Evening star., 1947-05-16
- = =
Phone 5frike0ff
In Virginia; Tuck
Credits New Law
Operators in Neorby
Areas Not Included .
In Settlement Pact
TELEPHONE PICKETs remain at
posts In District. Page AS
lY fhs Asseeiaisd Pres.

Rbbobo AL 4<A0VA ASts Gs6S <A-0
By The Asseeiofsd Press
RICHMOND, Va, May 16.-Gov.
Tuck today hailed settlement Of the
Virginia telephone labor dispute as
evidence that the States new public
utility labor relations law has
worked.
The threat Of State seizure Of the
Chesapeake a. Potomac Telephone
Co, was dissolved yesterday when
the Virginia Federation of Tele-
phone Workers agreed to accept the
con1pany's 50 and So wage increase
formula and signed a new contract
90 hours before Its strike deadline.
The agreement had no effect on
800 operators in the Alexandria
Arlington Falls Church area who
are members of the Washington
Telephone Traffic Union. The
WITH still Is on strike against the
District Chesapeake 81 Potomac
Telephone Co., but the Virginia
mSmDSIS nave COIlt1lucu W Woihs
4 Raps Union Leaders
Commencing Virginia telephone
workers for their "high regard for
the public interest" Gov. Tuck at the
same time deplored their 'irra-
tior1al" leadership and blamed the
stoutside interference Of union Lead
ers beyond our borders" for pre-
venting an earlier agreement.
Settlement of the dispute which
has been dangling before the Gov
ernor and State Corporation Com
mission since the union gave strike
notice as required by Virginia,s new
law five weeks ago, brought this ex-
pression from the Governors office:
"As soon as formal notice of the
strikes withdrawal is receievd from
the union, the Governor will advise
the Corporation Commission to
abandon its plans for Saturdays
seizure"
The Governor was absent from
the city when the unions 13-mem-
ber Governing Council by divided
vote agreed to accept the company
offer. The new contract will run
until May IA, 1948.
DifferentiaI Is Granted.
In addition to a basic increase Of
50 and $3-about three-quarters OF
the employees will receive the larger
hgure--the contract also granted an
additional 50 differential to traffic
supervisors which will boost the total
increase of about $50 employees to SIS.
Other concessions, as announced
by Union Secretary Thomas w.
Stone, included:
An extra days pay for workers
who miss q holiday-off because of
vacations.
A company agreement to deduct
union dues, under q voluntary
checkoff, without cost to the union.
The company formerly charged the
union 8 cents per deduction twice
a year on each of the 5000 workers.
Agreement to write into the con-
tract the 15-minute relief sessions
per eight-hour span for operators.
Minimum Can-Back Time.
A minimum call-out time of three
hours-that is any worker ordered
to work would receive minimum
of three hours pay.
Arthur L. Lambdin, vice president
and general manager of the G. g. p,
said the raises would cost the COM
pany, in addition to regular progress
sive increases $758, 900 for the length
Of the contract.
The union secretary said he and
vFTW Chairman Alfred v. Atkin-
son would deliver letter formally
withdrawing the strike notice to
the Governors Office today and also
would cancel the strike notice on
file with the Labor Department at
Washington.
Thus, except for a few final for
malities, ended the first major test
of Virginia's new Public Utilities
Labor Relations Act. .
The union and the company went
through the first and second Con-
ference" stages as required by law
early In the year without agree
ment. The Governor called in both
parties and asked them to settle
their differences by collective bar
gaining. This appeared impossible
so Mr.. Tuck asked them to arbi-
trate the issues.
A formal strike notice was the
unions next step In compliance
with the law-giving the Common
wealth five weeks notice of its pro-
posed action and allowing the State
a period in which to recruit and,
If necessary, train personnel to op-
crate the phone company in the
event IF seizure tomorrow