Evening star., 1947-05-11
Telephone Strikers
VIII End New Jersey
And New York Tieup,

Two more telephone unl0n6, rep
resenting $4,000 New York and New
Jersey workers, last night signed
settlements with their companies
for wage increases and agreed to
return to work Monday morning.
At the same time, q long night
meeting here between the telephone
operators and Chesapeake and Po-
tomac Telephone Co. oficials failed
again to bring agreement and end
the District strike.
A different branch Of the Bell
System company did reach agree
ment with its employees. ]. r. B.
Crigler, vice president and general
manager of the G. 81 p. Co. OF West
Virginia here last night announced
q tentative settlement with the
Communication Workers Union, rep
resentin9 employees In all depart-
ments Of the company. He said
union ofiicials would recommend to
all members that they return to
work at once.
Workers Accept $4.79 increase.
Labor Department officials made
the announcement Of the New Jer-
sey settlement, involving $4,000 op-
orators Of the Telephone Trafic
Federation Of New Jersey. They ac-
cepted an average increase Of $4.70
weekly.
The agreement specifies that un-
| ion members will not cross picket
lines of any union afiiliated with
the National Federation Of Tele-
phone Workers which might still be
on strike. Employees OF the Western
Electric Co., whose union Is an
NFTW affiliate, were still negoti-
ating their differences last night. The
Accounting Workers Union Of New
Jersey, also an NFTW affiliate, could
reach no agreement in negotiations
conducted by the State labor COM
missioner last night and their dis
pute is to go before the State Tele-
phone Strike Arbitration Board,
spokesman said.
In New York, company officials
announced settlement Of the strike
of mechanical and plant employees
Of Bell Telephone laboratories in
Manhattan and New Jersey for a 81
weekly across-the board boost.
Offer Rejected in St. Louis.
In st. Louis yesterday, however,
bargaining officials for $4,000 MEM
bers of the Southwestern Telephone
Workers Union rejected a company
offer of basic wage increases rang
ing from 50 to 81.
Federal Conciliator John Murray
said here last night "some progress"
was made in the Western Elec-
trio Co. wage negotiations before he
called both parties back into a
night meeting.
Ernest Weaver, leader Of the
Western Electric employees, said after
last nights meeting that the COM
pany had offered a final pro-
posal' on everything in the contract
but wages, and the union had come
back with a final counter proposal"
The talks are scheduled to resume
at 1:30 pm. today, when the COM
pany is expected to give a reply to
the union.
Mothers Day Appeal Made.
In New York, officials of the A. T.
& T. announced that only about a
third Of It's long distance workers
were back on the job and appealed
to the public to refrain from max
ing Mothers Day call If possible"
They said their operators obviously
would be unable to take care of the
trafnc without long delays.
In the intense negotiations be-
tween the c. g. P. Co. and the Wash
ington Telephone Trafiic Union,
there were increasing signs Of a set
tlenient somewhere around the 81
to 81 settlement reached In other
sections of the country.
Company officials said yesterday,
in offering wage increases similar to
those accepted by the District Fed
Grafton Of Telephone Workers ear
lier this week, that more than 80
per cent of the traffic department
group would receive the 81 raise.
In addition to 2,600 operators, the
WITH consists Of 500 cafeteria serv-
ice workers, $50 clerks and S. rest
room attendants. The first ques-
tion after WITH settlement Is
whether the union would return to
work If Western Electric employees
are. still picketing telephone ex-
changes.
Mrs. Mary Cannon, WITH presi-
dent, said the unions policy was to
respect picket lines of other NFTW
af1liates, and that her members
would be advised of this.