Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 324 › Conversation 324-030

Nixon & Ziegler on Pay Board and George Meany

Wednesday, March 22, 1972 · 2:55 PM–3:15 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building ·5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation324-030 onTape 324 (tape position 03:40:11–03:45:19)StartWednesday, March 22, 1972 at 2:55 PMEndWednesday, March 22, 1972 at 3:15 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 324-030 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler consulted on a forthcoming public statement regarding organized labor's recent withdrawal from the Pay Board. The discussion focused on framing the actions of labor leaders, such as George Meany, as detrimental to the national fight against inflation. Nixon instructed Ziegler to emphasize that the administration would not allow powerful labor interests to supersede the law or sabotage the economic interests of the majority of American wage earners.

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I have to read this one out.

So, that's what I want to check with you.

Basically, the thing comes from, you know, credit for the use of the word.

According to the fact that not all of it is the word, but one thing we can be sure of is the price increases or the inflation.

We'll continue to attend one of the fighting groups, I'll say, on this.

At that point, in fact, was one who, well over a year ago, advocated controls to deal with inflation.

was the one who insisted on the board so that they would be represented.

They had been represented.

They had been participating.

And now, apparently, because they began their way on the longshore settlement,

where the increase was reduced from 21% to 15%.

They've now walked away from their responsibilities.

The media said he was getting fed up on another R&D argument.

He was just getting fed up with it.

He didn't want to work on it again to pursue the fight against the question.

Now, they use relatively mild language, but

Good quote.

I wonder if you've got a quote so far.

I'll have one when I'm done, I'm sure.

We intend to continue.

If you do, we should invite you to some questions.

I'm just a...

Say the leaders of this government, a few labor leaders, representing only a small percent of the 80 million American wage earners, who will not be allowed to set up a

against the plague in a high cost of living.

That fight will continue.

And the President of the United States, the President of the United States, take this down.

And not a lot, cannot, will not a lot.

and he leaves a flavor for men, no matter how powerful, to put himself above the law of the land and the best members of the majority of the United States.

We'll not be allowed to.

No.

We'll not be allowed.

We're not going to be allowed to sabotage the nation.

If that pipe will go forward, we're gonna do it.

Okay, okay.

Fine, yes sir.

NARA Description

On March 22, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:55 pm to 3:15 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 324-030 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 324-30

Date: March 22, 1972
Time: 2:55 pm - 3:15 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

     Press briefing
           -Pay Board
                 -George Meany
                 -Frank E. Fitzsimmons
                      -International Brotherhood of Teamsters
                 -George P. Shultz
                 -John B. Connally
                 -The President’s forthcoming statement
                 -Connally
                 -Meany
                      -Wage and price controls
                      -Labor representation on Board
                      -Longshoremen’s settlement
                      -Inflation
           -Possible wording of statement
                -Labor leaders
                -Inflation
                -Labor
                -Management
                -Laws
                -Interests of the majority of American people
                -The White House
                -Budget of the US

Ziegler left at 3:15 pm.

Also recorded on March 22, 1972

324-031 3:15 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:24 pm.
324-032 3:15 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:24 pm.
324-033 3:15 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:24 pm.
021-133 3:24 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 3:24 pm to 3:29 pm.
324-034 3:24 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:24 pm to 3:29 pm.
324-035 3:29 PM · 35 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:29 pm and 4:01 pm.
324-036 3:29 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:29 pm and 4:01 pm.
022-001 4:01 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 4:01 pm to 4:03 pm.

All 41 conversations from March 22, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 324-030, March 22, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/324-030 (accessed September 18, 2026).