Nixon White House Tapes › Topic
Nixon Tapes on Steel industry
22 conversations · frequently with Nixon, Shultz, Connally, Hodgson
President Nixon directed Patrick Buchanan to compile specific, compelling data points to bolster the administration's messaging on key domestic issues. The President requested dramatic statistics regarding the growth of minority-owned enterprises and the competitive standing of the American steel industry. Furthermore, he tasked Buchanan with consulting George Shultz and Paul McCracken to identify strong economic indicators, such as retail and automobile sales, housing starts, and record-breaking stock market performance, to project a narrative of upward economic momentum.
President Nixon directed Patrick Buchanan to compile dramatic, high-impact data points to bolster the administration's messaging on minority enterprise, steel industry competitiveness, and economic recovery. Nixon requested specific, positive statistics on housing starts, retail and automobile sales, and stock market performance to illustrate public confidence. The President tasked Buchanan with coordinating with advisors George Shultz and Paul McCracken to finalize these talking points for upcoming public use.
President Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan coordinate the collection of favorable economic data to highlight a positive turnaround in the economy during March 1971. The President emphasizes the need to isolate March statistics—such as retail sales, housing starts, and automobile production—from the broader, more moderate first-quarter figures to demonstrate upward momentum. Buchanan is tasked with delivering these reports to the President, along with a newspaper column by James J. Kilpatrick, Jr., which Nixon’s daughter, Julie, had recommended.
President Nixon consulted with an associate regarding labor statistics to analyze the status of the steel industry workforce. The discussion focused on comparing employment figures from 1960 against 1971 to evaluate long-term trends. This data review served to inform the administration's understanding of shifts within the industrial sector.
H. R. Haldeman briefed President Nixon on employment statistics within the steel industry to support a specific administration narrative. They confirmed that while the total number of steelworkers union members had increased, the actual number of employees working in the steel industry had declined by approximately 5% since 1960. Nixon intended to use these figures to emphasize the contraction of the industry's workforce during public discourse.
President Nixon met with his economic advisors and Henry Kissinger to strategize on managing mounting domestic and international pressures regarding textile, steel, and shoe import quotas. The discussion focused on leveraging diplomatic and economic inducements, such as trade initiatives and aid, to secure favorable voluntary restraint agreements with Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Korea. The participants concluded that a coordinated strategy involving high-level diplomatic outreach followed by technical negotiations was necessary to address industry concerns and prevent restrictive legislative action.
President Nixon met with George Shultz to discuss personnel changes within the administration and determine the government's stance on Social Security tax adjustments. They evaluated the fiscal impact of alternative wage base increases, ultimately opting for a strategy that prioritizes long-term revenue over short-term political expediency. Additionally, the President reviewed Shultz’s upcoming economic address, emphasizing the need for rhetoric that highlights steel industry productivity and improves the quality of U.S. economic representation abroad.
President Nixon, Treasury Secretary John Connally, and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler met to coordinate the administration's public messaging regarding ongoing economic challenges and international monetary policy. They discussed the necessity of maintaining a firm, positive stance on the stability of the U.S. dollar amid global speculation and emphasized the urgency of improving U.S. industrial competitiveness, particularly in the steel sector. Connally also outlined his planned public statements addressing labor and management responsibility to ensure the long-term health of the American economy.
President Nixon met with Herbert Stein, George Shultz, John Connally, and Arthur Burns to discuss the state of the U.S. economy, specifically focusing on inflation, sluggish recovery, and steel industry negotiations. The group debated the potential risks of government intervention, including wage-price freezes, while also planning a strategy to better communicate budget deficits and fiscal policy to the American public. Additionally, Nixon emphasized the need for a unified administration voice on economic policy ahead of upcoming international monetary conferences, urging his team to maintain a confident and assertive posture regarding U.S. domestic economic strength.
President Nixon met with Sammy Davis, Jr. to discuss the effectiveness of utilizing high-profile celebrities to combat drug abuse among youth by appealing to their aspirations rather than moralizing. Following this, the President met with administration officials, including Elliot Richardson, James Hodgson, and George Shultz, to navigate a political impasse regarding welfare reform waivers requested by California Governor Ronald Reagan. The group debated the legal risks of granting waivers for work-relief programs, deciding to pursue a strategy of providing federal public service job funding to California while avoiding an outright endorsement of Reagan's controversial welfare proposals. Additionally, the President reviewed labor statistics and planned an activist approach for a forthcoming steel industry meeting aimed at preventing a national strike.
President Nixon called Congressman James Harvey to extend birthday wishes for Harvey's 50th birthday and to share an anecdote about his daughter Julie Nixon Eisenhower’s birthday. The conversation served as a personal outreach, with Harvey praising the President's recent televised appearance regarding the 26th Amendment and youth engagement. Nixon briefly touched upon his upcoming schedule, noting his intent to pressure steel industry and labor leaders toward a settlement before departing for a trip to Kansas City and California.
President Nixon and George Shultz met to coordinate the President's upcoming appearance before steel industry and labor leaders, focusing on long-term industry challenges like productivity, foreign competition, and wage stagnation. They agreed the President should emphasize the national interest in a healthy steel sector while encouraging constructive labor-management negotiations. The two also reviewed recent Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment data and positive retail sales indicators, specifically noting that employment improvements among adult workers remained strong despite seasonal fluctuations in teenage unemployment statistics.
President Nixon met with leaders from the steel industry and union representatives to discuss upcoming contract negotiations and the broader economic challenges facing the U.S. steel sector. Nixon emphasized the industry's critical role in the national economy, highlighting the need for productivity improvements and warning against inflationary wage-price spirals that could undermine global competitiveness. He encouraged labor and management to act with a sense of national responsibility while navigating their specific bargaining objectives, citing his own experience in past negotiations to underscore the stakes for the nation's future.
President Nixon contacted AT&T Chairman Haakon I. Romnes to commend the company for its management of a recent labor dispute and the dedication of employees who maintained telephone service during that period. Nixon highlighted the critical importance of reliable telecommunications, citing his recent use of the system to rapidly coordinate the announcement of his China initiative. The conversation transitioned into a broader discussion on the steel industry, where Nixon expressed concern over declining competitiveness and stressed the urgent need for labor-management cooperation regarding productivity and work rules.
President Nixon met with AT&T Chairman Haakon I. Romnes to express personal gratitude for the company's efforts in maintaining critical communication services during recent labor disputes. Nixon highlighted the essential role of telephone infrastructure during the recent high-stakes announcement regarding China. The conversation transitioned into an economic discussion, with Nixon voicing concerns regarding productivity and international competitiveness within the American steel industry as he sought a reasonable labor settlement.
President Nixon and Secretary of Labor James D. Hodgson discussed strategies to force immediate settlements in ongoing steel and railroad labor negotiations. Concerned by the inflationary impact and the public's exhaustion with labor disputes, Nixon authorized Hodgson to convey a stern ultimatum to both industries, signaling that the administration was prepared to take aggressive action if negotiations failed. Nixon further expressed his willingness to personally intervene in the steel talks if a breakthrough appeared imminent, emphasizing the necessity of resolving productivity and work rule issues.
President Nixon and George Shultz discuss the administration's public relations strategy regarding recent steel and rail labor settlements ahead of an 11:00 a.m. statement. They agree to avoid denouncing the large wage increases in the new contracts, opting instead to emphasize that strikes were successfully averted and that the agreements include provisions for improved productivity. Nixon instructs Shultz to coordinate with Treasury Secretary John Connally to ensure the administration presents a unified front on the matter.
President Nixon met with Assistant Secretary of Labor Willie J. Usery, Jr. to formally acknowledge and express gratitude for his pivotal role in negotiating the recent steel industry labor settlement. The discussion centered on the successful conclusion of these negotiations and the strategy for managing the immediate aftermath of the agreement. No specific follow-up actions were recorded, as the meeting served primarily as a debriefing and recognition of Usery’s diplomatic efforts.
President Nixon met with Secretary of Labor James D. Hodgson to commend him and his team for their successful mediation of the recent steel industry labor negotiations. The President expressed his satisfaction with the settlement and the handling of subsequent price increases, acknowledging the dedicated efforts of Hodgson, Willie J. Usery, Jr., and J. Curtis Counts. Nixon instructed Hodgson to ensure that all involved parties received formal recognition for their contributions before Hodgson took personal leave.
President Nixon met with Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Director J. Curtis Counts to express his appreciation for Counts' successful efforts in mediating a recent steel labor settlement. The conversation addressed the necessity of the resulting price increases while affirming that avoiding a strike remained the administration's primary objective. Nixon also commended Counts' personal dedication throughout the grueling negotiation process and encouraged him to take time off to recuperate.
President Nixon and Charles Colson met to discuss the national economy, focusing on rising steel prices, unemployment figures, and the administration's messaging strategy. They addressed the need to manage public perception through economic talking points and discussed strategies to counter political criticism from Senator Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. and other Republicans. Nixon directed Colson to organize a coordinated effort to influence GOP legislators and prepare effective materials for upcoming electoral messaging.
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to review recent polling data regarding the President's approval ratings, the Vietnam War, and public perception of government corruption. Much of the discussion centered on the ongoing Vietnam peace negotiations, with Nixon emphasizing the necessity for Henry Kissinger to report directly to him before taking any further actions in Hanoi. Additionally, the pair coordinated political strategy regarding Secretary of State William P. Rogers's planned press conference and evaluated a request for a meeting with steel industry representatives.