OCR Text |
Show UM A tW WWW United States Steel wants to do what is right by its are now paying under existing welfare arrangements more employees.. We have always sought the loyal cooperation than these amounts each month for lesser benefits. The and friendship of our employees. payments by our employees under the proposed insurance " . ' program would not reduce their present take-home pay. United States Steel favors proper programs of insurance, welfare, and pensions for its employees. We have had A proper and financially sound pension plan calls for insurance and pension plans in effect for many years. We most careful consideration. United States Steel has offered are ready and willing to try to work out with the Union to join with the Union in making a joint study on pensions, through collective bargaining any changes in our existing ' and.' uPon the completion of this study, to negotiate with the programs for insurance and pensions which are now necessary Union for a Pension Plan t0 be included in a new labor con , , , . " tract, .effective on May 1, 1950. As an indication of its or desirable. ' ' good faith, United States Steel has offered to pay up to 6 We made an offer to the Union to pay as our share of . cents an hour as its share of the cost of a mutually satisfac-the satisfac-the cost of programs of insurance and pensions to be nego- tory contributory pension plan. Here again, the Union flatly tiated with the Union up to an average of 4 cents an hour "rejected our proposal. for insurance and 6 cents an hour for pensions. That was a . ' The only issue in the present steel strike is this: . very substantial offer on our part. It would provide at our ' i r i r-. i l, i Shall United States Steel be forced now to agree that expense insurance and welfare benefits which our employees 3 i , ,, T, , , x , it must pay the entire cost of insurance, welfare benefits do not presently enjoy. The adoption of such programs q ' I I iU ' dnd pensions for its employees? An assumption by the em- would add more than $50,000,000 annually to our costs of ,-, . ployer of complete financial responsibility would amount operation. r r 1 to the adoption of a major and highly costly principle, The Union flatly rejected this liberal proposal and called probably for all time. Moreover, such action by a large - a strike against us. Why? Simply because United States " steel company would probably set a pattern for all American Steel is not willing to agree in advance that it will pay the business. There is grave doubt as to the financial ability .:;tS n rr. tire cost of insurance ond pensions for its employees. of Amefican industry alone to pay the cost '-of adequate- , , ,. . . , , . insurance ond pension programs for employees. Further-7 i I fl hwrt Because of the Union s odamonf stand that we must;!. :;r " V' I .. . . . ... , v , v, -r cS4aore, isliit not in the best interests of the employee that he ' ' "" " pay the entire cost of insurance and pensions for employees, ; ! ' O , ,, ; , . . , ; MM. participate in the creation of a savings account for his the Union has deprived our employees of on opportunity ' My . 1 1 r. future welfare? ' .M ' " . , , ., , , immediately to obtain, without additional cost to them, insurance protection far superior to that which the em- ' Social security in which both employer and em ployees now possess. ployee share the cost ' has been the established order ' , , ' - in this country for many years, 'as evidenced by the United States Steel proposed to pay as its share of the Federal Social Security Act. cost of an insurance program about $5.70 a month for each .. ' participating employee. A single employee would , pay as Why should our employees and the whole nation suffer his share about $2 a month and an employee with depen- the disastrous consequences of a steel strike, from which dents about $3 -a month. Our employees on the average the employees have so little to gain? n nnnnr3HN mmj n -rn nrnn i ; l u i. n i I uu M M MJ an iJ r 1 r UU Li LJL:: LJ L j Li. L IJ ' U :J LJ lZjL "T.Li |