Evening star., 1946-03-03
JAW Offers to Return to Work
fGMWi|I Agree to Arbitration;
Hope Of Phone Agreement Rises
Beirne Asserts Union
Will Consider LETTING
Arbiters Settle Dispute

VIII NonSider Letting
Arbiters Settle Dispute
A ray of hope broke into the
strike-threatened telephone pic.
ture last night when Joseph A
Beirne, president of the Nationa
Federation of Telephone Work
ers, said the union would "give
serious consideration to arbitrat-
ing this dispute"
Mr.. Beirne is leader of $50 ,O0C
telephone workers who have set 6
am. Thursday as the hour to dis
rupt virtually all long distance and
manually operated local service in
quest of higher wages.
Throughout the Nation today and
tomorrow conciliators are making
last-hour effort to avert the great
est communications tie-up in the
Nations history.
indicates Concession.
Mr.. Beirne's words were the first
indication the union might concede
an inch in its demand for a gen.
eral $40 weekly increase for most
telephone workers, a demand Amer
ican Telephone & Telegraph Co.
subsidiary companies have agreed
to meet only halfway.
while the policy of the NFTW
opposes compulsory arbitration, I
am certain that even at this late
date we would give serious consid-
Grafton to arbitrating this dispute, )"
Mr.. Beirne said. Then he added:
The final conclusion, however,
which might be reached on it can
not be answered with fnality."
The union leader said NFTW
afhl1ates had suggested arbitration
before in certain of its negotiations,
and had been turned down by the
companies.
Meeting Set Tomorrow.
Tomorrow Mr.. Beirne will lead a
union delegation into a final bar
gaining effort between the Washing
ton Telephone Traffic Union and
the Chesapeake and Potomac Tele-
phone Co.
Neither the union nor COMPANY
would predict outcome of the meet
ing, scheduled for 10:30 am. in the
Office OF Cancellation Commissioner
R. w. Goodrich. The main issue
still is the unions $40 weekly raise
demand for 5000 operators against
the company's offer of IS.
Though there are Is other of
NFTW's so aff1liates seeking con-
tracts, observers are cycling the
Washington conference and one in
New York today for a break in the
long-held line that might quickly
explode the entire deadlock.
New York Session Vital.
The New York session is important
because 1t resumes negotiations be-
tween the A. T. g. T. and the Fed
Grafton Of Long Line Workers, a
vital link in the Nations long dis
tance system. Today's meeting is
noteworthy because the parties ap-
parently had broken of relations
after 14-hour meeting last week
Other bargaining meetings were
scheduled for st. Louis, Cincinnati,
Detroit and Milwaukee.
In the District, about 5000 union
workers are ready to suspend work
at the zero hour Thursday. Set to
strike in addition to 5000 operators,
are 2,400 commercial, accounting
and plant workers belonging to the
District Federation of Telephone
Workers; 200 Association of Com
munications Equipment Workers,
and 200 Association of Telephone
Equipment Workers and 100 Long
Line operators.
Strike Strategy Co-ordinated.
Their strike strategy was co-or-
dinated in a recent meeting. To
make their position ironclad, 80
delegates of the District Fedora
ton of Telephone Workers pledged
that group-which signed a con-
tract with the telephone company
January 31-to respect picket lines
of the strikers.
The Association of Communica-
tions Equipment Workers, whose
members participated in a Nation
wide strike in January, will meet
Wednesday night to lay final strike
plans. Meanwhile, the associations
Is locals, encompassing 1000 work
ers, are bargaining with Western
Electric Co. in Chicago. Like the
operators, they want raise of 50 a
day, 65-cent an hour minimum
and a 40-hour week.
While the Cancellation Service
continues an optimistic view, word
has gone out that the Government
is ready to take over in the event
of a paralyzing strike.
Will Not Oppose U. S.
Last night Mr.. Beirne said the
NFTW would not strike against the
Government.
Whether the workers would re-
turn to work Gf the Government
intercededD would depend largely
upon the Government ITSELF" Mr..
Beirne said.
IF the Government seizes part of
the A. T. & T. properties but not
all of them. it is my opinion that
there would be hesitancy on the
part of our members to return to
work. Our members are all to-
gether in this fight and I doubt if
they will permit any separation of
their ranks"
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