Evening star., 1944-11-21
Ohio Phone Strikers
To Fly Here Today
For WLB Conference
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CLEVELAND, Nov. 21.-Five Of
f1cers of the Ohio Federation O
Telephone Workers awaited air
plane transportation to Washington
today to appear before the Nationa
War Labor Board in response to al
order to show cause why unior
members failed to heed a VIII
back-to-work directive in thei
strike against the Ohio Bell Tele
phone Co.
Other developments included:
Spread of the walkout to the 29tf
Ohio city, Middletown, where opera,
tors left their posts at $50 am.
and,
Imposition of strict priority regu.
lations in handling long-distance
calls, especially in northeastern
Ohio exchanges, as result of 8
, decision by Cleveland "long lines
employees of the American Tele-
phone & Telegraph Co. to recognize
all federation picket lines.
Toll Calls Delayed.
Unionists ready to fly to Wash
ington included President R. G. Pol
lock of the Ohio federation, Ernest
Weaver, regional director for the
National Federation of Telephone
Workers; Jeannette Reedy of Day.
ton, president of the federation S
Southwestern Ohio Traffic Opera
tori Council; I. R. Hudson of Cleve-
land, president of the federation
Plant maintenance Council. and
Mrs. Lena Eisenhart of Akron,
president of the Northeastern Traf-
f1c Council
H. J. Barber, Ohio Bell vice presi-
dent, said the A. T. & T. employees
action has seriously affected long
distance service" compelling re-
duced switchboard forces to give
priority to Army, Navy and war in
dustry calls.
Straight commercial and individ-
ual toll calls either are not getting
through or are delayed" Mr. Barber
said. This is true in the Cleve-
land area, but elsewhere the situa-
tion has eased slightly, with addi-
tional operators returning to work. :"
Others Take Over Jobs.
Mr.. Barber said management and
supervisory employees are stepping
into the switchboard breach
throughout the State in order to
maintain service"
State federation sources estimated
1000 operators and 1000 plant en-
ployes were out today
John ]. Moran, national president
of the A. T. & T. Employees Union,
said the unions recognition of
picket lines bound about 400 work
ers in Cleveland and nearly TOO
In Ohio. He added, however, that
operators would be furnished to
handle calls relating to military or
war production business.
Company officials said long-dis-
tance circuits carrying radio net
work programs and news service
dispatches would be kept in opera
ton.
Local service provided by auto
matte dial systems was not affected
by the operators walkout.
Spread of the strike to Michigan
was regarded as a possibility. Mrs.
Frances Smith, president of the
Michigan Telephone Employees Fed
Grafton, said proposal to support
the Ohio walkouts would be sub
mitted to meeting of members to-
night. She said members of the
Michigan group requested active
support of the Ohio strikers.
1000 Believed Involved.
The strike started last Friday in
Dayton where unionists protested
payment of weekly $18.25 bonus
to cover certain living expenses of
operators imported into that city
by Ohio Bell
Operators in 81 other Ohio COM
munities went out on sympathy"
strikes and maintained picket lines
in many of the cities. Plant and
maintenance workers in some towns
either joined the walkout or re-
Spected picket lines.