Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 7 › Conversation 007-036

Nixon phone call with Shultz on Railroad strike and Collective bargaining

Friday, July 30, 1971 · 9:13 AM–9:15 AM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Shultz, George P.Conversation007-036 on Tape 7 (tape position 01:52:35–01:55:01)StartFriday, July 30, 1971 at 9:13 AMEndFriday, July 30, 1971 at 9:15 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 007-036 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and George Shultz coordinated a brief appearance by the President at a meeting between United Transportation Union head Charles Luna and railroad industry representatives. The goal was to exert pressure on both labor and management to resolve a damaging strike through private collective bargaining without explicitly threatening government intervention. Shultz recommended that Nixon deliver a statement emphasizing the administration's concern regarding the strike's economic impact, with White House photographer Ollie Atkins documenting the session to convey presidential involvement.

  • Railroad strike
  • Collective bargaining
  • Labor relations
  • United Transportation Union
  • Economic impact

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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We have Luna, the head of the United Transportation Union, Steve Ailes, the head of the American Railroad Association, and Jack Hiltz, the negotiator for the railroads here.
And we're in the midst of describing the impact of the strike to them.
I think it would make quite an impact if you were
collective bargaining issues settled by collective bargaining and worked out by the private parties and urge them to do that.
Just now not to indicate that we have to do something if they don't do it because they're...
I wouldn't say that.
Obviously we do.
But I think that just expressing your concern and the fact that we're all watching the impact of this and it is getting to the point where we...
It's very damaging, and of course, you can just say other people here have reviewed that.
Paul McCracken is here, Jim Hudson, Bill Essary, Abe Lincoln.
Well, we met in the cabinet room, and the labor and management people are seated on either side of your chair, which is empty, of course.
Yeah, yeah.
And I think it would be good to have Ollie come in and take a picture, which could be released, and then just say your piece and leave.
Well, no, I think it would be good to sit down and let Ollie take a picture while you're talking to them.

NARA Description

On July 30, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 9:13 am to 9:15 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 007-036 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 7-36

Date: July 30, 1971
Time: 9:13 am - 9:15 am
Location: White House Telephone

George P. Shultz talked with the President.

[See Conversation No. 267-4]

     Railroad meeting
           -Charles Luna, United Transportation Union
           -Stephen Ailes, American Railroad Association
           -John P. (“Jack”) Hiltz, Jr., railroad negotiator
           -Impact of strike

           -The President's appearance
                 -Strike
                 -Collective bargaining
           -Paul W. McCracken
           -James D. Hodgson
           -Willie J. Usery
           -George A. Lincoln
           -John A. Volpe
           -The President's appearance
                 -Timing
                 -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
                       -Photograph

Also recorded on July 30, 1971

  • 267-002 9:08 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:08 am to 9:10 am.
  • 267-003 9:10 AM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:10 am and 9:13 am.
  • 267-004 9:13 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:13 am to 9:15 am.
  • 007-037 9:15 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 10:27 am.
  • 267-005 9:15 AM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 9:35 am.
  • 067-001 9:37 AM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon and representatives from the United Transportation Union and railroad management, including Stephen Ailes, John P. ("Jack") Hiltz, Charles Luna, George P. Shultz, James D. Hodgson, John A. Volpe, Gen. George A. Lincoln, Willie J. Usery, Jr., Arnold R. Weber, Paul W. McCracken, and Ronald L. Ziegler, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 9:37 am and 10:23 am.
  • 067-002 9:54 AM · 2 min — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 9:54 am and 10:10 am.
  • 067-003 9:54 AM · 3 min — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 9:54 am and 10:10 am.

All 45 conversations from July 30, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 007-036, July 30, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/007-036 (accessed October 9, 2026).