Broadcasting Oct 31 - American Radio History

Today, It's Steel. Tomorrow It Could Be Your Industry, Your Job.
U.S. Steel and British Steel plan to finish their
negotiations by the end of November on a far -
reaching plan to change the nature of the American
steel industry.
Their decision, and our government's response
to it, may be as important to you as it is to American
steelworkers.
U.S. Steel has proposed to stop steel -making at
its Fairless Works near Philadelphia, and import 3t/z
million tons of semi- finished steel slabs annually
from the government -owned British Steel Company.
Other East Coast and midwestern steel mills would
soon be forced, by competitive pressure, to follow
U.S. Steel's lead.
The United States would immediately lose
3,000 steel -making jobs at Fairless Works - and
would soon lose 75,000 to 100,000 other steel-
making jobs in other steel mills. Jobs in iron ore and
coal mining would disappear too, as would jobs in
the service industries which supply steel mills,
steelworkers, coal and iron ore mines.
The British steel mills produce these slabs with
huge government subsidies. Ironically, U.S. Steel in
the past has been an outspoken critic of the dumping
of subsidized foreign steel on the American market.
Now, the company is saying that even if the British
deal falls through, it will seek similar arrangements
with other countries.
UNITED STEELWORKERS OF AMERICA
Since foreign steel facilities are usually govern-
ment -owned and highly subsidized, American work-
ers and companies find themselves in the position
of trying to compete with a foreign government.
It can't be done. Take wages, for example.
While some people seem to think American steel-
workers make far more than we actually do, work-
ers in steel -making facilities in many foreign coun-
tries make barely enough to survive.
Anything approaching such a wage scale in this
country would result in a severe depression for
everyone. Nobody could afford to pay American-
style medical bills, taxes, home payments or food
bills on such wages. Neither could they afford
American automobiles, consumer goods or educa-
tions for their children. The result of such a low -
wage policy would be devastating, not only for
hourly workers, but for business and professional
people and all others in our society.
Were doing everything we can to resist the
U.S. Steel- British Steel deal. We're convinced it
would open the way to the destruction of the Ameri-
can basic steel industry. But beyond that, we want
to help make the American people aware of the
dangers of foreign industrial targeting and dumping
to all of us.
All of us are the targets.
Including you.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ON INDUSTRIAL
TARGETING AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO DEAL WITH THE
PROBLEM, PLEASE MAIL- THIS COUPON TO:
NAIE
ADDRESS
Lloyd McBride, President
United Steelworkers of America
Five Gateway (:enter
Pittsburgh, PA 15222