Evening star., 1946-02-17
InstaIIers' Agreement
Befters Prospect Of
Avertinq Phone Strike

approved a wage settlement COW
ering the Nations telephone in
stallers gave hope yesterday of
averting national telephone strike,
although no one cared to predict
the outcome of strike-vote meet
ing starting today at Memphis.
The odds are in favor of Ma
tionwide walkout,' the Associated
Press quoted a union leader as Of
f1cials of the National Federation
of Telephone Workers arrived in
Memphis to hear reports on nego-'
tiations from 48 affiliated locals.
But the leader, who refused to be
named, added: Every attempt will
be made by the membership to
avoid such drastic action"
A tentative agreement covering
telephone installers apparently ruled
out one of the three issues on which
the federation may vote to strike.
The remaining issues are the wage
demands of telephone operators and
a possible sympathy strike in sup
port of Western Electric Co. pro-
duction workers.
Vote on Western Electric.
The presidents of locals In the AS
SOciation of Communication Equip
ment Workers have voted by a two
thirds majority to accept the wage
offer of the Western Electric Co.,.
according to Frederick c. Pfeifter,
president of the Washington local.
His local includes installers in Wash
ington, Maryland, Virginia and West
Virginia.
Only three questions remain to be
settled at meeting on February Is
before a final contract is drawn upl
and submitted for ratification by g.
600 ACEW members assigned to the
country's telephone exchanges, he
said.
Two hundred Washington mem
bers are affected by the tentative
settlement calling for increases be-
tween Is and 80 cents an hour. It'll
includes Is per cent postwar raise
as well as settlement of wartime
demands: A boost of 5 cents for
employees of less than eight years
and Z cents for employees of more
than eight years, retroactive to April
81, 1945, applies to wartime wage
demands.
Company and ACEW negotiators
will meet week from tomorrow to
seek agreement on maintenance of
union membership. checkoff of dues
and a no-strike clause.
Weaver in Memphis.
Ernest Weaver, president of the
ACEW, is attending the Memphis
meeting. In Baltimore, Mr.. Pfeifer
said he did not know whether Mr.
Weaver would vote for a strike in
sympathy with production workers
or operators. The question prob
ably will not be decided before Tues
day, he added, remarking that the
meeting might last from three days
to week.
NO action is planned by the 5000 |
washington telephone operators un-
til word is received from Mrs. Mary
Cannon, president of the Washing
ton Telephone Traffic Union, who
Is attending the Memphis meeting.
MRS. Emma Sauer, vice president
said There has been no activity on
the lScal front Ysince the Operators
voted ten days ago to strike to en-
force demands for a 50 a day wage
increase.
The NFTW executive board met
yesterday in Memphis and studied
the possible effect of President Tru-
mans new wage-price policy on the
telephone industry. A spokesman
said the board expected an opinion
from It's counsel over the week end.
To Vote on Affiliation.
In addition to strike action, the
presidents of 49 affiliated unions will
vote on the question of Joining the
AFL or the CIO: A fact-finding
board appointed to investigate the
advantages of linking up with either
OF the major labor organizations
Will report to the union presidents.
Union spokesmen would not spec
ulate on how amalgamation might
AFFECT the NFTW's strike action. In
dependent observers doubted that
care to take on any organization at
the moment when it was calling a
national strike.
John j. Moran, president of the
Federation of Long Line Operators.
confirmed the. statement of the
American Telephone and telegraph
Co. that wage discussions betweenI
them had been adjourned. Although
the company has refused to increase
its original wage offer, negotiations
on matters other than wage still
are in progress, he said.
Throughout the country. Labor
Department conciliators were at
tempting yesterday to narrow dis
putes between local telephone COM
panies and their employees, a De-
partment spokesman said. The La
Dor Department will take no action
nationally before it hears what is i
decided at Memphis, he added.
'H