MEANY OFFERS ALTERNATIVE TO WAGE-PRICE GUIDELINES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP73-00475R000100820014-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 17, 2014
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: August 23, 1966
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP73-00475R000100820014-2
CHICMO,
Will-ettne
- 5311,870
.-661-ess.22!
Me 2 3 190,3
6E(Lrty 4ffrs Aitern'ative
a
e eG
negotiatiory, other onions.
'the International Assn. of l
Machinists claimed it won 6 1
to 8 per cent a year increase
in wages and fringe benefits
for its 35,400 members.
Call 'Unrealistic'
Gardner Ackley, Presi.dent
Johnson's chief economic ad-
viser, said the union got a 4.9
per cent annual increase.
Meany termed it unrealistic
for the President to set a spe-
cific figure on how tn.ueh wage
increases should be, since the
ability of various industries to
pay their workers is not uni-
form.
There are unions, be said,
that would be happy to get a
3.2 per cent wage increase for
their members, while in other
cases that would not be enough.
Meany was in Chicago to
preside at a meeting of the
29-member AFL-CIO Execu-
tive Council, which will be in
session most of the week.
Council Backs AUTO
He announced the council
had voted to reject "the cam-
paign of, vilification that has
been conducted" against the
American Institute for Free
Labor Development (NITA .D).
AFL-CIO president George
Meany said here Monday there
are better ways to fight infla-
, lion than by following Presi-
dent Johnson's suggested 3.2
per cent annual wage-price
guidelines.
One of the best ways, Meany
said, would be. to "make mon-
ey more available at reason-
able (interest) rates."
Banks across the nation, in-
cluding Chicago banks, last
? eek raised the prime rate of
interest on commercial loans
' from 5:!:1 to 6 per cent.
"High interest rates," said
Meany, "means that housing
costs much more."
Speaks Of Prices
Another way to combat in-
? Anion. said the labor leader,
would be for companies to
hold down prices of their prod-
ucts whenever possible.
"In many cases prices could
? be ? held down," he observed,
."and companies fail to hold
them down despite enormous
. profits."
Speaking at a press confer-
ence at the Ambassador West
Hotel, Meany said the recent
wage settlement in the airlines
industry will have an effect in
p ?
uidelines
The institute was estaKshed
in 1962 to train Latin Ameri-
can labor leaders. It is spon-
sored by the AFL - CIO, 64
American businesses and the
U.S. government.
Meany said AIFLD has
been charged with fomenting
revolutions in Latin America,
serving as an arm of the
State Department, and being
connected with the Central In-
telligence Agency.
-One of its chief critics has
been Victor Reuther, head of
the international affairs de-
partment of the United Auto
Workers and an assistant to
his brother, Walter, . UAW
president.
Meany, who serves as
A IFLD president, said Reu-
ther's charges have been inves-
tigated and that AFL-C10 of-
ficials found that the UAW of-
ficial was "misinformed."
Beirne At Session
One council meMber attend-
ing the sessions is Joseph A.
Beirne, president of the Com-
munication Workers of Amer-
ica, whose union is in critical
negotiations with Western
Electric Co. on wages andt
benefits.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release @ 50-Yr 2014/01/17: CIA-RDP73-00475R000100820014-2