Evening star., 1947-04-06
11th Hour Talks
Seek 10 Avert
Phone WaIkouf
schweIIenboch Still
Hopeful; Union Chief
Sees No Chance

hopefu Union Ontet
Sees No Chance
With Labor Department trou-
Bile shooters toiling far into the
night, Secretary schwellenbach
said last night he still had hopes
of settling the telephone indus
try dispute before the Nation-
wide strike set for 6 am. tomor-
row.
But this optimism was not re-
f1ected by Joseph A. Beirne, presi-
dent of the National Federation OF
Telephone Workers, who saw little
hope for averting a walkout OF
325, 900 union members from coast
to coast.
Terming negotiations "a farce
Mr.. Beirne said he had refused
a Government suggestion that he
outline terms the union would be
willing to arbitrate with the Ameri-
can Telephone & Telegraph Co.
on an industry basis.
Mr.. Schwellenbach played an
active part in negotiations yester-
day, comforting separately with Mr..
Beirne and G. r. Craig, A. T. d Tt
vice president, while Cancellation
Service Commissioners conducted
two bargaining meetings here and
a score more through the Nation.
Reports Some Progress.
The secretary sounded the frst
note of encouragement since Labcr
intervention by report-
ing some progress on local issues
has been made in some local
negotiations today"
Anything can happen between
now and Monday morning." he
added. IT am asking all phone er,a-
ployes to remain calm and to keep
working until they learn the results
Of these eleventh hour discussions.
1--WE hope as the deadline ap-
proaches, the realization of what
the strike will mean to the workers,
to the companies and to the public,
will lead both sides to open their
minds and to take q more reason.
able attitude than they have so far"
More than 1000 Chesapeake 81
Potomac Telephone Co. and Vests
ern Electric Co. workers In the Dis.
trict and nearby Maryland are
poised to quit their posts at the zero
hour.
Would Be Biggest OF Kind.
Like workrnen In most States they
will be backing up demands for $l2
more in weekly wages, q union shop
and other considerations. It Is tho
biggest communications strike ever
planned In this country.
Mr.. Schwellenbach's request for
workers to remain on the job until
tomorrow evidently was occasioned
by union official's prediction that
New York employees would Jump
the gun" on the strike hour.
AS John Gibson, Assistant Secre.
tary Of Labor, and Cancellation
Chief Edgar l.. Warren directed
discussions into the night, 1t ap.
peared the negotiators were doomed
to spend Easter at the Labor De-
partment.
Behind the strike threat stood
the possibility Of Government seiz-
ure under q provision of the Fed
eral Communications Act. Cfiicials
remained silent as to whether Pres
ident Truman intended to invoke
this statute, but Secretary Schwel-
lenbach already has said that seizure
was Objectionable where there was
a chance for settlement.
Police Committee Meeting.
Mr.. Beirne shuttled back and
forth yesterday between the Labor
Department and the Statler Hotel.
where the NFTWs 4s-member
policy committee is meeting. The
committee will have the final say
in accepting any condition that VIII
head off strike.
Emerging from the Schwellenbach
conference, Mr.. Beirne said he told
the secretary the policy committee
would entertain any concrete pro-
posal" by the Government for o
settlement, including arbitration.
The Labor Departments sug-
gestion of arbitration on an In
dustry basis suggested to him that
negotiations on a local level had
broken down, Mr.. Beirne added.
Weeks Delay Is Rejected.
Mr.. Beirne rejected suggestion
by three leaders of religious groups
that the disputants extend negotia-
tions week beyond the striks
deadline and then submit any
points left unsettled to industry
wide arbitration.
THE reason we cannot at tfig
time embrace a weeks delay Is be-
cause we have put through three
months of negotiation and an adj
ditional week would be meaningless
in our view because we could not
honestly expect an attempt to sim
cerely bargain" Mr.. Beirne said.
In thus decreasing possibility Of
strike postponement, Mr.. Beirne
said the clergymen's proposal to
consider industry-wide arbitration
was the first public interest ex-
pressed with regard to the method
that should be employed In settling
the dispute expeditiously.
Company Reports Stalemate.
The leaders of the religious faiths
who issued q joint statement are
Rabbi Aaron Opher, Synagogue
Council Of America; the Rev. CAM
eron Hall, Federal Council OF the
Churches of Christ In America, and
the Rev. Raymond A. MCGOWAN.
National Catholic Welfare Confer.
ence.
A company representative for one
Of the two groups bargaining in
Washington reported stalenlate in
negotiations.
George G. Gephart Of st. Louis.
vice president In charge Of personnel
for the Southwestern Bell Telephons
Co., said the union made no answer
to q company offer to arbitrate the
entire question Of wages. Mr.. Gep-
hart indicated the company had
made its best offer and that the
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