The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1946-03-07

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communications blackout had been
averted.
NFT!w. President Joseph Belrne
said Q sufficient number" OF
unions had agreed to the wage
pattern 10 justify the executive
boards decision 10 call Off the
strike. He added that local negoti-
atoms stlll must be conducted be-
tween companies and unions!
All VIII Comply
Asked by newsmen II oil the
unions would comply with the
back-to-work order, Beirne replied,
absolutely"
But the word failed TO get TO
some unions In time TO prevent the
start Of picketing.
Pittsburgh Long Lanes workers
left their Jobs pending arrival Of
the official notice. Pickets stood
by at Atlanta but made no effort
to picket, apparently believing that
q settlement was imminent. The
Z word was flashed 10 Cleveland In
time 10 prevent q walkout there.
The wage agreement specifically
affected only the 1890 members
Of the Long Lines union but War
rem said It set q national pattern"
for the ultimate settlement Of all
wage disputes In the telephone In
dustry.
Demands Scaled Down
& The Long Lines agreement called
for wage increases ranging from
s. TO 90 q week. Warren said this
was equivalent TO an average In
crease Of 17.6 cents an hour. The
union originally had demanded rs
cents and later scaled down It's de-.
mands TO 1914 cents.
Warren said the agreement also
settled o two-Inonth old strike by
1880 members OF the Western
Electric Employees Association, an
N.F.TW. affiliate. ct Western Elec-
tries Kearny, N. j.. plant. For
Western Electric workers 10 whom
the ee-s0 weekly wage increase does
not apply the agreement provides
+ q l7.o cents hourly raise.
George 8. Dring, assistant vice.
president Of American Telephone
~ Telegraph Company, said the
Long Lanes agreement coupled with
one already reached with New York
City Long Lines workers would cost
the company an additional $780,
600 q year IN wages.
He was unable to estimate the
cost Of the settlement to the en-
tire telephone industry. The wage
increases were made retroactive to
February !. The contract will run
for one year beginning March 8,
1915.
Beirne At Work
Although the final settlement was
drafted long before the 8 q. m.
strike deadline, 1t encountered long
delays before being finally approved.
Beirne was on the telephone during
most Of the early morning getting
approval Of the union locals.
Their acceptance ruled out the
walkout which would have idled
some $4,000 telephone workers and
cut off long distance and local man
ual service Immediately. Ultimate
" the paralysis might have spread
to dial systems, radio and teletype
circuits.
The union originally had arranged
for q radio broadcast ct li:l5
o'clock last night to advise affiliated
unions the strike was on. Short
ely before then the broadcast was
called off although newsmen even
at that time were warned not 70
misinterpret this action.
The union had cleared the way
for the strike by filing q 30-day no.
tice with the National Labor Reia-
tions Board as required by the
Smith Connally Labor Disputes Act.
~ Aefillates Involved
Only II N.PTW. affiliates were
directly involved but they included
such big unions aS the Long Lines
Federation, Association OF Com
munication Equipment Workers.
Southwestern Telephone Employees
Federation and other regional and
state units.
Both sides were summoned TO
Washington Tuesday after wage ne
gotiatlOns IN the key dispute be-
tween the Long Lines union and
the American Telephone q Tele-
graph Company collapsed in New
YORK.
The nrst hopes for a settlement
cams when II was reported that the
company had agreed TO boost It's
previous offer Of . Is cent hourly
Increase. The union had demand
"a 10 i-2 cents.
The negotiations dragged on into
the night hoWeVeF. and shortly be-
fore D. n. the conferees recessed
briefly for q lunch Of sandwiches
and milk. At that time all Of them
seemed optlmlstie.
meeak ~ Hnfa 0roMps
The first reni break did not cone
until several hours later when, II
WIS learned. Anal formula for set
Ting The dispute Vas worked out.
The Industry and union Fepresellg
latseea then broke up into separate
groups and Delrne began telephone
Ing the various union locals 70 zee
Il they would aeres 70 the wage
plan.
a union source said there was
a0me opposition bg a few locals and
companies but that they finally had
agreed 70 ''9o along"
n preparation Tor q possible COLI
lapss n The negotiations. beiEale
previously had ordered the entire
falephona industry s'sirikebound
AZ 3 q. "a. IN an order telegFaphed
from national strike headquarters
hare 10 AL 81 MR.TW. akallates.
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