Evening star., 1950-02-07
Te|ephoneStrike
Delayed 16Days
For Bargaining
Union Heeds Ching's
Warning to Postpone
WoIkout Tomorrow
Sy Hermon F. Schoden

A 16-day postponement of the
Nation wide telephone strike
scheduled for 6 I'm. tomorrow was
announced today by the CIO Com
munications Workers Of America.
Union President Joseph A.
Beirne said a nine-man Executive
Board had acted favorably on a
request by Cancellation Chief
Cyrus S. Ching to permit more
time for a peaceful settlement.
The union had threatened to
pull out 100000 workers who would
picket telephone exchanges in the
District and almost every State.
The union has been pressing for
wage increases and other consid-
erations from American Telephone
& Telegraph Co. subsidiaries.
An A. T. & T. spokesman in
New York said the company was
glad to hear there will be no strike
tomorrow.
However" he added, ''the strike
threat of the national union lead
ers, made weeks before we began
bargaining meetings, has had a
very harmful effect on our at
tempts to engage in real collec-
tive bargaining"
Beirne Issues Statement.
Mr.. Beirne said the union
wished to avoid a strike, and
added:
I'VE have accepted Mr.. Ching
suggestion for deferment of our
strike with the firm intention of
bargaining with the companies
night and day to bring the issues
to mutually satisfactory conclu-
sion"
But he warned that the strike
would be called February "a un-
less an agreement is reached with
Bell System companies in "real
collective bargaining.
The union had observed earlier
that 10000 additional workers
would be legally entitled to strike
March /. Thus the union would
be in a more tenable position
for a February "a walkout.
Union Agrees With Ching.
Mr.. Beirne said in statement:
mfr. Ching, through his per-
sonal intervention and his grave
concern for the interests OF the
public, may be successful in get
ting the Bell System to do some
real collective bargaining.
1--WE, too, have grave concern
for the interests of the public. We
think we have demonstrated that
in these months of fruitless bar
gaining. We want to avoid a
strike. We want to exhaust all
avenues open to us to avoid one
If it is at all possible.
Mr.. Beirne said the union
agreed with Mr.. Ching that the
dispute can be "peaceably re-
solved" through collective bar
gaining, and that eff the Bell
System really wants to settle the
issues in dispute, they now have
another chance"
Asks Both Sides to Accept.
In a strongly worded message
proposing the truce, Mr.. Ching
said both sides should demon
strate their good citizenship BY
exerting every effort to reach 6
prompt agreement by intensive
bargaining negotiations"
Many of the freedoms which
both sides presently enjoy, anc
are enjoyed by employers anc
unions generally, will be endan-
gered by a demonstration of ar
absence of sound and stable man.
agement-labor relations in the
critical communications industry,
he said.
Some regarded this as a hint
OF possible congressional action
aimed at blocking strikes which
might endanger the national
health, welfare and safety.
Report Asked Before February 20
Warning that a strike might
mean a complete stoppage of serv-
Ice, Mr.. Ching said the employers
and union must ask themselves
whether they are prepared to take
responsibility for the harm that
Io.. nrIOArTSc- -