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

are ready to 60 on strike early il
April if the Policy Committee O
the National Federation of Tele
phone Workers decides Monday t.
call a Nationwide walkout.
The Washington Telephone Traf
flc Union, consisting of more thai
5000 operators here, voted 2,635 t,
300 to support whatever action tn
national group takes, Mrs. Mary E
Cannon, union president, an
nounced.
At the same time the 5000 main
tenance and Office employees whit
belong to the Washington Fedora.
ton of Telephone Workers wer,
mailing in their ballots in theil
strike poll Poll results will not b,
:abulated until late next week.
More than 1000 members met il
Turner's Arena last night and wer
urged TO join with other affiliate
IN going along with the Policy Com
naittee. Raymond B. Lunceford wa
Iamed strike director.
Thirty-day Notice on File.
The national organization alread,
has filed a 30-day strike. notice
Agreements between the telephone
company and the various affiliated
unions here, in Maryland and Vir.
ginia and elsewhere expire April 7
A NFTW spokesman said today tina
on Monday the National Policy Com.
saittee would probably set the datt
for strike if the present deadlock
in contract negotiations is no
broken.
The National Policy Committee
will meet at 10 am. Monday at the
Annapolis Hotel. After Monday il
will meet in the Raleigh Hotel anc
expects to meet for an indefinite
period" national headquarters
official said.
He reported that local unions ir
ell parts of the country are voting
ct an average of Is to l in favor o1
8 walkout if one is called. Some
locals, he said, have voted as high
IS 20 to l. No local has voted ir
opposition to a possible strike, he
said
AS Maryland and Virginia affili-
etes continued to report over
whelming sentiment in favor of a
walkout, if one is called, Mary
land local of the NFTW planned
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
Foint Breeze plant of Western Elec-
trio Co. will leave their jobs for "a
hours beginning Tuesday morning.
A spokesman for the Washington
1ll1ion said such a waHout would
have no immediate effect on tele-
phone operations here.
Negotiation Failure Hit.
The Point Breeze local move, unior
officials explained, was in protest
against apparent failure of contract
negotiations
The announcement came severa
hours after Maryland Federation OF
Telephone Workers officials declared
"a strike seems the only alternative
because of the impasse in negotia
tions.
President Henry B. Foster o1
the Maryland Federation said the
Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone
Co., turned down an arbitration
cffer.
"The union proposed that these
differences be continued in the hope
it might be possible to reach ar
agreement" he said. Frankly, 6
strike seems. the only alternative.
Mrs. Cannon, speaking for the
Washington telephone operators
said there is nothing new in The
situation today" She declared the
WITH has voted decisively to joir
IN whatever Nation wide action is
taken. She said she has heard nc
further moves to resume negotia-
tions. The WITH vote was taker
yesterday after contract confer
ences broke down for the second
time in two weeks, she said.
A Chesapeake g. 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 te
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 NFTW
next Tuesday would have mo effect
or repercussions" in Washington.
Virginia Situation Deadl0cked.
The Virginia Federation of Tele'
phone Workers announced late yes
terday in Richmond that it hat
reached a deadlock with the tele
phone company officials. Fedora
ton spokesmen said they would fill
a strike notice with Federal author
tiles but meanwhile would have ;
second conference in accordance
with the Virginia Public Utilitie
Labor Relations Act. Gov. Tucl
has been informed of the deadlocl
and may attend the second, con
ference, to be held probably within
10 days, it was reported.
The union is seeking $12 weekl.
wage increase, a union shop, check
off of dues, reduced apprenticeship
periods, longer vacations and variou
wage differentials for day and nigh
work
Joseph A. Beirne, president of tn
national federation, said yesterda,
the 49-member Policy Committe
probably would discuss an arbitra
ton proposal made by Senate
Morse, Republican, of oregon.
There was no indication today,
union spokesman said, that tn
Policy Committee will revise tn
contract demands, as it has author
ity to do.