Evening star., 1946-01-14

purely local issue between the oper-
ators and the Chesapeake g. Po-
tomac Telephone Co. seemed to rest
entirely with the union.
Company Stands Firm.
Indicating a "no-retreat" stand
the company said no conciliation
efforts were planned for today and
added that management employees
who took over long distance and
local switchboards were handling an
increasing number of calls each
day.
Mrs. Cannon also indicated no
conciliation meetings were being
planned.
Efforts of the Cancellation Service
to bring the parties together broke
down Friday. Since then the COM
pany has injected a new point of
dispute by serving notice 1t wished
to renegotiate the recognition and
dues collection agreement with the
union.
Denies Jam" Threat.
A company spokesman refused to
comment on rumor the company
wished to eliminate the dues check
off agreement.
Mrs. Cannon denied published
report that she had threatened to
Jam" dial service by flooding the
exchanges with telephone coils. She
said union members would not touch
company equipment.
Termination of the ACEW strike
was requested by the NFTW Exc
cutive Committee so that its issues
might be correlated in the general
industry strike, Ernest Weaver, ma
tional president, explained today. >,
The national strike would be in
sympathy with the Western Electric
workers and also in demand for
wage increases for all telephone
workers, should both issues still be
at stake when the strike Is called,
Mr.. Weaver said.
:. He said the telephone workers
would ask a $2-a-day increase retro
active to August 18.
41ColdtlVh La CohS DOUhs
The national strike call followed
q breakdown in mediation efforts
Between Western Electric and union
representatives yesterday. At first
the statement of Mr.. Beirne indi-
Gated the strike would be effective
Immediately, but two hours after
the original announcement, the 30
day p6stponement was ordered.
y ACEW leaders experienced some
difficulty in polling the unions Is
locals to determine whether the
strike would end in accordance with
NFTW request. After waiting for
returns all night, Mr.. Weaver an
nounced this morning the locals
would comply, thus removing picket
lines from telephone exchanges
across the Nation.
Another effort to end the wage
dispute which precipitated the West
ern Electric strike will be made in
New York tomorrow with Concilia-
ton Commissioner Jacob R. Man
delbaum presiding over a company
union meeting.
For the past three days national
long distance and local telephone
service had been reduced to about
30 per cent of normal, and further
impairment was seen likely should
the strike continue long enough
for dial equipment to break down.
Orders Received Here.
&Orders for the 200 Washington
area Western Electric workmen to
qsnt picketing 10 telephone ex-
changes in the District and nearby
Virginia and Maryland came through
ak 5 am. today, r. L. Austin, Dis
trict ACEW representative, said.
He said squad captains" at the
different picketing points were Or
dered to withdraw and return to
work at once. AS a result, the tele-
phone company maintenance, COM
rtercial and accounting employees,
many of whom had respected the
PICKET lines, were automatically free
to return to work.
These employees are members of
the District Federation of Telephone
Workers, whose Executive Commit
tee had recommended that the
picket lines be respected. After
hearing of the NFTW's suggestion
to end the strike, the DFTW ordered
its members to return to work at
II o'clock last night.
One Strike Continues.
The NFTW action did not inter-
rupt a walkout of 17,200 Western
Electric employees in New York and
New Jersey who struck January 8
for a 80 per cent wage increase.
These employees are members of the
Western Electric Employees Associa-
ton, also q NFTW affiliate.
Government preparations to seize
the Bell System facilities ended
With the strike postponement deci-
sion. Legal papers had been drafted
Tor the War Communications Board
to effect the seizure, Government
spokesman said.
United States SAVINGS Bonds.