Conversation No. 473-9

Date: March 25, 1971
Time: 3:03 pm - 3:55 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with George P. Shultz, John D. Ehrlichman, and James D. Hodgson

     Executive Branch reorganization
         -President’s meeting with staff

     Construction industry
          -Boards of control
                -Strikes
                -Wages
                -Appeals
          -Wage adjustments
                -Factors
                -Equity
                -Limits
          -Role of federal government
                -Executive Order
                      -Effect
                      -Hodgson’s view
          -Wage and price controls
                -Drawbacks
                      -Political considerations
                            -Democrats
                      -Philosophical basis
                      -Complaints, appeals
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          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                      Tape Subject Log
                         (rev. 9/08)



-Alternatives
      -Wage increases
            -Effects
      -Davis-Bacon Act
            -Effects on building trades
            -Building and Trade Unions
                  -Forthcoming meeting
                  -Demonstrations                         Conv. No. 473-9 (cont.)
            -Collective bargaining
      -Unions
            -Administration policies
-A commission
      -Recommendations of public members
      -Recommendations of labor
      -Public members
            -Presidential appointees
            -John T. Dunlop
            -Recommendations
                  -Executive Order
                         -Wage stabilization boards
                               -Strikes
                               -Wage increases
                               -”Super board” as monitor and appeal board
                         -Enforcement
                         -Davis-Bacon Act
                         -Wages
                         -Settlements
                  -Government construction
                  -Enforcement power
-Steel strike possibility
      -Wages
            -Union leadership
                  -Union members’ views
            -Steel compared with copper and aluminum
-Possible stabilization boards
      -Jurisdiction
            -Plasterers, electrician, bricklayers
                  -Union jurisdiction
                  -MDA and Associated General Contractors of America
                         [AGCA]
      -Time to be established
            -”Super board”
                             31

          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                        (rev. 9/08)



      -Possible effects on wages
            -Hodgson’s view
      -Possible effects on relations with labor
            -George Meany
            -Building trades
-Possible response to wage controls as opposed to Davis-Bacon Act
      -Hodgson’s report to the President
            -Administration policy                     Conv. No. 473-9 (cont.)
      -Unions
      -Management
      -Housing industry
      -Unions
            -Contractors
                  -AGCA resolution
      -Housing industry
            -Union’s views
      -Meany
            -Meeting with President
            -President’s meeting, March 24, 1971
      -Housing industry
-Democrats’ legislation
      -President’s position
-Ehrlichman’s previous meeting with leaders
      -Leaders’ view of Administration policy
-Industry
-Response of George W. Romney and group
-Wage-price stabilization boards
      -Effects
      -Union response
            -Unemployment
            -Wages
      -Applicability to other industries
            -President’s concern
            -Aluminum
            -Future trends
            -Possible response
                  -Shultz’s view
                  -Steel, longshoremen
      -Industry
      -Members of boards
            -Appeals board
                            32

         NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                        (rev. 9/08)



     -Need for wage control
           -Shultz’s view
                 -Compared with Hodgson’s view
     -View of other segments of organized labor
           -Support for President
           -Leonard Woodcock
     -Maurice A. Hutcheson
           -Carpenters’ union                        Conv. No. 473-9 (cont.)
                 -Position
                 -A Florida situation
           -Position
           -Support for the Administration
     -Davis-Bacon Act
     -Business’ position
     -Effects of possible action by President
     -”Ehrlichman group”
     -Position of Romney, John A. Volpe, Winton M. (“Red”) Blount, and
           Arthur F. Burns
           -Volpe’s knowledge of industry
                 -Volpe’s view
           -Ehrlichman’s meeting
                 -Other industries
                 -Paul W. McCracken’s paper
                       -Alternatives
-Possible wage increases and controls
     -Hodgson’s assumptions
     -Management’s position
           -Reasons
     -Fortune magazine group
           -Meeting with President
-Possible government action
     -Davis-Bacon
     -Contractual considerations
     -Effect
     -Attorney General
           -Possible injunctions
                 -Ehrlichman’s view
     -Executive Order language
     -Enforcement
           -Boards’ authority
                 -Davis-Bacon
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          NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                     Tape Subject Log
                        (rev. 9/08)



                 -Emergency situation
                       -Legal limitations
-Possible meeting with President and Hodgson
     -Volpe
     -Purpose
           -Effect on President’s policy choices
-Public opinion
     -Management, unions                              Conv. No. 473-9 (cont.)
     -”Ehrlichman group”
     -Political considerations
           -Ehrlichman’s view
-Possible speeches by Volpe, Romney, Maurice H. Stans, and Blount
     -Position
           -Support for Administration policies
     -Possible meeting with President, March 26, 1971
-Possible meeting of President and Meany, March 26, 1971
     -Cabinet meeting time
-Possible administration action
     -President’s view
     -Hodgson’s view
     -Romney, Volpe, Stans, and McCracken positions
     -Herbert Stein’s possible response
           -A paper on controls
     -Shultz’s position
     -Hodgson’s work
           -Florida
     -Meany
           -Possible statement
                 -Support for Administration
           -Relations with Shultz
           -Possible meeting with Hodgson or Shultz
                 -Timing
                 -Meany’s health
     -President’s position
     -Business community’s response
           -Stock market
           -Compared with future response
                 -Shultz’s assessment
                 -Profits
           -Davis-Bacon Act
-12% wage increase
     -Administration efforts
                                             34

                             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 9/08)



                      -Compared with other industries
                      -Hodgson’s work
                      -Compared with steel and aluminum
                      -Publicity
                      -Union leaders
                      -Davis-Bacon Act repeal
                            -Possible time limit
                            -Injunction                              Conv. No. 473-9 (cont.)
                            -Effect on construction industry
                -President’s action
                      -Effect on state laws
                      -Meetings
                            -Purpose
                            -Labor unions
                                  -Meany
                                        -Davis-Bacon Act
                            -Cabinet
                                  -Purpose
                                  -President’s remarks
                      -President’s announcement
                            -Timing
                                  -Ehrlichman’s view
                                  -Meetings
                                  -Forthcoming Cabinet meeting
                      -Effect of previous actions

Shultz and Hodgson left at 3:53 pm

     Domestic Intelligence Advisory Board
         -John N. Mitchell
         -Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.’s hearings on domestic surveillance
               -Mitchell’s staff’s discussion with Ervin
                      -Executive Order
         -Message for Mitchell
               -President and Ehrlichman’s discussion

     Ehrlichman’s meeting with Wilbur D. Mills, March 25, 1971

Ehrlichman left at 3:55 pm
                                                35

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 9/08)