Conversation 797-012

On October 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, staff, and members of the executive board of the Utility Workers of America, including Donald F. Rodgers, Willie J. Usery, Jr., Harold T. Rigley, James Joy, Jr., Patrick Gallagher, C. J. Luciano, and Valentine Murphy, members of the press, and the White House photographer, met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:02 pm to 12:20 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 797-012 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 797-12

Date: October 13, 1972
Time: 12:02 pm - 12:20 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Donald F. Rodgers, Willie J. Usery, Jr., Harold T. Rigley, James Joy, Jr.,
Patrick Gallager, C.J. Luciano, and Valentine Murphy. The White House photographer and
members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting.

         Greetings and introductions
             -New York

         [Photograph session]

         Utility Workers Union of America [UWUA]
              -Canadians
              -Democrats
              -Murphy
                  -Central Labor Council-Boston
                       -American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations
                       [AFL-CIO]
              -Presidential cuff links
                  -The President’s meeting at Waldorf Astoria
                  -Gifts for wives
              -Endorsement of the President
                  -Union membership
                       -Minorities
                            -New York
                  -President’s appreciation
                       -Support from the President
              -Goals of President
                  -Jobs

                               (rev. Nov-03)

             -Construction trades
             -Nuclear industry
                 -San Clemente
                 -Environmentalists
                     -Fishing lakes
                          -Suit

[General conversation]

    -The President's acquaintances
        -Eugene McGovern
             -Death
                 -1968 election
        -Barry Griffin
             -Consolidated Edison [Con Ed]
             -Golf
                 -1966-67
             -Construction
                 -Bernard E. Gallagher
                      -Retirement
    -Golf balls
        -Frank E. Fitzsimmons
             -Executive Board
        -George Meany
    -Golf
        -Puerto Rico
             -Laurance S. Rockefeller
        -Putting
             -Ben Hogan
             -Sam Snead
        -The President’s game
             -1972 election

UWUA
  -Usery, Rodgers
      -1972 campaign
  -Usery
      -Role in settling postal strikes
      -Fitzsimmons
           -California
  -Airline strike
      -Pilots

                                         (rev. Nov-03)

                     -Salary levels
                     -United Airlines
                     -Letters
             -Pay Board
                 -The President's October 13, 1972 meeting
                     -International Brotherhood of Teamsters
                          -[Donald Cagle]
                          -Controversial decisions
                               -Executive salaries
                          -Terms of office
             -Executive salaries
                 -Chase-Manhattan Bank
             -Terms in office
                 -Constitutional changes
                 -Ferdinard E. Marcos
                     -Philippines
                          -Imelda Marcos

         Gift presentations
              -Cuff links
                  -Presidential seal
              -Pins for wives
                  -Presidential seal
              -Golf balls
              -Photographs
                  -Copies
              -Golf balls
                  -Presidential signature

         Vietnam settlement

Rodgers et al left at 12:20 pm.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

here at this group.
Oh!
I know where you're from.
I know, that was a great group, wasn't it?
President Gallagher.
President Gallagher.
Let's come over and sit down.
Do you want to get a picture of this group?
That's right.
All right.
All right.
Thank you.
Well, is there a comment?
Oh!
There could be...
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And this is at times when you have kids looking for coins to get a hold of.
Yeah.
This is a presidential comment.
By the way, I'm going to get up to you.
You all get up to me.
Okay.
I'm going to get up to you.
I'm going to get up to you.
And we came to this conclusion after doing a great deal of consideration.
And I think we made the right decision.
Well, we're going to try to do this.
We're going to try to do this.
We're going to try to make the decision.
Well, that's what we're going to do.
Well, that's what we're going to do.
I don't like this.
That's very controversial.
But you've got one hell of a chance.
I mean, I don't want to take another of your names.
all the environmentalists find it.
But you know, Dan, you've got to build those plants, right?
You've got to build those plants.
You've got to build those plants.
You've got to build those plants.
You've got to build those plants.
I used to know Paul, he was a great friend of Gene McGarrett's.
Oh yes, Gene was a wonderful guy.
He died just the day before the election.
This fall was with Connick and he said, Paul, if you try to come with me.
That's right, and I had played golf with him.
That's when I had a little more time, back in 66 or 67.
Well, you know, it's a nice job, isn't it?
Well, he handled it.
It was construction.
He handled it.
You're recalling or not counting?
Yes.
You're recalling or not counting?
Yes.
You're recalling or not counting?
You mean all the guys I played golf with are dying to retire?
Watch out.
I think you guys are like this.
Well, I don't know.
It's around here.
These are all golfers.
Okay.
I was just getting to do their golfing.
Well, if I get a cop phone, Mr. President, I'm not going to play with it.
I was down at the border.
I was going to get back.
I was going to get back.
I got shot.
I'm going to get back.
I'm going to get back.
I'm going to get back.
I'm going to get back.
I'm going to get back.
I'm going to get back.
Well, I was excited to play, but the first time I played without the details, I was very happy.
Yeah.
I was very happy.
That was an excuse.
That was a very good excuse.
I just thought that my feet get sore.
That's enough.
I mean, it's so funny.
I don't know why that's a problem.
How do he knows?
Holden, they say, even today, he's as good as he ever was.
Because it takes fire and earth and so forth.
miss one pot, you lost it.
Or two or three.
It's a question of fractions.
That's why it's a miserable game.
I don't know.
I don't know.
That's a bad one.
We also want to compliment the two men.
That's what we came down for.
A compliment.
Are you all right?
I'm all right.
I'm all right.
I'm all right.
I'm all right.
That's right.
Thank you.
The only thing they asked for a lot, I said, well, the President offered you
We had an interest in the last week and all of us were on strike after that.
We've been on strike 95 days.
Well, there was more of the attitude.
There was a different issue of really the attitude.
In fact, there was a pilot from United this time.
The answer was very nice.
I may try to do an interesting thing.
I was back at the table this morning.
In fact, I was in the paper again.
They told me an interesting thing, that the most controversial decisions that they've had, the ones they've had the biggest arguments about, are those involving executive salaries.
So, we'll just be in here.
A lot of people.
A lot of people.
for people that are in positions of responsibility.
After all, it's a competitive world.
You should be paid enough.
You should be paid enough to move the areas that you have to move in, you know.
Somebody was saying, you know, why do the labor leaders go to these fancy hotels and so on and so forth and their conventions?
I said, why not?
I mean, why should we say that they should be a different form?
I'm usually concerned about your members, but after all, you are executives, you are leaders.
You should act on it, not give him an issue.
I think the partnership was just real.
We used to be quite sensitive about it years back.
Unless we change our constitution.
You're like Marcos.
He's going to have a trucker that's going to run his wife.
Because he's not going to change the constitution.
But anyway, these are your, these are the new couplings.
You can see them out there.
You know, with their color.
And that's right on the fly.
You can see the seal on the fly.
And here's one for your wife.
Which is the seal right on.
And I'll get a picture.
Okay?
Also, would you say that now that they all get copies of the picture, they get copies of the picture, you know, and they want to somehow use it.
But I have it personally, too, if you want.
It's all I have to see on it, so don't get it out of power.
And my signature
That's all you get.
Not an open door.
Fair enough.
Good luck.
We're working on it.
We're working on it.
We do the right thing.
I'm sure you did this morning.
I don't know.
We must do the right thing.
If we don't do the right thing, we're going to do it up.
If we don't do the right thing, we have a chance of no more.
You're going to show that we support your position.
Thank you.
Bye.