The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-11-10

pictures, radio
 Edson services, wealth CT reporting for air services, and army and navy communications would all be affected.
 Take first the employer, the A. T.. & T. It is tops of what's known as the Bell System. It has a holding company function and an advisory function for IT regional operating companies which give service in every state in the Union through about 30 per cent of the country's telephones. Outside Bell are some 6400 independent companies. From an operating point of view, A. T. & T.'s chief function is its long lines department connecting the IT re- gional operating organizations.
 INDEPENDENT UNION
 The labor dispute in question is with the employees of this long lines department. There are about 13,000 workers below the grade of super visor, though the union claims 15,- 900 members belong to the Federa- ton of Long Lines Telephone Work CTS. FLLTW Is an independent union, neither A. F. of L. nor c. |. o. It's only affiliation with other unions is through the 5-year-old National Federation of Telephone Workers which is made up of 37 in- dependent unions, all autonomous. Total membership of the 37 unions is about 150,000; of these l30000 are Bell employees. The 37 unions in the national federation are largely geographical unions, corresponding roughly to territorial divisions of the employing companies.
 Particularly since 1929 when the Bell System made an elaborate statement of policies. A. T. & T. has made much of its aim to pay sal- aries and wages in, all respects ade- quate and just" It has emphasized that Its average wage in 1040 was $37 a week, while in 1925 the figure was $26 Q week. An elaborate pen. sion system has been set up, as well as a system of automatic advance ments to carefully scaled maximuins for every class of work. Tn the words of the Bell management, the company has always maintained that its wage policy was the best that 1t has been able to develop to date. That policy has, however, in- cluded some geographical differ ences in wage scales.
 More than a year ago, the long lines workers presented demands for fiat increases. The case was pre- scented to the Department of Labor for study. Pending Investigation, negotiations were suspended. A few months ago the study was complet- ed and negotiations were resumed under the guidance of a panel of three members of Dr. John R. Steel mans Cancellation Service.
 The union set its demands for & 4 per cent wage increase and reduc- tion of regional wage differentialS. The company contends that the in- creases asked range from g to 46 per cent for craftsmen's ttop rates of from $66 to SIP week and from 10 to 29 per cent for operators top rates of from $27 to $34 a week. Further, the company contends 1t has already made cumulative coun- ter-offerS of increases which with increases already made during the year amount to $2 million or 9 per cent of the wages of the employees represented by the long lines fed- eration.
 SOME QUESTION HERE
 On top of this complicated wage dispute, however, has come a de- mand from the long lines federal ton officers that this case be certi- fled immediately to the National Defense Mediation Board. or else the strike would be called. But there is 0 question as to whether NOME Is eligible to mediate in a dispute of this kind, since the order creating the board limits its activi- ties to disputes over the manufac- ture and transport of materials necessary for defense. Is long dis tance telephone service a device for the manufacture or transport Of materials necessary for defense? That's one for the lawyers.
 Men long experienced in labor re- lations see in this demand curious manifestation of the independent union psychology. Independent union leaders like to emphasize their independence, like to show what tough bargainers they are. The job Of strike prevention, there- fore, has been to get the case set- tied before the deadline, or drop insistence on Mediation Board &C., ton.
 The danger of the situation is that if the case went up to the deadline, long lines workers might be pulled out, on strike in few places. The 37 independent telephone unions in the national federation have an agreement not to cross each others picket lines. Interpreting that broadly, 1t means that no employe will do the work of an employe on strike. Calling out few men could, therefore, easily disrupt the entire system of long distance colnmunica- ton,