Evening star., 1949-06-17
Metal Workers,
Butchers Agree
On Contracts
Construction Strike
Continues; Transit
ToIks Cause Concern

Two contract settlements gave
washington's strike-riddled labor
front its best news in weeks today.
While four strikes involving
construction work and produce and
pie deliveries wore on, agreements
were announced for butchers and
meatcutters supplying hotels and
for the AFL sheet metal workers.
Late yesterday the Amalgamated
Meat Cutters Local 393 accepted
an offer Of five hotel supply
houses, averting a strike.
The meatcutters voted "over-
whelmingly" for 4-cent hourly
increase, advancing wages to $1.63
an hour; guaranteed 40-hour
work week Monday through Fri
day, time and half after
eight and one-half hours on any
one day and time and half for
Saturday work. The contract was
made retroactive to June 1.
Get Scent Increase.
Drivers involved in the hotel
supply business accepted scent
increase, making their hourly pay
$1.11.
Building contractors regarded
as a favorable sign the fact that
AFL Sheet Metal Workers Local
102 agreed to continue for another
year the $3.50 hourly rate paid by
35 subcontractors represented by
the Sheet Metal Construction AS
ISOLATION. The more than 8O0
workers also were awarded several
fringe benefits.
Beneath the now-familiar mo
progress" announcement on the
17-day-old strikes Of carpenters
and laborers, there appeared an
inkling of hope that the 100000
600 construction tieup Will END
some time next week.
OF new concern to Federal con-
ciliators, however. are negotiations
between the Capital Transit Co.
and Division 6ss. Amalgamated
Association of Street, Electric
Railway and Motor Coach En-
ployes Of America (AFL).
Strike Possibility.
Representatives of the company
and the union were said to be "far
apart" after seven weeks Of talk
ing. With the contract expiring
July /, the threat of a strike
loon1ed as a possibility, even
though both sides said they wished
to avert paralysis OF the vast
transportation system. sk
The negotiators have closed the
gap q bit from the Original de-
mands and offers --how much
neither side wished to discuss. ~
first the union was asking 70
cents an hour more. plus other
benefits such as a hospitalization
plan and liberalization OF the
pension welfare program.
Operators among the connpany's
1900 employees now earn maxi
mum of $1.45 an hour and top
mechanics draw $1.58.
The company offered to renew
present wages another year. prom
Using no reduction in take-home
nav. In connection with this.
MANAGEMENT wished to institute
q new program to improve effici-
ency of schedules, which would
amount to a $500.00o annual saw
ing.
Such a program would lower
working conditions, the union
argued.
Next Session Tuesday.
Capital Transit said the unions
full 25~cent demand. plus other
benefits, would expand operating
costs $4,000, 900 a year, figure
which could be raised only through
a fare increase, which it declared
was not desirable at this time.
Another critical" negotiations
meeting is scheduled next Tues
day afternoon, with Federal con-
ciliator in attendance.
In lg45 the union struck twice
for a total of three days, the
second walkout ending with COM
pany seizure under the Presidents
wartime powers. An agreement
finally was reached through arbi-
tration. Since then, when the
scale was 95 cents an hour. the
union has won three wage in
creases.