Evening star., 1945-10-04
TeIephoneStrike
|ThroughoutU U.S..
Held Possible
Local Leaders Soy
They Will Follow
Union Instructions

WdlkOuC tomorrow OF telephone
employees throughout the Nation
would be extended indefinitely
by a strike vote appeared today.
Telephone workers here, affiliated
with the National Federation of
Telephone Workers, an independent
union, will meet between 2 and 6
pm. tomorrow at Uline'S Arena.
Local officials declined to say
whether a strike vote would be
taken, but said they would follow
instructions from the unions ma
tional headquarters.
Joseph Beirne, president of the
national union, depicted the $780,
900 members of the union as being
eager to get the walkout under way.
Mr.. Beirne, in New York, said the
union was finding it difficult to
restrain" thousands of workers in
many cities.
Intimidation Charged.
The union spokesman said en-
thusiasm for the strike was grow
ing because management of the
telephone companies have engaged
in practices of intimidation since
learning that their employees were
holding union meeting Friday
afternoon"
Mr.. Beirne was scheduled to ar
rive in Washington tomorrow, pre-
sumably for conferences with union
leaders here and with officials of
the National Labor Relations Board
and the Labor Departments Con-
ciliation Service.
Telephone workers in Washing
ton, as in cities all over the Nation,
will leave their jobs tomorrow after
noon to participate in the mass
meeting. Whether they resume their
duties at pm. will depend on ac-
ton taken at the meeting.
John S. Mullins, secretary of the
District local of the federation, rep
resenting accounting and CONNER
cial employees, said he had no state
ment to make today other than that
local union members will follow the
lead of the national organization.
He explained, however, that the
union will release a radio script"
at noon tomorrow in which the po-
sition of the telephone workers will
be fully explained"
Mrs. Mary Cannon, president of
the Washington Telephone Traffic
Union, comprised of operators, said
she did not know whether the
members of her union would vote to
strike tomorrow. Like Mr.. Mullins,
she said action would be guided by
instructions from the national
group. ....
Mrs. Cannon was reported to be
holding an all-day meeting today
with other officials of her union. At
union headquarters, a spokesman
said it was Just regular monthly
meeting"
Effect Would Be Slight.
If the walkout becomes a reality
here, it will affect chiefly long dis
tance and toll service. Since most
telephones in the District are dial
instruments, local service will be
only slightly disturbed.
The Chesapeake & Potomac Tele-
phone Co. made plans to man as
many switchboards as possible to
furnish essential long distance serv-
ice. During previous walkouts here
within the past year, the company
has managed to provide skeleton
service.
Interference with radio broadcasts
transmitted over telephone lines
would develop only in the event of
mechanical difficulty during the
walkout.
Won't Affect Series Broadcasts.
There was little likelihood that the
meetings tomorrow afternoon would
interrupt the World Series broad
casts, according to an official of the
Mutual Broadcasting System. which
is carrying the games. The spokes-
man said breakdowns don't occur
very often and that, in any event
spare lines are ready to carry the
play-by play account if there is a
mechanical breakdown.
At the same time, Mrs. Frances
Smith, president of the Michigan
Federation of Telephone Workers,
gave assurance that the series broad
cast would not be disturbed by the
walkout. She said the union had
made arrangements to keep op-
orators on pipelines from Briggs
Stadium in Detroit during the four
hour period.
Cutting off the World Series
would certainly make the public
angry at US" she said.
Other private lines win be main
tanned by the American Telephone
& Telegraph Co., if possible, and 8
company spokesman said, "We think
we can do it," He pointed out that
such lines are set up in the morning
and require further attention during
the day only in case of mechanical
trouble.
Tomorrow's mass meetings are in
protest against report last week
by trial examiner for the National
Labor Relations Board, recommend
ing dissolution of the independent
telephone workers union in the
Kearny IN. j. plant of the Western
Electric Co. The union charges the
NLRB has shown fayoritism toward
the United Electrical Radio and
Machine Workers (CIO0.