Word: murrays
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...Fairless, president of U.S. Steel, gleaming in a fresh-pressed cord suit and bright red necktie, was waiting on the White House steps. The man he was waiting for, an elderly, blue-suited figure, came walking slowly up the driveway. "Good morning, Ben," said Philip Murray. "Hello, Phil," responded Fairless. Said Murray: "Because of you I didn't get to bed until 3 o'clock this morning." Replied Fairless: "I'm sorry about that. I didn't get much sleep either...
They were there on a summons from Presidential Adviser John Steelman, who had warned them: "This isn't a social visit. This is it." Precisely at 10 o'clock, Murray and Fairless were ushered into the President's oval study. Harry Truman greeted them curtly, then coldly rattled off top-secret statistics to prove that the U.S. was being crippled by the biggest steel strike in its history. Said the President, turning to Fairless: "You can settle this thing, Ben, and you've got to settle it. I want it settled by tomorrow morning...
...lunch they went at it again. At 4:45 p.m., they had an agreement ready to sign, and Steelman came in to witness the signing. Then the trio went to Harry Truman's office. The President listened, called for the press. Like a snappish schoolteacher, he dictated: "Mr. Murray and Mr. Fairless have just advised me that six major steel companies and the United Steelworkers of America (C.I.O.) have reached agreement . . ." The steel strike was over...
This week, union and management met again as the steel loss to the nation rose to 16 million tons, or 15% of a year's production. After four hours, the meeting ended without a settlement. Before the C.I.O.'s Wage-Policy Committee this week, President Philip Murray defiantly announced that the steel industry had repudiated a strike settlement he had worked out with Bethlehem Steel in June. Cried he: "Nobody is big enough to lick you." The C.I.O., Murray later explained, would not settle for anything less than a full union shop. The committee promptly voted unanimously...
...Pittsburgh, it looked like the break that might end the strike. Big Steel's Vice President John A. Stephens, unofficial leader of the industry representatives, sat down again with the Steelworkers' Phil Murray. The industry negotiators reportedly presented a new proposal which would permit a "modified" union shop, i.e., employees need not join if they specifically state within 30 days of hiring that they don't want to. The union sniffed at the plan, but new meetings were scheduled. Both sides were being forced toward agreement by mounting pressure to get steel flowing again...