Evening star., 1946-01-13
Operators
Continued From First Page)
nice. But what do you do when you
have your back to the wall?"

nice. But what do you do when you
have your back to the wall?"
Company Confirms Action.
The company later issued a brief
statement confirming the termina-
ton notice. 1t said:
THE recognition and wage deduc-
tions of union dues agreement with
the Washington Telephone Traffic
Union expires on March 81, 1916. 1t
provides that it shall be automatic
ally renewed for another year un-
less Cancelled at least go days before
lit expires. The company has given
the required notice under the con-
tract so that negotiations on a new
contract may be entered into At the
time the contract was Cancelled, we
suggested that negotiations on the
new contract be commenced not
later than March l, 1896"
The recognition contract is one
of the three which the union has
with the company, but is consid-
cred basic, since the others are
contingent upon it. The remaining
agreements provide for wages, work.
ing conditions and military service.
Commissioner Richard w. Good
rick of the Cancellation Service, who
presided over an unsuccessful at
tempt to end the despute Friday
afternoon, said cancellation of the
recognition agreement had not been
injected into the issues confront
ing the union and the company
until yesterday. He said he was not
aware of this new development
until informed of it by The Star
yesterday afternoon.
Cancellation Awaits Concession.
At the same time, he said, no fur
ther conciliation conferences were
contemplated until either side is
willing to make some concession.
The Labor Department, the COM
pany and the union are Standing
on CALL" he said.
While the local grievances ap-
peared to be making restoration of
normal service here even more re-
mote, officers of the National Fed
Grafton of Telephone Workers. with
which the Washington union is
affiliated, were to meet today to
decide whether to call a national
strike in sympathy with the Western
Electric employees. In the Capital
and in many other cities, such ac-
ton would merely make official
what is already an actuality, since
operators and other unionized work.
ers have steadfastily refused to
cross picket lines.
| Arrangements were made yester-
day for operators to pick up their
pay checks for last week at COM
pany Offices around the city. The
women were permitted to walk
through the picket lines for this
purpose. and long queues formed
at the main Office and most of the
branch exchanges as the operators
waited for their checks.
Able to Garry On.
Mrs. Cannon at first advised her
members not to 60 after their
checks unless they were really
needed Later she told reporters
she saw no reason why the oper-
ators shouldn't get their pay.
'They like to go to movies and
things" she added.
Asked if the union had adequate
I funds to help its members finan-
cially in the event of a protracted
strike, Mrs Cannon said: 1--WE are
able to carry on. We will stay out
until our grievance is settled"
The "sweatshep" charge, accord
ing to union officials, refers to the
company's alleged practice of COM
pelling supervisors to carry out the
duties of chief operators as well as
their own. George Duvall, regional
director of the federation, said the
duty of a supervisor is to coordinate
the work of others rather than te
direct it.
Nov the company is requiring
them to stand in back of operators
/! grab their hands if they do some
thing wrong, repremand and dis
cipline them," he said. "They are
required to report mistakes ano
correct operators in front of the
other girls"
Dial Service Unhampered.
/ The company, in a statement is.
sued last night, discounted report.
\