Evening star., 1950-06-26
Printers Given Raise
OF $50 and Control
OF TeIefypesetting

Contract terms for $l.50
weekly wage increase and a joint
committee to gather information
about teletypesetting procedures
have been accepted by Columbia
Typographical Union members
employed by Washington daily
newspapers.
The one-year contract, effective
May /, was ratified by 178-to-
152 vote of union members at
Turner's Arena yesterday. Nego-
tiations have been under way
since last September. Represen-
tatives of publishers and Local
101 had 35 collective bargaining
sessions before reacing an agree
ment last Tuesday.
1t gives the union jurisdiction
over operation of any teletype-
setting equipment that may be in
stalled in newspaper plants here.
1t sets up Joint Experimental
Committee, including two man
agement and two union represen-
tatives, to work out procedures
and conditions covering the in
PRODUCTION of, training for, proper
manning requirements, standards
OF competency. scales of wages,
and other matters pertaining to
their use and operation.
Tape Perforated by Keyboard.
Newspaper plants in Washing
ton set type by manually operated
linotype machines. Teletypeset-
ting equipment consists of a type
perforating machine, operated by
q keyboard similar to that of a
typewriter, and an operating unit
attached to the standard type
setting machinery such as a limo
type machine.
The tape is fed into the operat-
ing unit. The linotype then sets
and justif1es the type. as it would
If a manual operator were run
ming it. The contract provision
for the union jurisdiction over
teletypesetting devices gives the
union the right to operate the
pe-perforating machines and
maintain the typesetting ma
chimes.
The $3.50 wage increase applies
to all shifts. The union originally
asked a SO weekly raise for the
day shift, $14 for the night shift,
and a 30-hour week as we'll as
SO wage increase for the third
shift.
The publishers began negotia-
tions last fall by asking Sc
cut in wages. and changes in the
apprentice system, shift differen-
tials and reproduction require
ments. The union also asked for
a pension plan and sick-leave
provisions and wider vacation
provisions.
Work Week Is 35 Hours.
Under the new contract, about
$50 printers will get $92.50 to
about $10250. depending on the
shift, for a 35-hour basic work
week.
The closed shop, under which
only union members could be en-
ployed. has long been a part of
ITU contracts. The newspaper
printers have been operating since
1947 under IAN agreement and
scale of prices" instead of formal
contracts.
The new contract, in fulfilling
requirements of the Taft Hartley
management-labo relations law,
has no provisions for a closed
shop.
Although. that law permits the
union shop, the new contract does
not specify such a requirement.
James j. O'Connor. union presi-
dent. explained that Local 101, in
conformity to the international
unions policy. did not seek a spe-
eific union shop provision. That
would have entailed various pro-
cedureS through the National La
Dor Relations Board, such as
elections and filing OF certain
statements, he said.
In union shop, new employees
need not belong to a union when
hired but must join later.
The new contract revises vaca-
tion scheduling by giving a wider
choice of vacation periods to
printers employed less than five