Meany Draws Up His Shopping List

For organized labor, 1977 is a year of great expectations. That was the message that came out of the midwinter gathering of the AFL-CIO executive council in Bal Harbour, Fla., last week. Rarely in recent years had George Meany, the AFL-CIO's often flinty president, and his fellow leaders been more buoyant. After eight years of Republican Administrations, the unions can now look forward to dealing and wheedling not only with an intensely sympathetic Democratic Congress but also a Democratic President who is deeply indebted to labor for his election victory.

With that in mind, the 34-member AFL-CIO council, in a flurry of resolutions and statements, issued what amounts to the most ambitious set of legislative goals in memory. Noted one labor bigwig: "George and the boys are shooting for the works."

Yet, despite their public optimism, there is a touch of confusion and unhappiness among labor leaders about some of President Carter's recent actions. Union men are particularly miffed at the President's proposals for stimulating the economy, notably his emphasis on a $50 income tax rebate for millions of Americans. Instead of tax cuts, labor wants more Government spending to create jobs. Said Meany, who never lets his own $90,000 salary deter him from hurling a good, populist line: "I don't see why people in the upper brackets should get $50 that they can flip at the first headwaiter they see."

Labor is equally displeased with Carter's talk of trying to hold down inflation by having companies and unions confer with the Government before seeking increases in prices and wages. "We will not cooperate," insisted Meany. "We will oppose it completely and absolutely. It would destroy collective bargaining." On the whole, however, the unions still expect to get along well with the President.

A major topic of conversation at the Bal Harbour meeting was this year's collective-bargaining calendar, which involves 5 million workers in such key industries as steel, aerospace, communications and coal mining. The consensus is that 1977 wage settlements could be hefty--at least as large as last year's average 8.3% increase for the first year of a contract. Moreover, greater emphasis than ever will be placed on job security.

Bruising Battle. The sharpest labor-management confrontation this year will be in the coal fields, where chances of a disastrous strike are great. One reason: United Mine Workers President Arnold Miller is fighting a bruising battle to retain his post in a June election against the union's secretary-treasurer, Harry Patrick, and Lee Roy Patterson, another union official. Whoever wins, the souped-up promises of the campaign--fatter pay, expensive safety improvements--will have to be included in the union's demands and could cause coal operators to resist.

Though collective bargaining will be important this year, most labor leaders believe that many of their goals can only be attained in the political arena. Thus they plan to bring pressure on Congress and the White House to:

1) Adopt a common situs picketing bill, which was vetoed by President Ford last year. This would help keep nonunion firms off construction jobs by allowing a single union to picket the entire project. Prospects for passage by Congress are excellent, and Carter has promised to sign the bill.

2) Repeal of Section 14B of the Taft-Hartley Act. The section permits states to ban the so-called union shop, which requires new employees to join unions. Chances that Congress will go along are about fifty-fifty. Carter has agreed to sign such a bill.

3) Grant public employees the same collective-bargaining rights as workers in private industry. The measure faces legal hurdles because a recent Supreme Court ruling limits Congress's authority to set employment requirements for state and local governments.

4) Overhaul the 1935 National Labor Relations Act, giving employees a stronger hand in dealing with management and granting them greater Government protection from unfair labor practices. The law as presently written, says Meany, allows companies to use "high-priced lawyers" to deprive workers of their rights. Congress is already considering such legislation.

5) Boost the federal minimum wage by 30%-- from $2.30 an hour to $3-- and tie the wage floor thereafter to a cost of living escalator. While there is some congressional sentiment for a hike in the minimum wage, which was last raised in 1974, the chances of linking it to the consumer price index, which would clearly be inflationary, are slim.

Congressional conservatives, including many Southern Democrats as well as Republicans, can be expected to battle against much of the labor-sponsored legislation. They may even push for some amendments of their own -- including a ban on strikes by public workers and on efforts to organize the military. Thus, while 1977 could be a relatively quiet year for contract negotiations, the stage is set for a series of monumental clashes between the champions of labor and their largely outgunned opponents on Capitol Hill.

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