Truman Seizes Control of Steel Industry -- April 8, 1952

On this day in history, President Harry Truman Seizes Control of Steel Industry -- April 8, 1952
On April 8, 1952, President Harry Truman seized control of steel industry, allowing the federal government to administer and oversee the industry. The seizure resulted after the steel producers and steel workers had been unable to reach agreement on a new contract. Truman justified this action under his authority as President but it resulted in a stunning rebuke for him.

On December 31, 1951, the contract between the nation's steel producers and the United Steelworkers Union expired. Weeks of negotiations had failed to produce an acceptable agreement. Since Truman had created a new bureaucracy to manage the economy during the Korean War, both the union and management looked to these agencies to provide a solution. Truman referred the dispute to Wage Stabilization Board (WSB) and requested that both sides continue production until the board made a decision. In March 1952, the WSB voted to give labor a raise of 26 cents an hour. To pay for this increase in wages, the steel manufacturers appealed to the Office of Price Stabilization (OPS) to raise the price of steel but the OPS rejected the request. The administration again attempted to negotiate a compromise, but the steel companies refused to accept the price increases offered by the government, and the union would only accept the raise promised by the WSB. With negotiations at an impasse, a strike appeared inevitable.

Read more on The University of Virginia Miller Center of Public Affairs website: Truman Seizes Control of Steel Industry -- April 8, 1952

For more information, please visit the Harry S. Truman home page or go to more Events in Presidential History.

http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/events/04_08

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The University of Virginia Miller Center of Public Affairs
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/