a strike in the steel industry, which became effective at 12:01 A3I. today. This strike has ended all steel operations by United States SteeL bargaining negotiations with the United Steelworkers Our collective America (CIO) have come to a complete impasse, because of the Philip .In view of your direct interest in this serious situation, I hope you will read carefully the accompanying statement, which was issued last night by Benjamin F. Fairless, President of United States Steel Corpora tion. It reviews what has taken place during the past few days. . . Only one issua is involved in this strike. That issue is a simple one, namely: Shall United States Steel and the other members of the steel industry be forced now to agree that the employer shall pay the entire cost of insurance, welfare benefits and pensions for employees. That would be the adoption of a major principle, probably for all time and probably setting a pattern for all American business. 7 r - j ' ' - ' ' The main argument of the Union in support of its demand is that this is what was recommended by the Presidential Steel Board. Certainly at principle of so great importance to United States Steel and to American industry as a whole, and involving so terrific a cost, is not to be lightly accepted, simply because it was the recommendation of a Board of three men, which possessed no statutory authority, power or Responsibility. . The President of the United States gave express assurance in advance that the recommendations of the Presidential Steel Board would not 1m ' binding upon either party. Social security in which both employer and employee share the cost . has been die established order in this country for many years. Under the Federal Social Security Act, which created the largest of all social security employer and employee each contributes an equal amount. Programs, Civil Service Retirement Act, amended in February 1948, xhe that Government Federal shall contribute 6 of employees provides fund. of their basic pay to build up an old-ag- e retirement The Federal Railroad Retirement Act calls for contributions by employees. All State disability benefits require employees systems providing to contribute a substantial share of the cost. A survey recently made by the Institute of Life Insurance indicates that two out of every three group life insurance plans effective among American business concerns provide for the sharing of the cost between employer and employee. rs Another outside study made in 1948 discloses that more than of present pension plans in American industry are upon a contributory basis. In August 1949, the Ways and Means Committee of the House of Representatives made this report to" that branch of Congress in connection with the proposed extension of the Federal Social Security Act: , three-quarte- -- .. . . , . .. . v The ultimatum issued to us by Philip Murray, President of the September 21, 1949, continues to be his inflexible position. We must accept the recommendations, of the Presidential Steel Board or a steel strike will result tonight at midnight, regardless of the consequences of such a strike to the public and to our employees. The position of Mr. Murray, is that the Board had powers equivalent to those of a compulsory arbitration tribunal, and that we are bound by the Boards recommendations, despite the written assurance of President Truman when he created the Board that its recommendations would not be binding upon either party. United States Steel declines to bow to such an ultimatum. We feel sure that the public will promptly recognize that the responsibility for a strike rests with, the Union. United States Steel proposed last Tuesday night to pay as its share of the cost of contributory programs for insurance and pensions to be negotiated with the Union up to an average of 4 cents an hour for insurance and 6 cents an hour for pensions these being the exact amounts recommended by die Presidential Steel Board as the cost to he paid by the employer for such social security programs. Federal social security and pensions for Federal Government employees are upon a contributory basis, as is also true of many State and industrial social security programs.' American industry alone cannot afford to pay the cost of adequate insurance and pension programs for employees. x As recommended by the Board, United States Steel offered to join with the Union in making a joint study of pensions, to be concluded by March 1, 1959. Upon the conclusion of such a joint study, an Effort would be made to negotiate a mutually satisfactory contributory pension plan with the Union to become effective when our present labor agreements expire on April 30, 1950. Under United States Steels proposal for a contributory insurance program to be forthwith negotiated and put into effect, United States Steel would pay about $5.70 a month for each participating employee. The cost to a single employee would be about $2 a month and about $3 a month for an employee obtaining insurance for his dependents. These insurance contributions by employees would not reduce their e pay, nor would they id any sense be a wage cut, as present Mr. Murray has charged. U. S. Steel employees on the average are now paying more under present contributory insurance and employee welfare plans than they would be asked to contribute under the companys proposal, which would provide superior benefits to those now available. Therefore, U. S. Steels insurance proposal would result in the employee on the average taking home each month the same amount of pay as at present, and in addition $5.70 of further insurance and welfare benefits paid for by United States SteeL To make the negotiations more difficult, the Union demanded last Wednesday afternoon not only a complete acceptance of the Boards recommendations on insurance and pensions, but that they be made retroactive to July 1 6, 1949. No such retroactive provision was contained in the Boards report. The Union also proposed that a wage increase of 12V5 cents an hour be negotiated. The Board had found that a wage increase at this time was not justified. Yesterday the Union made a new demand for a wage increase of 30 cents an hour ks an alternative to all questions under discussion. These proposals of the Union clearly indicate its unwillingness to attempt in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable settlement. They were the only proposals made by the Union during the entire negotiations which started last Friday. ,The Union. flatly rejected the fair and constructive proposals of ... United States SteeL This rejection by the Union ends any hope of an early amicable settlement which is a matter of the deepest regret to United States SteeL . ' unreasonable attitude of the Union. For a week past United States Steel has attempted through a resumption of collective bargaining with the Union to reach a solution of the matters in dispute as was requested by the President of the United States. ' Union, on .... take-hom- The time has come to reaffirm the basic principle that a contribu tory system of social insurance in which workers share directly in meeting the cost of the protection afforded is the most satisfactory way of preventing dependency. United States Steel has never opposed proper and financially sound social insurance and pension programs for its employees. For many years it has had in effect a pension plan, partly contributory and partly noncontributory. The only pensions to which the chief executives of United States Steel Corporation may become entitled upon retirement are under this contributory pension plan, which is applicable upon exactly the same basis to every employee receiving compensation in excess of $3,000 year. Since 1935 United States Steel has had a contributory group life insurance plan, mostly paid for by the employees, under which the great majority of its employees are now protected. In addition, there are numerous employee welfare associations throughout United States Steel, where the entire cost of welfare benefits is paid by the employees. . t We had hoped to be able to .work out with the Union through collective bargaining any changes in our existing programs for insurance and pensions, which are necessary or desirable at this time. Instead we have been met with the Unions flat ultimatum that we must accept, the t eCommendations of the Presidential Steel Board as the equivalent of the determination of a compulsory arbitration tribunaL United States Steel declines to bow to that ultimatum. v Geneva Steel Company Walther Mathesius PRESIDENT , . |