Conversation: 698-002
Prev:  698-001 Next: 698-003Start Date: 30-Mar-1972 3:13 PM
End Date: 30-Mar-1972 4:40 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Bull, Stephen B.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Fitzsimmons, Frank E.; Colson, Charles W.; Shultz, George P.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Atkins, Oliver F. ("Ollie"); [Unknown person(s)]; Recording Device: Oval Office
Full Tape Conversation Start Time: 00:04:47
Full Tape Conversation End Time: 01:31:24
NARA Description:
On March 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Stephen B. Bull, Henry A. Kissinger, Frank E. Fitzsimmons, Charles W. Colson, George P. Shultz, Henry A. Kissinger, Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:13 pm to 4:40 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 698-002 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 698-2 Date: March 30, 1972 Time: 3:13 pm - 4:40 pm Location: Oval Office The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler. Press briefing -Railroad strike -Sheet metal workers -Railroad Emergency Act -George P. Shultz -Memorandum -Documents -Emergency Board -[James D. Hodgson] -The President's signature -Work stoppage -Carl B. Albert -Wage and price freeze -Ziegler's unsuccessful attempt to telephone John B. Connally -Ziegler's talk with Herbert Stein -Administration's response -Connally -Arthur F. Burns -Council of Economic Advisors [CEA] 2 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -Stein -Inflation -Program -Goal Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:13 pm. The President's schedule Bull left at an unknown time before 3:17 pm. Weather -Spring -Flowers Press briefing -The President's schedule -Meeting with Frank E. Fitzsimmons -The President’s previous breakfast with George Meany -Photograph -Purpose -Labor situation -West Coast dock strike Henry A. Kissinger entered at 3:17 pm. Press briefing -William J. Porter -Vietnam negotiations Ziegler left at 3:19 pm. Foreign policy -Kissinger's meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin -Soviet trip -Polish stopover -Cable from Warsaw -Leonid I. Brezhnev -Compared to the President’s trip to Romania -Soviet response -Domestic considerations -US-Soviet Summit -Vietnam 3 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -The President’s previous telephone conversation with Kissinger -Withdrawal deadline -Prisoners of war [POWs] -Military aid -North Vietnam -South Vietnam -Timing -Offensive Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:19 pm. The President's schedule -Meeting with Fitzsimmons Bull left at an unknown time before 3:24 pm. Foreign relations -Kissinger's meeting with Dobrynin -Vietnam -Withdrawal deadline -Soviet and US military aid -Economic aid The President's schedule -Meeting with Fitzsimmons -Kissinger's meeting with Harold J. Gibbons -Gibbons -International Brotherhood of Teamsters Bull, Fitzsimmons, Charles W. Colson and Shultz entered at 3:24 pm. Greetings Introductions -Kissinger International situation -Kissinger’s possible briefings of Fitzsimmons -Soviet summit -National defense -Meany -The People's Republic of China [PRC] trip -Gibbons’s previous trip to North Vietnam 4 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -Soviet summit Kissinger's meeting with Gibbons -Possible comments by North Vietnamese -Gibbons’s comments on Today show -POWs Kissinger's briefing of Fitzsimmons -Timing -Soviet summit -Arms control Golf Kissinger left at 3:27 pm. The President's forthcoming meeting with Brezhnev Photograph Bull left at an unknown time before 4:40 pm. Labor situation -Fitzsimmons -Pay Board membership -Cost of living Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins entered at an unknown time after 3:27 pm. Photographs -Atkins Atkins left at an unknown time before 4:40 pm. Labor situation -Meany's resignation from the Pay Board -Effect on the President's labor relations -Unions -Construction workers -Teamsters -American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations [AFL-CIO] -White House role -Meany 5 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -Fitzsimmons's advice -Peter J. Brennan -AFL-CIO -Meany -Resignation from the Pay Board -Unions -Rank and file -I[lorwith] W[ilbur] Abel -Fitzsimmons -Henry M. ("Scoop") Jackson -Candidacy for presidency -Leonard Woodcock -Establishment of the Pay Board -Woodcock -Walter P. Reuther An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time before 4:40. Refreshments Labor situation -Meany -Woodcock -Loan of money -AFL-CIO -Rubber workers -Steel workers -Teamsters -Peter Bommarito -Abel -Fitzsimmons -United Auto Workers [UAW] -Collateral -Property -Manchester Union Leader -AFL-CIO -Endorsement of Edmund S. Muskie -New Hampshire primary -Florida primary -Illinois primary -Nomination -Abel -Floyd E. (“Red”) Smith 6 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -Woodcock -Nathaniel Goldfinger -Pay Board -Meany resignation -Woodcock resignation -Fitzsimmons -UAW -Meany resignation -Colson's talk with Fitzsimmons -Food prices -Meany's relationship with the President -National security -Fitzsimmons's remaining on the Pay Board -Reactions -Polls -Letters of congratulation -Examples -Albert E. Sindlinger -Call to Fitzsimmons -Public opinion -Industry -Connally -Reduction of food prices -Retailers -Connally's meeting with food chain executives -C. Jackson Grayson, Jr.’s forthcoming meeting with middlemen -Meany -Control of profits -Economic Stabilization Act -Fitzsimmons's statement -Andrew Biemiller -Compromise -Wages and prices -Controls -Democratic controlled Congress -Legislation -Inflation -John F. Kennedy administration -Lyndon B. Johnson administration -End of Vietnam War -Economic implications -Economy -Fitzsimmons 7 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -Experience in organized labor -Length -Purpose -Representing workers -Negotiation compared to confrontation -Strikes -Reasoning for remaining on the Pay Board -Teamsters -Membership -Morale -James R. (“Jimmy”) Hoffa -Colson -John N. Mitchell -Understanding of Hoffa’s role -Fitzsimmons's request to smoke -Fitzsimmons's talks with Mitchell and Colson -Talk with Fitzsimmons regarding future -Schedule -St. Louis -Florida -Josephine Hoffa -President's previous contact -Talk with Fitzsimmons -Wage Board -[William Loeb] -New Hampshire -The President -John English -Gibbons -Fitzsimmons's election as President of the Teamsters -Hoffa -Tom Flynn, Secretary of the Treasury of the Teamsters -Death -Gibbons -Possible election as Secretary of the Treasury of the Teamsters -St. Louis -Relationship with Hoffa -Morris Shanker’s meeting with Fitzsimmons -Hoffa's attorney -Lewisburg Penitentiary -Ray Sheskin [sp?] from Chicago -Flynn -Gibbons 8 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -Activity in the Teamsters Union -Violation of clemency agreement -Murray W. ("Dusty") Miller -Activity in union -1973 -End of restrictions -Commitment from Fitzsimmons -Josephine Hoffa -Visit -Hoffa's union involvement -Hoffa's son -Health -Hoffa's union activities -Joseph Diviney -Einar Mohn -Fitzsimmons's schedule -Florida -San Francisco -Hoffa's union involvement -Gibbons -Miller -Brother's death -Allen Dorfman -Fitzsimmons's meeting with Hoffa -Health -Meeting with Fitzsimmons in San Francisco -Teamsters -Election -Growth -Reputation -Teamsters -Hoffa’s resignation from presidency -Fitzsimmons as president -Change in constitution of the union -Succession to presidency -Hoffa -Clemency restrictions -Union involvement -Central states conference -Eastern conference -Message to Hoffa -Western conference -Fitzsimmons 9 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -Southern conference -Miller -Presidency -Fitzsimmons's authority -Tucson, Arizona -Meeting -Western conference -Fitzsimmons's speech -Administration policies -The President -Success -Fitzsimmons's speech -Seattle, Washington -Fitzsimmons's endorsement of a candidate for the presidency -Lee Kearney [sp?] -New York -John V. Lindsay -Unknown name [Mayo?] -Unknown person -Nelson A. Rockefeller -Loeb -New Hampshire -Mitchell -The President The President's schedule -Philip V. Sanchez -Office of Economic Opportunity [OEO] Economy -Dock strike -Harry Bridges -Meany -Thomas W. (“Teddy”) Gleason -Fitzsimmons's speech in New York -Theodore Kheel -Bridges -Gleason's support -John M. Bowers -Gleason’s support of Bridges -William M. Chester, Jr. -Bridges -Agreements discussed 10 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -Job disputes -Longshoremen -Teamsters -Pay Board -Thomas E. Flynn -Pay -Fitzsimmons's advice -James J. Reynolds [?] -Pay Board -Newspaper ads -AFL-CIO -Bridges's meeting with Fitzsimmons -Chuck Belsa [?], Chester -Bridges's communist associations -AFL-CIO -Meany -Woodcock -Smith, Abel -Meany phone conversation with Fitzsimmons -Council meeting -Longshoremen strike -Teamsters -Garment workers -Cement finishers -Glass bottle blowers -Pay Board -Commitment to the President -Shultz -Meany's resignation -Unknown person -Connally -Donald H. Rumsfeld -Proposed meeting with the President -Updates -Fitzsimmons to Shultz -Teamsters -Bridges -Shipping containers -Guaranteed fund -Charges -Courts -Possible longshoremen union consolidation with Teamsters -Executive Board 11 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06) -Congressional leaders -Meetings with the President -Meany -Pay Board -Strikes -Effects -Anti-strike legislation -John L. Lewis Bull entered at an unknown time after 3:27 pm. Ashtray Bull left at an unknown time before 4:40 pm. Labor situation -Pay Board -Meany -Lewis Columbia Country Club -Fitzsimmons’s application -The President -Golf -Shultz -Fitzsimmons -Mitchell Gifts Pay Board -Fitzsimmons's request of Colson -Fitzsimmons's call to Bob [last name unknown] Golf -Unknown man [Shultz?] Fitzsimmons -Colson -Shultz -Meeting with the President Fitzsimmons, Colson and Shultz left at 4:40 pm. 12 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF Tape Subject Log (rev. 10/06)