Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 692 › Conversation 692-001

Nixon alone in the Oval Office on George Meany and AFL-CIO

Thursday, March 23, 1972 · 3:56 PM–4:03 PM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation692-001 on Tape 692 (tape position 00:01:39–00:06:20)StartThursday, March 23, 1972 at 3:56 PMEndThursday, March 23, 1972 at 4:03 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 692-001 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon practiced a public address regarding the resignation of AFL-CIO President George Meany from the Pay Board. The speech frames Meany's departure as a rejection of anti-inflationary wage controls, specifically citing the Pay Board's decision to deny a 20% wage increase for longshoremen. Nixon announced his decision to restructure the Pay Board with remaining labor and business leaders to ensure the continuation of his economic policies aimed at halving inflation.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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When I announced our new economic policy on August 15, I said that Friday's election was the other bucket job.
Yesterday, George Meade walked off the job.
The decision to come, the decision to walk out, came after the ruling of the Longsharm's contract.
While other American workers are being held to a 5.5% wage increase, the paper ruled against a 20% wage increase for the Longsharm.
Mr. Meany supported the increase.
The pay bar was right.
Mr. Meany was wrong.
I respect Mr. Meany as a powerful spokesman for the nation's largest slave organization, the NFL-CIO.
But only 17% of America's 80 million wagers belong to the NFL-CIO.
It is my responsibility to act and speak for all people, and I shall meet that responsibility.
As president, I cannot permit any leader representing special interests, no matter how powerful, to torpedo and sink a program needed to protect the public interest.
I have directed the table in a contingent but a single public unit with those labor leaders who widely wish to remain, balanced by a reduced number of business leaders.
I directed the price commission to proceed on course, working alongside the table, to cut inflation in half by the end of the year.
All rules and regulations remain in full force.
All Americans, including the 80 million wage earners, have a stake in winning the fight against inflation.
This is a fight to the finish.
With the support of the American people, we shall win.
When I concentrated on the policy in August 15, I said that fighting inflation must be everybody's job.
Yesterday, George Meany walked off the job.
The decision to walk out came after the ruling of the Long Charm contract.
While other American workers are being held with a 5.5% wage increase, the pay board ruled against a 20% wage increase for the Long Charm.
Mr. Meany supported the increase.
The pay board was right.
Mr. Meany was wrong.
I respect Mr. Weenie as a powerful spokesman for the nation's largest labor organization, the NFL-CIO.
But only 17% of America's 80 million wage earners belong to the NFL-CIO.
It is my responsibility to act and speak on behalf of all the people, and I shall need that responsibility.
As president, I cannot permit any leader representing a special interest, no matter how powerful, to torpedo and sink a program needed to protect the public interest.
I have directed the pay board to continue, but it's a single public unit of those labor leaders who wisely wish to remain, balanced by a reduced number of business leaders.
I have directed the price commission to proceed on course, working alongside the pay board to cut inflation in half by the end of the year.
All rules and regulations remain full force.
All Americans, including the 80 million wage earners, have a stake in winning the fight.
All Americans, including the 80 million wage earners, have a stake in winning the fight against inflation.
This is a fight to the finish.
With the support of the American people, we shall win.

NARA Description

On March 23, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:56 pm and 4:03 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 692-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 692-1

Date: March 23, 1972
Time: Unknown between 3:56 pm and 4:03 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President practiced a speech entitled "Remarks About the Resignation of George Meany
From the Pay Board." See the Public Papers of the Presidents, Richard Nixon, 1972, pages
485-486.

Also recorded on March 23, 1972

  • 022-004 2:36 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William L. Safire talked on the telephone from 2:36 pm to 2:40 pm.
  • 022-005 2:40 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:40 pm and 5:33 pm.
  • 096-004 3:02 PM · 1 hr 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and members of the Cost of Living Council, including John B. Connally, Herbert Stein, Donald H. Rumsfeld, J. Philip Campbell, Peter G. Peterson, James D. Hodgson, George W. Romney, George P. Shultz, Gen. George A. Lincoln, Virginia H. Knauer, Arthur F. Burns, James W. McLane, Albert E. Abrahams, Joseph Mullaney, Marvin H. Kosters, Richard B. Cheney, James Connor, Richard J. Alfultis, Donald Smith, Clark MacGregor, William L. Gifford, Charles R. Perry, and the White House photographer, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 3:02 pm and 3:56 pm.
  • 097-001 3:56 PM · 19 min — John B. Connally, George P. Shultz, Donald H. Rumsfeld, Richard B. Cheney, and unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 3:56 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 692-002 4:03 PM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:03 pm to 5:04 pm.
  • 692-003 4:08 PM · 54 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Marshall Green, John H. Holdridge, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., White House photographer, unknown person(s), White House photographer, Stephen B. Bull, and members of the press met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:08 pm to 5:02 pm.
  • 692-004 5:03 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:03 pm to 5:17 pm.
  • 692-005 5:17 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:17 pm to 5:22 pm.

All 35 conversations from March 23, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 692-001, March 23, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/692-001 (accessed October 12, 2026).