Evening star., 1947-05-06
Phone Strike Meeting
Today Is Called Most
Important 10 Date

HIfPUIl0lH ~ UuiC
Long lines telephone union
leaders and American Telephone
Il Telegraph Co. officials were
meeting ait the Labor Depart
ment today in what Federal
conciliators called sour most inl-
portant meeting to date" toward
reaching a final agreement to
start the end of the Nation wide
walkout.
In meeting that lasted until
after midnight last night A. T. ~ T,
offered new wage increases, but the
union rejected the offer and ap-
peared to be holding out for the
s5.l4 weekly raise compromise slg-
gested last week by conciliators
A. T. 81 T.'s original offer of 81, s.
ard $4 weekly raises. depending on
the geographical location OF the
employe, was increased in the lower
brackets, but the top still;stood at -
! John j. Moran, head of the long
lines workers, asserted that the
offer was still mot good enough,
but admitted that final agreement
could be reached today IF they
come UP far enough"
George s. Dring, assistant vice
president Of A. T. 81 T., also agreed
that it is possible to settle the long
lines strike today: .
Last year the long lines agreement
led the way for settlement in al
other affiliates of the National Fed.
erations of Telephone Workers, and
1t has been regarded as the key SCI
of negotiations in the current strike
now in its fifth week.
At noon the Cancellation Service
announced that Southwestern Bel
Co.. officials and the Southwestern
Telephone Workers Union had
agreed to move the negotiations to
ST. Louis. At the same time both
sides announced they were ready to
make definite concessions toward q
settlement. The first meeting in St
Louis will be held Thursday.
Meanwhile, a settlement was an
nounced for 1850 workers in the
Minnesota, North and South Dakota
Iowa and Nebraska area served by
the Northwestern Bell Co.
All members of telephone unions
afiiliated with the NFTW, they ac-
cepted raises ranging from $3.50 to
81 a week. The settlement was an
nounced by Gov. Luther w. Young
dahl Of Minnesota, who has taken
the lead in attempting to bring the
union and management together.
In Omaha, however, today, MEM
bers of the Northwestern union re-
fused to obey their officers and go
back to work across the picket lines
of four allied unions still on strike.
They voted not to return to work.
More Workers Return.
Members Of two additional unions
In Chicago, who settled for $4
weekly increases. went back to work
while their leaders were under fire
from the NFTW Policy Committee
in Washington for their action.
The Policy Committee, which
had threatened disciplinary action
against the two Chicago affiliates
for settling the strike on the basis
Of a "a increase, held a closed
meeting for three hours here yes
terdGy. Afterwards NFTW President
Joseph Beirne told reporters the
matter had been discussed, but said
he had nothing to report.
Meeting In Richmond.
The A.. T.. & T. declared In q
statement last night that nearly a
fourth OF the $4,000 persons made
idle by the walkout April ~ have
returned TO their posts. go
In Baltimore, 1000 rlonstriking
operators voted more than three to
one last night to continue their
policy of respecting picket lines of
four other unions still on strike even
though the Chesapeake g. Potomac
Telephone Co. notified them it will
attempt to hire new operators today.
In Richmond, the c. 81 P.
and Virginia Federation of Tele-
phone Workers went into another
session at 10 am. today-but both
sides appeared firm in their posi-
tions.
At yesterdays meeting the COM
pany reiterated its stand that arbi-
tration is "the quickest and most
equitable method of settling the
wage issue" Union leaders an
swered that the company appar-
emily has nothing to offer but the
same answer of arbitration even
after it had halved its original
wage demand from a $12 weekly
increase to S6.
Cherry Fails to Act.
Telephone service in North Car
olina remained subnormal today,
and Gov. R. Gregg Cherry, who set
yesterday as the deadline for re-
turn to work, said he planned no
immediate action. Last Friday the
Governor told the company that
If workers were not back by Mon
day, new workers should be hired
The manager of the Southern
Bell Co. in Charlotte refused last
night to say whether any Of the
strikers had been fired or new ones
hired. In Raleigh members of the
Southern Federation of Telephone
Workers apparently rescinded a
vote to return to work and attend
ed a mass meeting at Pullen Park
The Michigan Bell Telephone Co
last night rejected two separate
proposals aimed at settling the
strike in that State. Terms sug-
gested by Federal and State con-
ciliators for "a to Sc weekly raises
we're called unacceptable by the
company on the grounds the new
wages "do not conform with con-
ditions in the communities we
serve"
The second proposal by the union
pledging plant workers to return tx
their jobs for increases averaging
Is cents an hour, also was turned
down by the company. The unior
previously had turned down a com.
pany offer for 50 to 81 weekly in,
creases.
EunoYaI Difoe Todav