{"conversationCode":"044-075","tapeNumber":44,"conversationNumber":75,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-044-075","startDateTime":"1973-03-29T22:11:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1973-03-29T22:13:00.000Z","startDate":"29-Mar-1973","startTime":"5:11 PM","endDate":"29-Mar-1973","endTime":"5:13 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"estimated","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Shultz, George P.;","description":"On March 29, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:11 pm and 5:13 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 044-075 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"WHT","recordingDevice":"White House Telephone","latitudeEstimated":38.89767,"longitudeEstimated":-77.03655,"chronCode":"5.4","chronRelease":"Fifth Chronological Release: Part IV","chronReleaseDate":"8-Dec-2010","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 044-075\n\n       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542\n\nDate: March 29, 1973\nTime: 5:11 pm-5:13 pm\nLocation: White House Telephone\n\nThe President talked with George P. Shultz.\n\n       President's March 29 speech\n             -Price controls\n                   -Meat\n             -Strength of language\n\n       Shultz’s conversation with I[lorwith] W[ilbur] Abel\n             -United Steel Workers of America [USWA]\n             -Labor agreement\n                   -Wage increase\n                   -No strike or lockout\n                   -Arbitration\n             -President’s labor strategy\n\n       President’s schedule\n             -Shultz\n             -President’s call to Abel and R. Heath Larry\n\n       President’s March 29 speech\n             -Shultz’s briefing","filename":["044-075.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Shultz, George P."],"prevCode":"044-074","nextCode":"044-076","transcript":[{"start":0.27,"end":2.39,"text":"Yes, Mr. President."},{"start":2.41,"end":17.26,"text":"George, I just wanted to know, in terms of my own remarks here, I understand with our ceiling deal, we plan to keep it in effect indefinitely, but the purpose is to keep it in effect until meat prices begin to go down."},{"start":17.34,"end":19,"text":"Isn't that really what we're saying?"},{"start":19.18,"end":20,"text":"Yes, sir."},{"start":20.46,"end":21.35,"text":"Can I say that?"},{"start":23.05,"end":26.45,"text":"Why don't you look at the, do you have that piece of paper I gave you?"},{"start":26.47,"end":27.18,"text":"Yeah, yeah, I've got that."},{"start":27.36,"end":32.48,"text":"Well, I say these prices must, the way you've got it, these prices must not go higher."},{"start":32.74,"end":35.69,"text":"With the help of the housewife and the farmer, they can and should go down."},{"start":35.87,"end":36.09,"text":"Right."},{"start":36.25,"end":37.47,"text":"And I want to add this sentence."},{"start":37.53,"end":40.92,"text":"The seedling will remain in effect as long as necessary to do the job."},{"start":41.14,"end":42.2,"text":"Get meat prices down."},{"start":43.82,"end":44.28,"text":"Too strong?"},{"start":45.28,"end":50.27,"text":"I'll put it out if you think it's too tough."},{"start":54.27,"end":59.23,"text":"Why don't you stop at as long as it's necessary to do the job."},{"start":59.77,"end":60.99,"text":"Okay."},{"start":61.29,"end":66.08,"text":"Mr. President, I got a very good piece of news about ten minutes ago from I.W."},{"start":66.16,"end":66.4,"text":"Abel."},{"start":66.68,"end":67.44,"text":"Oh, yeah."},{"start":67.46,"end":76.75,"text":"And the steel union and companies have just signed an agreement for sort of a continuous industrial peace."},{"start":77.09,"end":77.35,"text":"Great."},{"start":77.97,"end":80.81,"text":"With a very good wage agreement."},{"start":81.39,"end":91,"text":"from our standpoint, a 3% annual improvement factor and a cost of living protection and an agreement that there will be no strike and no lockout."},{"start":92.04,"end":95.1,"text":"If any disputes come up, they'll subject them to arbitration."},{"start":96.08,"end":108.1,"text":"I think this is one of the proofs of the pudding that the strategy you've got us on of confrontation with labor, let's work with them, let's try to provide a good environment, is really working out."},{"start":108.12,"end":109.28,"text":"Incidentally,"},{"start":110.21,"end":118.67,"text":"Tomorrow morning, you might be kind of busy during the day, but I might make... Abel called."},{"start":120.26,"end":124.25,"text":"I probably ought to give people Abel and the head of the steel company."},{"start":125.73,"end":127,"text":"I'll get you the two names."},{"start":127.02,"end":128.02,"text":"Get me the two names."},{"start":128.12,"end":129.96,"text":"When I come over at 9 o'clock, I'll have them."},{"start":130,"end":132.98,"text":"You come over, and then maybe while you're there, I'll make the call."},{"start":133.18,"end":133.7,"text":"Oh, that's right."},{"start":133.72,"end":134.53,"text":"We're meeting in the morning."},{"start":134.82,"end":139.05,"text":"And if we've got time, your meeting comes first, but if we get through before, I'll make the calls."},{"start":139.07,"end":140.01,"text":"Okay, sir."},{"start":140.03,"end":140.17,"text":"Bye."},{"start":140.21,"end":140.87,"text":"Thanks, George."},{"start":140.91,"end":143.26,"text":"We'll be watching you, and we'll be briefing beforehand."},{"start":143.72,"end":143.98,"text":"Oh, sure."},{"start":144,"end":144.7,"text":"You'll knock them dead."},{"start":145.9,"end":148.16,"text":"You'll knock them out."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon and Treasury Secretary George Shultz discussed the specific language for the President's upcoming speech regarding meat price controls, finalizing a statement that the ceilings would remain in effect as long as necessary. Shultz also reported a significant labor agreement between the United Steel Workers and steel companies, which included a no-strike provision and a focus on arbitration. The two men coordinated plans for the President to call I.W. Abel and R. Heath Larry the following morning to acknowledge the breakthrough.","topics":["Price controls","Meat prices","United Steel Workers","Labor relations","Arbitration","Public speaking"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T06:51:45.540Z"},"topicSlugs":["price-controls","meat-prices","united-steel-workers","labor-relations","arbitration","public-speaking"],"audioDurationSec":149,"audioFiles":[{"file":"044-075.mp3","bytes":5976064,"durationSec":149.29,"bitrate":320238,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:30.404Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:42:44.252Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/044-075.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/044-075","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/44/conversation-044-075","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}