Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-03-31
Harf|ey0ffers
Bill 10 Prevent
1ieup Phones
Meetings Scheduled
Here Today Between
Unions and G. &P.

A bill designed to avert a ma
tional telephone strike scheduled
for next Monday was introduced
today by Chairman Hartley Of
the House Labor Committee.
Under its provisions the Attorney
General could obtain an injunction
in the Federal Courts to block any
strike involving the public health,
safety or interest.
The Labor Committee will start
consideration of the legislation to-
morrow.
The Labor Department also began
applying pressure in an effort to
head off the strike through concilia-
ton. Two meetings were called here
this afternoon between Washington
unions and the Chesapeake & Poto-
mac Telephone Co. Elsewhere, Con-
Citation Service commissioners
held other meetings between tele-
phone companies and the 80 unions
threatening a. strike.
Bill is Outlined.
Mr.. Hartley's bill provides for q
30-day Cancellation period after the
injunction is granted. 1t places a
deadline of July 81 on the time in
which court actions may be filed for
relief from the injunction.
While its terms may be applied to
strikes generally affecting the public
welfare, the New Jersey representa-
tive made it plain the telephone
strike threat inspired the bill.
The main hope for settlement was
devising arbitration machinery, or
some other remedy in one of the
local disputes, that would serve as
a master key to the remaining
deadlocks.
Meeting Is Called.
Working toward that end, Com
missioner E. T. Bell arranged a
meeting at 2 o'clock this after
noon between negotiators of the
G. & P. and the District Federation
of Telephone Workers, whose more
than 5000 members serve the
company as maintenance men, ac-
countants and commercial workers.
A similar meeting was, called by
Commissioner Lucien F. Rye for the
company and the Washington Tele-
phone Traffic Union, representing
upwards of 5000 telephone operators.
There was no indication that
either side was prepared to bulge
from its earlier position regarding
the 10 basic demands made by the
unions nationally of American
Telephone and Telegraph sub
salaries. =
$12 Raise Demanded.
The National Federation OF Tele.
phone Workers, parent union of the
80 unions threatening to strike, Is
resolved to gain $12 more a week for
its 287, 900 members, plus other gains
including the union shop. The COM
panies have offered in most cases to
extend provisions Of current con-
tradts.
The NFTW'S only concession to-
ward a settlement to date appears
to be willingness to bargain on q
local level instead of on an industry
wide basis as first avowed. In Wash
ington the unions have refused a
company offer to arbitrate basic
wages alone, but have not elini-
mated the possibility of arbitrating
all issues at stake.
Commissioner Bell said he would
explore every avenue that might
lead to settlement, including ar
bitration.
Last year, when a similar strike
threat was headed off in the last
IS minutes, it was an agreement be-
tween the long lines department Of
the A. T. g. T. and the American
Union of Telephone Workers, a
NFTW affiliate, that set pattern
suitable for a national settlement.
Apparently with this success in
mind, the Cancellation Service
called a meeting between the long
lines groups in New York yesterday,