Evening star., 1945-11-26


Of Employees Ousted
After U. S. Took Over
Union spokesmen will demand re-
instatement of nine discharged
Capital Transit Co. workers when
company and transit union leaders
meet this afternoon to discuss the
appointment of arbiters to decide
the pending wage dispute.
William F. Simms, president of
Local $50 of the transit union, said
he did not expect the discharges to
interfere with the pending negotia-
tions on the wage question unless
Capital Transit Co. President Ed
ward D. Merrill refuses reinstate-
ment and then refuses to arbitrate
the discharges.
Seven of the nine men, Mr.. Simms
reported, have filed their grievances
with the union. A company spokes-
man said eight of the men we're
brought in for investigation Friday
and dismissed Saturday for alleged
ly interfering with operation of
streetcars and buses after the Gov
ernment took over the transit system
last Wednesday. The ninth man did
not come in when called and alp
was fired, according to the COM
pany spokesman.
Grievance Filed.
Mr.. Simms said seven of the men
had filed the following grievance:
I'VE, the undersigned, are hereby
charged with interference of the
resumption of streetcar and bus
services at $50 pm. November 81,
at which time the United States
Government was in control. We are
not guilty of the charge
The union president said that
unless operation of the transit sys-
tenn by the Government made a
difference in procedure, the griev-
ance would be handled according to
previous agreement.
Says Arbitration Envisaged.
Mr.. Merrill, he explained, will be
asked to reinState the men. If he
refuses, Mr.. Simms will report his
refusal to the next union meeting,
at. which time he probably will be
instructed to ask that the grievance
be arbitrated.
"The only way these discharges
could affect the wage negotiations"
Mr.. Simms said, would be If Mr..
Merrin then refuses to arbitrate, but
our agreement provides for arbi-
tration."
II the grievance comes to arbitra-
tion, MIR. Simms said, it probably
will not be done by the same men
appointed to arbitrate the wage
dispute which twice halted public
transportation and forced the Gov
ernment to take over the transit
lines.
Regular Procedure" Used in Firings.
Today's meeting, scheduled for
2:30 pm, originally was set up to
announce the men who will repre-
sent the company and the union on
the three-man Arbitration Board
for the wage dispute. James Francis
Reilly, Washington attorney who
recently resigned as member of
the Public Utilities Commission, has
been named company arbiter. The
name of the man who will repre-
sent the union has not ben an
nou1ced by the union pending his
acceptance.
A company spokesman insisted
that the discharge of the nine men
was done in the regular disciplinary
way" because they had interfered
with normal operation of the service
after the Government took over.
He said the men had been given
full opportunity to express them
selves as part of the regular inves-
tigation."
Asked If Guy A. Richardson, Fed
eral manager of the transit system
while it remains In Government
hands, received notice of the COM
panys intention to fire the men, the
company spokesman responded that
the Government expects us to con-
tinue in our regular way and the
flrings were part of our regular pro-
cedure."
Names Withheld.
The company spokesman refused
TO give out the names of the men
or their length of service with the
company. He said giving out that
information was against the policy
Of the company.
Ralph Leroy Sullivan, 174 Up
shur terrace NE, one of the men
dismissed, said that most of those
fired had had about 10 years of
service with the company. Mr..
Sullivan said John T. Souder, 1927
Third street NE, another of those
fired, had been with the company
80. years
MIR. Sullivan, who said he had II
years service, reported that he was
one of. about 20 or 25 men standing
on the corner near Fourth and T
streets NE. in the vicinity of the
lexington car barn last Wednes-
day night.
I'VE were just standing there
blowing off steam, as men will,"I
he side. There was no incident.
never man touched any of the
company property. I worked the
next day, Thanksgiving, and was
told to report Friday at the George
town barn for work When I showed
up, was told was being investi-
gated and to come back the next
day. When I reported Saturday
morning, I was told I was through
because of interference with the
operation of streetcars and buses.
Reported to Work as Usual.
Ernest M. Hatfield, 416 Eleventh
street NE, one of the discharged
bus drivers, said he couldn't under
stand the company's action. He said
he had not attended the continuous
meeting Of the union either No
vember 7 or last Wednesday.
He added that he hadn't knownl
about the first strike and reported
to work as usual. The company, he