Springsteen Pledge Ends Strike for a Day : <i> From Reuters </i>

CLEVELAND —  Bruce Springsteen, the rock star with the working-class image, brought a temporary halt to a strike when he said he would not cross a picket line to play at a concert Wednesday night, union officials said.

A spokesman for the union representing ushers and ticket sellers at Cleveland Stadium said management agreed to pay the workers an extra $1.50 per hour for the night after Springsteen threatened to cancel his concert at the 65,000-seat stadium.

He said the union, which went on strike Sunday, called Springsteen and asked him not to perform. When promoters learned of his pledge, they asked for a one-day halt in the strike and agreed to pay the extra money, the union official said, adding that the walkout would resume Friday.