Evening star., 1950-11-09
Phones
Continued From First Page.)

was not affected and out-of- State
calls are going through "about
normal" they reported.
Mr.. Lentz said his division is
ready to "cross the Potomac" if
word comes from New York to
establish picket lines to test the
Virginia statute.
j. R. B. Crigler. c. & P. vice
president and general manager,
contended that his company was
in no way involved in this dis
pute." The company, he eX-
planned, has no wage negotiations
under way with the CWA unions
which are working under con-
tracts agreed to some months ago
and still in effect"
Increases in basic wage rates
or reductions in schedule lengths
have resulted in substantial i'm
provementS in company employe
wage rates as a result of contract
reopenings obtained by the union
in recent months, Mr.. Crigler said.
The approximately 80 picketS
who came out early today repre-
sented 800 Western Electric work.
ers here. They belong to Divi-
sion 6 of the communication
Workers of America and are part
of 1900 Western Electric equip
ment workers who have struck
nationally in a demand for high
er wages. Another $4,000 Bell
System workers in Michigan also
are on strike.
The strike may result in more
than 100000 other CWA men,
bers staying away from their jobs
in telephone companies in all
parts of the country.
5000 Here May Join Tieup.
In the Washington area more
than 5000 members of Divisions
36 and SO, the telephone opera
tors and craft and commercial
employees of the telephone COM
pany, might join the tie-up.
Our members certainly will not
cross the picket lines wherever
they are established" Mrs.
Eleanor Palmer, president OF
Division so, declared. 1T is too
early to say how many already
have refused but reports indicate
that many already have done so"
A Division 36 spokesman said
he saw only two or three" union
members enter the company's
downtown Offices after the pickets
appeared. About SO others, mostly
women, stood on the sidewalks
outside the buildings as the
pickets marched back and forth
this morning.
So far as company and union
officials could determine. all en-
ployes showed up for work at the
company's other buildings which
are not picketed.
Supervisors Available.
Supervisory employees are avail
able for essential operations, par
ticularly to maintain the long
distance service, If large numbers
of employees join the strike, COM
pany spokesmen said.
Preparations for the strike have
been under way for several days.
Pickets came out carrying not only
placards but mimeographed pam
phlets urging supervisors and
other company employees not to
knock yourselves out inside when
these fellows outside are working
to get you a wage increase, too
A "briefing" session late yes
terday at Turner's Arena brought
out more than 5000 CWA men,
bers of Divisions So and so. Union
officials urged them to honor
picket lines wherever Western
Electric strikers set them up.
The session lasted a half hour
1t ended before pm. so that
workers could return to late shifts
A company official declared the
meeting was "a walkout."
In nine other cities yesterday
approximately 1900 warehouse
employees of Western Electric
jumped the gun on the strike.
Premature strikes or short walk
outs occurred in New York, Bos-
ton, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh,
Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles,