Evening star., 1947-04-07
Coils for Operator
Answered by Recorded
Voice in Washington
PHONE CALLS norma
as State law bars strike. Page A!
Pictures on Page A-5.)

Seven thousand telephone
workers here went on strike at
6 am. today. leaving more than
900 management and supervisory
employees of the Chesapeake &
Potomac Telephone Co. carrying
on what telephone operations
they could.
Long distance calls, except those
Of an emergency nature, stopped
Immediately. Although dial phones
were not affected, all dial calls for
long distance, information Or opera
tor we're answered by a recorded
voice.
Our operators are on strike" the
voice stated. I'VE are sorry we can
not handle your call. For fire and
police calls, please dial the numbers
listed in your directory"
Expect Dials to Operate.
Company officials said they were
confident the employees on duty
could handle all emergency long dis
tance calls and care for other neces-
sary work. They estimated the dial
system would function effectively
for considerable period here.
Between 800 and 800 of the ap-
proximately 1000 striking members
of the Washington Telephone Traf-
fic Union and the District Fedora
ton of Telephone Workers have
been picketing some IS Offices of
the telephone company as well as
the Western Electric Co. plant at
I'LL North Capitol street since the
start of the walkout at 6 am.
The company's headquarters
building at 727 Thirteenth street
NV. was being picketed by about
10 strikers, mostly girls who wore
low-heeled shoes and exclaimed:
Thank goodness we are having this
wonderful weather" From 10 to 20
pickets were assigned to each OF the
branch ofdces.
Leaders Visit Picket Line.
Mrs. Mary e. Cannon, president
of the WITH, and Joseph A. Beirne,
head Of the National Federation of
Telephone Workers, joined the
picket line at the Thirteenth street
building at 6:15 am. They did not
remain in line all morning, but Mrs.
Cannon returned from time to
time.
Headquarters of the two local
unions have been set up in sec
ond-floor room at I'll Thirteenth
street NV, at the Ell Patio night
club. The strike managers were
using several dial telephones.
Some telephone workers Jumped
the gum by leaving their posts Is
to 80 minutes ahead of the am.
oeadline, company officials declared.
Union officials denied this. They
said they knew of no advance walk
out anywhere here but added that
"a few employees may have gone out
a little ahead of time" The union
said it strictly observed the starting
time and did not establish picket
lines until 6 am.
A company spokesman said long
lines operators walked out "practi-
cally IN a body" at $50 am.
6 Pct. of Normal Traffic Handled.
The telephone company estimated
1t had handled 6 per cent of its nor
NAL incoming long distance calls be-
tween 6 am. and 1890 pm. The
daily average of incoming calls is
about $4,000.
A person wishing to make an
long-distance call must
dial 21l, as before. The recorded
voice comes on, but after being re-
peated three or four times it is re-
placed by the voice of an operator
This operator, 1t was explained at
company headquarters, then decides
if the long-distance call is necessary
Whether a long distance call, can
be put through depends on telephone
conditions in the part of the country
to which the call is made.
Long distance calls during the
strike will be handled only in
clearly demonstrated emergency
and highly essential cases." the
company explained. Each case will
be judged on its own merits.
Doctors Calls Considered Emergency.
In addition to calls for such emer-
gencies as fire, flood, storm or trans
portation wreck, others relating to
extremely serious illness or sudden
death, doctors orders for necessary
drugs, and shipments of perishable
foods would fall in the general cate
CORY of calls that would be accepted,
the company stated.
An official said a call from doc
(See WORKERS, Page ASH
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