Evening star., 1945-11-23
Transit Union Chiefs
Meet 10 Name Arbiter
In Wage Dispute
Workers Make Decision
After Long Conference
With ODT Official

Officers and Executive Board
members of the Transit Work
ers' Union met this afternoon
with the intention of appoint
ing a member to a three-man
arbitration board for settling
wage differences with the Capt.
tai Transit Co.
1t was the first tangible step to-
ward resolving the issue which We'd
nesday caused more than 5000 union
members to strike, an impasse quick
ly dissolved by President Truman's
order seiZing the transit company
and placing it under control OF the
Office Of Defense Transportation.
Service Returns to Normal
Meanwhile, a regular flow OF
streetcars and buses restored to
normalcy the Capitals traffic con-
ditions and vindicated union asser-
tions that operators and main
tenance men were prepared to CO.
operate with the Government in
every way.
During the peak rush hour this
morning 1,187 streetcars and buses
were rolling, only IL fewer than were
operating Tuesday, the day before
the union voted the strike that sent
all vehicles to the barns for a IL
hour period Wednesday.
Decision of union officials to ap-
point an arbiter was made at an
hour long morning meeting with
Guy A. Richardson, the ODT's di-
rector of highway transport who was
named Federal manager OF the
transit company.
Proposal Approved During Truce
In initiating the arbitration effort,
the union officials merely were ad-
vancing proposal approved during
the 14-day truce" by its own Ne
gotiating Committee and company
Representatives.
1t was the agreement to arbitrate,
rejected by the union membership
Wednesday morning, that instigated
the second transit strike in two
weeks.
After conferring with Mr.. Rich
ardson this morning, Samuel B.
Berrong, national transit union rep
resentaive, said it was the unions
plan to Immediately appoint an ar
bitter and to serve notice on the
company of its intention to arbi-
trate.
Following the pattern proposed
during the recent truce" negotia-
tions, the company then will appoint
its member to the board, after which
the two members will seek to get to-
gether on a third and impartial
member.
Name Third Member. :.
Under terms of the original plan
the Secretary of Labor would be
called on to name the third MEM
Der should the union and company
members fail to agree.
Attending today's conference in
addition to Mr.. Berrong were w. F.
Simms, president of Local 689
Amalgamated Association of Street
Electric Railway and Motor Coach
Employees (AFL, and John H
Goodman, financial secretary and
assistant business manager of the
local.
'Mr. Richardson advised us that
the Government and he as Federal
manager of the transit company
will interfere in no way with the
application of the labor agreement
ow in effect" Mr.. Berrong said.
! "Mr. Richardson assured us it was
his desire to have the dispute dis
posed of at the earliest possible mo-
ment and we assured him that was
the unions desire, too, and that We
will do everything possible towarc
that end"
i The union is seeking a raise ir
pay to $1.25 an hour over the pres.
ent $1.02, which includes q 7-cent
wartime bonus. Protesting that such
. an increase would necessitate higher
fares, the company has offered te
incorporate the 7-cent bonus inte
the basic wage structure and to as
sure the workers 48-hour weeks fol
the duration of the present con.
tract. which expires June 80.