Evening star., 1946-04-26
Virginia Strike
|0f fBusWorkers
Strands $4,000
Arbitration Dispute
Stops Green Vehicles
In Surprise WoIkout
Pictures on Page BID

Fifty thousand Virginia COM
muters lost their customary
transportation to Washington
today when employees of the
Washington Virginia Maryland
Coach Co. struck without warn
ing.
Federal Conciliator Gilbert Nc
Cutcheon said the company and
union had agreed to meet with him
this afternoon in the hope of effect
ing a speedy settlement.
The strike was called without the
30-day notice required by the Smith
Connally Act, but J. S. Hodges,
union business agent, said such
notice was not necessary because
the company had served notice Of
canceling the union contract and
there would be no contract binding
the parties after May 13.
The 300 workers voted to walk
out in an early morning meeting
at the Ballston (VaD flrehouse when
the management and union failed
to agree on terms for arbitrating
wage contract dispute Although
the union had taken a strike vote
last week the company was caught
completely by surprise when the
walkout occurred at 355 am.
Commuters Surprised, Too.
No less surprised were the thou
sands of commuters, mostly in
thickly populated Arlington County
north of Columbia pike, who daily
depend on the green Arnold
operated buses to carry them to
work in the Capital.
With resourcefulness characteristic
of commuters most of the Virginians
reached their destinations but some
were tardy. hiking became
suddenly popular in Arlington and
other points served by the ia buses
of the Arnold line.
The day brought an unexpected
holiday for many school children.
Twenty-eight of the buses carry
about 1000 pupils to their classes
throughout the county. These ve-
hicles were idle like the others.
/ Most of the points affected by the
strike are served by no other bus
! line. There is an auxiliary line
through Arlington proper, but such
places as Fairfax. Falls Church,
Clarendon. Westover, Arlington For
est. Colonial Village, Langley, Nc
Lean. Tyson's Corner, Vienna.
Sharkey and Oakton depend en-
tirely on the WIN buses. They
also run from Washington to the
Pentagon and Navy Annex.
Arbitrator in Dispute.
CruX of the dispute was the failure
to set up arbitration machinery
acceptable to both sides The union
membership met at midnight after
a negotiations meeting earlier in the
day attended by Gilbert McCutcheon,
Federal conciliator,
The case dates to April 10, when
the company took advantage of a
cancellation clause and gave the
union 30-day notice that negotia-
tions would be opened for new
contract effective May 49,
Representatives of the union,
Local 1919, Amalgamated Associa-
ton of Street. Electric Railway and
Motor Coach Employees of America
tAFLl, asked for salary increases
and other considerations. Principal
demand was S1l8 an hour for
drivers and sl28 after six months
instead of the current rate Of
I SO cents an hour and SO cents after
a years employment.
| The management countered with
an Scent offer which Sherman
/ Wilson, personnel director. said
would cost $4,000 a year. Cost of
meeting the full demand of the
union would be $3.50 year, Mr..
Wilson said.
Company Asks Fare Increase.
/ Mr. Wilson said the company's s
offer of an Scent raise was made
contingent upon a fare increase
request yesterday, Filed with the
Wage Sterilization Board and to be
acted on later by the Interstate
Commerce Commission, the petition
is for 212 cents additional on fares
! from Virginia into Washington.
! Riders in the present 10-cent
!, zones would pay Is cents cash or
buy two tokens for Is cents. The
cost to commuters in l5-cent zones
would be token and cents.
The arbitration snag developed
after the company had named
Douglas Hatch, company attorney
and the union had selected Eli
Oliver, Washington attorney
Selection of the third and i'm
partial arbitrator brought trouble
! Mr.. Hodges said the company had
failed to live up to the contract in
picking the arbitrator. He said the
. management wanted to select him
from the Arlington County Public
Utilities Commission.
Mr.. Wilson agreed such was the
case up to yesterday, when Mr.. Nc
Cutcheon cited an executive order