Evening star., 1947-03-22
Phone0perators
Vote 10 Back
Strike in April
7-to-l BoIIoting Gives
D. c. Locals Support
To Policy Body ".

Sy
Washington's telephone operators
are ready to go on strike early in
April if the Policy Committee Of
the National Federation of Tele-
phone Workers decides Monday to
call q Nationwide walkout.
The Washington Telephone Traf-
fic Union, consisting of more than
3 900 operators here, voted 2,635 to
800 to support whatever action the
national group takes, Mrs. Mary E.
Cannon, union president, an
nounced.
At the same time the 5000 MAIN
tenance and Office employees who
belong to the Washington Fedora
ton of Telephone Workers were
mailing in their ballots in their
strike poll. Poll results will not be
tabulated until late next week.
More than 1000 members met In
Turner's Arena last night and were
urged to join with other affiliates
IN going along with the Policy Com
mittee. Raymond B. Lunceford was
named strike director.
Thirty-day Notice on File.
The national organization already
has filed 30-day strike notice.
between the telephone
and the various affiliated
unions here, in Maryland and Vir-
ginia and elsewhere expire April 7.
A NFTW spokesman said today that
on Monday the National Policy Com
mittee would probably set the date
for strike If the present deadlock
In contract negotiations Is not
broken.
The National Policy Committee
will meet at 10 am. Monday at the
Hotel. After Monday it
will meet in the Raleigh Hotel and
expects to meet for an indefinite
period" a national headquarters
official said.
He reported that local unions In
al parts of the country are voting
at an average OF Is to l in favor Of
a walkout If one is called. Some
locals, he said. have voted as high
as 20 to /. No local has voted in
opposition to possible strike, he
said.
AS Maryland and Virginia afili-
ates continued to report over
sentiment in favor of a
If one is called, a Mary
land local OF the NFTW planned
a 24-hour walkout Tuesday.
President Robert r. Beveridge of
the Point Breeze local announced
that more than 5,400 maintenance
and production employees Of the
Point Breeze plant of Western Elec-
trio Co. will leave their jobs for "a
hours beginning Tuesday morning.
A spokesman for the Washington
union said such a walkout would
have no immediate effect On tele-
phone operations here.
Negotiation Failure Hit.
The Point Breeze local move, union
officials explained, was In protest
against apparent failure OF contract
negotiations.
The announcement came several
hours after Maryland Federation of
Telephone Workers officials declared
"a strike seems the only alternative"
because Of the impasse in negetia-
tions.
President Henry B. Foster of
the Maryland Federation said the
6 Potomac Telephone
Co., turned down an arbitration
offer.
THE union proposed that these
differences be continued in the hope
it might be possible to reach an
agreement" he said. Frankly a
strike seems the only alternative.
Mrs. Cannon, speaking for the
telephone operators,
said there is nothing new in the
situation today" She declared the
WITH has voted decisively to join
In whatever Nationwide action is
She said she has heard no
further moves to resume negotia-
tions. The WITH vote was taken
yesterday after contract confer
ences broke down for the second
time in two weeks, she said.
A Chesapeake & Potomac Co.
spokesman here today confirmed
the unions statement that an i'm
passe has been reached"
But" he added, "the company
stands ready and willing to continue
the present contract for three or six
months or longer, pending an agree
ment. We are willing to continue
bargaining negotiations.
He declared that the reported re-
fusal OF the telephone company to
accept an arbitration proposal by
the Maryland federation was "a
Baltimore matter which has nothing
to do with the Washington situa-
ton" He also explained that the
scheduled 24-hour. walkout OF the
Point Breeze. Md, local of NF'TW
next Tuesday would have mo effect
or repercussions" in Washington.
Virginia Situation Deadlocked.
The Virginia Federation Of Tele-
phone Workers announced late yes
terday in Richmond that 1t had
reached a deadlock with the tele-
phone company officials. Fedora
ton spokesmen said they would file
a strike notice with Federal author
tiles but meanwhile would have
second conference in accordance
with the Virginia Public Utilities
Labor Relations Act. Gov. Tuck
has been informed of the deadlock
and may attend the second con-
ference, to be held probably within
10 days, it was reported.
The union Is seeking $12 weekly
wage increase, union shop, check
of OF dues. reduced apprenticeship
periods, longer vacations and various
wage differentials for day and night
work.
Joseph A. Beirne, president Of the
national federation, said yesterday
the 49-member Policy Committee
probably would discuss an arbitra-
ton proposal made by Senator
Morse, Republican, of Oregon.
There was no indication today. q
union spokesman said, that the
Policy Committee will revise the
contract demands, as It has author