Evening star., 1943-06-20
MANY Miss Popular Programs
As Strike Hits Station WTOP
Broodcosts Dead From Noon to 4:59
When Engineers Seek New Contract

Representative Andersen, Repub-
lican, OF Minnesota cooled his heels
in the reception room of Columbia's
Station WTOP good hour yesterday
and thousands of radio listeners
twisted their radio dials in vain be-
fore realizing the station was not
giving out" with its usual Saturday
afternoon program.
WTOP, one OF seven outlets owned
outright by the Columbia Broad
casting System, was of the air 4
hours and SO minutes due to q strike
OF two supervisory engineers. the
result Of a wage dispute. The sta
ton went dead at noon and did not
resume broadcasting until 4:59 pm.
Mr.. Andersen was to have shared
half hour on the air with Charles
Dana Bennett, editor Of the WASH
ington Farm Reporter, but didn't
ger a chance to speak. The studio
sald the program was cancelled. The
listening audience. which deluged
the switchboard with queries. may
or may not have been interested in
what Mr.. Andersen had to say, but
was curious to know what was Cook
ing" when their dials hit the dead
spot on the broadcasting band.
Armstrong Theater," which puts
on a complete play in its half hour;
Stars Over Hollywood" a variety
show; "Of Men and Books" Labor
News Review" a strictly local orig
ination, and few other shows were
not aired TOT District consumption.
Inquiries at the station were an
swered by switchboard operators
from a typewriter statement issued
by the management. 1t was to the
effect that the station was of the
air because of an unannounced
strike by the engineers. The engi-
neers said they had been trying to
negotiate contract with the COM
pany the last two weeks and had
notified 1t that some agreement had
to be reached yesterday or they
would take action
Lawson Wimberly, representative
of the International Brotherhood
of Electrical Workers, Local 1915,
AFL. with which the engineers are
affiliated, was to meet Kenneth
Yourd. CHS attorney, yesterday
morning at 10 o'clock, but they did
not get together at the appointed
time and the strike followed.
The bone of contention was
whether two supervising engineers
should be paid only straight time
or time and half for work over
40 hours. A third supervising engi-
neer was not involved, merely be-
cause he happens to be on vacation.
The decision also would affect more
than 20 other ordinary engineers
who come under the supervisors and
play key role in keeping the sta
tion on the air.
The trouble was patched up, tenn
porarily, by an agreement to pay
the supervisors six hours overtime
in a 46-hour week. the overtime
money being held in escrow until
a decision is handed down by an
arbitrator of the War Labor Board
to which the matter was referred.
A contract between the union and
broadcasting system was approved
May 5 by the WLB and the man.
asement contended that supervisors
were regarded as administration
employees, with no provisions in the
contract for overtime pay over 40
hours. Mr.. Yourd said he felt there
was a legal question involved in
paying the supervisors overtime un-
der the present contract.
The attorney said he had written
the wage stabilization unit of the
Wages and Hours Division, Labor
Department, asking permission to