Show I BABSON'S ti s 's a r AUTHENTIC STATEMENT W nabs Special to THE EXPRESS END OF INDUSTRY WIDE LABOR BARGAINING Babson Park Mass Decem ber 16 Arguments have been common over the pros and con cons of la labor or lions such as have existed for some time in steel For or the most part steel executives have tend ed to favor such bargaining ng In their field They have pointed out that this prevents the union from tackling one of the weak er companies forcing on it an unrealistically costly contract then foisting this on the other firms Out of the coal industry came the idea of solid front developed by its Big Daddy John L Lewis prest dent of the United Mine Work Work- Workers ers This spread in 1955 to the Steelworkers an offshoot of the But the way is looks now the scene is shifting again UNION BEGINNING TO WONDER Most union authorities at least in steel have seemingly been satisfied with industry wide deliberations Now they are inclined to take a second look After all the United Automo- Automo Automobile Automobile bile Workers did better than the Steelworkers in their latest set dement terms and they bar gained with each concern individually dually So steel labor leaders have established a committee to see If they cant can't Improve their bargaining techniques Insiders know that many of the rank and file in steel want the union to take on the com com- companies one ne by one They think they can get more that way In wages and benefits Also they believe they will have a ter chance of f settling special job differences of a non mic nature at the company Ie le- le level vel Union leaders are listening to suggestions And it is more than possible that the practice of block negotiations with the biggest companies In an ry may eventually be dropped in steel and possibly in some other fields LESSONS LEARNED IN 1965 Labor planners recognize that in steel they are under a new regime I W Abel has ed David J McDonald as dent of the Steelworkers and he is not afraid to change tact ics if he thinks it will be mote mono rewarding for or his membership Negotiations this year seemed cumbersome to many union union- unionIsts I Also they feel that the go go- government will always intervene when a whole industry is threat cried ened as it did in 1965 and other years before that Actually such intervention has almost always favored labor But still both sides are strong for fr free e collective tive action i Several of those on In the new study bargaining committee are known to have bave suggested corn com parry company s attal earl earl- earlier ier this year when the going got tough Nothing came of it but at least it ft showed how the wind is blowing behind the seeMS scenes in the union Hence change may very well be on the horizon It is expected that the committee will work up I some proposals on this matter for consideration at next years year's convention FEWER SCALE BIG WORK STOPPAGES Wl What at will it mean to labor laborin laborin in general if wide industry neg neg- neg negotiations are dropped For one thing labor would then have little chance of forcing huge strikes that threaten the nat nat- nation's ions ion's welfare This by turn tarn would prefer to fight their own battles to the end without hay hay- haying ing the government step m ia lt It might create more mor small walkouts but would undoubted undoubted- undoubtedly ly mean fewer big ups One employer move in this direction has been seen in the New York newspapers Originally alL of the city's papers closed down if one publisher was struck But Butin in the blow up before last last one ne paper withdrew from the arran arran- arran arrangement gement and kept printing while the others closed down dawn This year two publishers stayed out of the united front against the union So once ag again n it looks as though both em employers and unions are headed away from the controversial concept of company bargaining |