The Wyandotte news-herald., 1946-03-07

fused to call her membership back
to work.
"Picketing formed in front Of
the company's headquarters
building at Detreit at the s
o'clock deadline as we'll as sew
eral other locations.
"a normal force of 80 operators
at the Bell building left their
switchboards at the time but their
places were quickly filled by ad-
ministrative, supervisory and man.
agement personnel with no affect
on the normally light traffic at the
early hour" he continued.
Meanwhile. negotiators repre-
senting the company and the union,
after an all-night session with fed
eral and state concilliators appar-
emily had reached a settlement on
wages with both sides making con-
ceSSionS.
Settlement discussed would boost
the hourly basic wage rate an
average of 18 per cent or II cents
per hour.
Under the plant settlement,
wage increases of S5 a week at
the start of So at the maximum
are granted to all male craft en-
plOyes. Building employees are
granted So weekly increase. OPP
orators would be granted an in
crease of S. a week at the start
and 81 at the top.
The same increase would be ac-
corded traffic and accounting
clerks. Dining service empolyes will
be granted a raise of s5 a week.
'The agreement is consistent
with a national pattern of recent
increases in other industries" Bart
ley continued, reporting that pick
cts were withdrawn from the Bell
building at am.
The wage agreement specifically
affected only the 1890 members
Of the Long Lines Union but War
rem said it set a national pat
tern" for the ultimate settlement
OF all wage disputes in the tele-
phone industry.
The Long Lines agreement called
for wage increases ranging from s.
to SO a week Warren said this was
equivalent to an average increase
of 176 cents an hour The union
originally had demanded 25 cents
and later scaled down its demands
to 49, cents.
Warren said the 176 cents hourly
wage also was accepted as basis
for settling the strike Of Western
Electric Employees at Kearny. N. j.
George S. Dring, assistant vice
president of American Telephone &,
Telegraph Co.. said the Long Lines
agreement coupled with one al
ready reached with New York City
Long Lines workers would cost the
company an additional $6.800,00 g
year in wages.
He was unable TO estimate the
cost of the settlement to the entire
teIephone industry. The wage In
creaseS were made retroactive to
Feb. l. The contract will run for
one year beginning March 6, 1916.
/ Although the final settlement was
drafted long before the 8 a. m.
strike deadline, it encountered long
DELAYS before being finally approved.
Eeirne was on the telephone dur
inc most of the early morning get
ting approval Of the union locals
Their acceptance ruled out the
walkout which would have idled
some 25oO00 telephone workers and
cut off long distance and local man
nal service Immediately. Ultimately
the paralysis might have spread 10
dial systems, radio and teletype
circuits.
The union originally had arranged
for a radio broadcast at HIS o'clock
last night to advise affiliated unions
the strike was on. Shortly before
then the broadcast was called OF
although newsmen even at that
time were warned not 70 misinter-
pref this action.
Neither ancient Greek nor Latin
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