Evening star., 1946-03-31
Vepco Strike
.ThreatAverted
AT Last Minute
Both Factions Agree
To Arbitrote; Tuck
Revokes Draft Order

In a last minute agreement
between company and union
officials, the threatened strike of
Virginia Electric & Power Co.
workers, set for midnight to-
night, was called off late yester-
day. Gov. Tuck Immediately
rescinded his order drafting
Vepco employees into the unor-
ganized State militia subject to
active duty with the State Guard
IN the event of a shutdown.
Representatives of both sides
agreed to arbitrate their differences,
including retroactive pay, approx
mately 30 hours before the Walkout
Of 1900 workers was scheduled to
shut down electrical facilities serv-
ing some 100000 people in Vir-
ginia, West Virginia and North
Carolina
The announcement was made To-
cally at the conclusion of an ad-
dress by James Preston, an inter-
national representative of the
International Brotherhood of Elec-
trical Workers, over Station WTOP
at pm.
15-Cent Raise Insured
In agreeing to arbitration at their
meeting in Richmond the negoti-
ating committees of the IBEW and
the company signed four-page
stipulation providing, among other
things, that the hourly wage rate
of each employe covered in the
contract should be increased by
not less than IS cents an hour. The
workers now receive 87l2 cents an
hour, according to union repre-
sentatives.
An additional o. cents will be
used by the company to eliminate
certain inequalities in the wage
structure, with distribution agreed
on by company and union or by ar
bitration. 1t was agreed that the
retroactive pay would be a percent
age of the employees earnings during
the past year. but not less than the
per cent previously offered by the
company and not more than the 10
pei cent asked by the union.
The committees also agreed to
meet April 9 in Richmond to work
out an agreement covering all mat
ters not provided for in the Stipula-
ton.
Five-Man Board to Decide.
| Each side will select two arbitrs-
tors as its respective representatives
on or before April IS. If the four
arbitrators are unable to agree or If
either side desires it, a joint request
will be made to the National Wage
Sterilization Board to appoint
fifth arbitrator.
When informed of the agreement
Gov. Tuck Immediately declared
ended the state of emergency which
he had proclaimed Thursday before
issuing his order drafting the elec-
trical workers into the militia.
Il am immensely gratified and re-
ieved to learn that the proposed
strike of union employees of the Vir-
ginia Electric & Power Co. has been
called off" the Governor declared.
L know that the two and three
quarters million people of this State
who would have felt the disastrous
consequences of an interruption in
the electric service on which they
have become so dependent will be
equally relieved.
Acted Reluctantly.
ut was with great reluctance and
only because of the tremendous re-
sponsibilities of my Office as Gov
ernor, involving as they do the duty
to protect the people of Virginia
from the hardships. suffering and
dangers with which they are threat
ened. that 1 felt impelled to draft
temporarily those members of the
unorganiZed militia of the State who
alone were able to prevent an inter
ruption of the vital services Of this
utility.
IF the strike had occurred. it was
my purpose. as soon as other per-
sonnel could be secured, to relieve
from duty all drafted members who
desired to be released. But secur-
ing this personnel would have taken
some little time and irreparable in
jury would have been suffered in
the meantime without their tenn
porary help" the Governor said.
Let me take this occasion to ex-
tend, on behalf of the people of the
State. to the members of the State
Guard. and also to those who were
drafted, my thanks and appreciation
for the splendid cooperation mani
tested and service rendered and to
the many others who so freely VOL
unteered their services in this crisis
which has just passed.
The emergency having ended, I
hereby so declare and do hereby pro-
claim that all persons who were