Show v v. u VIEWING 1978 1919 PROSPECTS The new year will be he in between in a afar as asfar asfar far as expiring contracts between betwee management and labor are concerns concerned as is the case every third year There Ther may he be a few fireworks but these ar are likely to be confined for tor the most part t to construction railroad and postal posts service workers No re real l pacesetters setters for wage an and fringe concessions will be Involved involve during the new year but demands wi will willbe willbe be predicated on the gains made in th the automotive industry in 1976 as well a athe as the benefits stashed away in 1977 i in steel aluminum cans telephone service and longshore service If companies and industries revising pacts in 1978 follow their lead th the pattern could include year 3 pay am and fringe advances of better than 3 30 percent with 10 percent or more the th first year CONSIDERABLE UNEASE IN BUILDING Building trades unions are l losing their rigid hold over the construction industry so negotiations in this field should be considerably less aggressive during the new year The Department of Commerce actually estimates that tha the nonunion share of the billion worth of construction put in place ii in 1977 soared to 60 40 percent and ii is continuing to grow rapidly Even more astonishing is the fact fac that an estimated 85 80 percent of 1977 80 billion worth of housing was done by bj nonunion journeyman The swiftly expanding nonunion shops are bidding on more and more huge jobs giving th the unions a real headache Because nonunion and merit paid according to skill building craftsmen are getting such a vast amount ol of construction projects away from the unions most labor negotiators in this line may be expected to tread lightly in ir upcoming bargaining sessions Open shop contractors point out that thai it is not so much the lower pay rates that have aided their progress as it is the elimination of restrictive working rules and jurisdictional disputes They claim that costs are reduced 15 20 percent but even more significant they say is the improvement in productivity and the use of both union and nonunion workers depending on the special needs required RAILROAD POINTS OF DISPUTE Trouble is simmering on the nations nation's roads especially because management is making a real effort to cut back unnecessary train and yard crews The 17 unions representing the railway men have of course continued their firm resistance to any reduction in the number of workers As it looks now a real and full confrontation confrontation confrontation con con- will not come until the middle of 1978 but unionists are being warned already that employers are not necessarily going to weaken their position Industries dependent to any large degree on railroad transportation should keep a close eye on developments developments develop develop- ments over the months ahead POSTAL WALKOUT UNLIKELY While those closest to the situation Feel that a strike is not in the cards when agreements expire next July for postal employees the prospects are still far from reassuring There are many steps that postal management plans to take in the new year and none of rf them will be exactly comforting to the he workers Scheduled for instance is a paring of from the postal labor force in fiscal 1978 plus work rule changes mandatory worker transfers and mechanization tion Because of what some union authorities minorities consider highhanded high actions actions ac- ac ions they intend to fight for job security Admittedly there will be a aal call al for higher wage rates but it may maybe maybe be c safely assumed that any real trouble will vill stem from job security demands Employees in general will not be beager eager ager to go on strike during the course of if a slow-expansion slow inflationary which economy is anticipated for the new lew year Coal workers engulfed in many wildcat walkouts have also suffered the he financial losses of a national strike Most lost industrial employees will agree togo to togo too go o off the job in 1978 1918 only under what they hey consider extreme provocation The first foam rubber was made in an ordinary food mixer in 1929 Glenn Openshaw accompanied Norman Gorman and Janna Haslem to Salt Lake fake ake City to help his son Dale move into a i new home The Dale Pale OpeR haws formerly lived in Cortez Colo where he was vas manager of the JC Penney store Mrs Dan Olsen entertained several youngsters at a party Saturday honoring her herson son Gregorys Gregory's third birth birth- day lay The group enjoyed games and refreshments Doz Dezzie pozzie e Goodrich is at the home of her Wilkins after nine days in r the local hospital |