Evening star., 1951-06-30
|kediators Hope
For Last-Hour
Transit Truce
Contract Settlement
Held Possible Before
Midnight DeodIine

Mediators raced against a mid
night deadline today to head of a
strike threatened by 3.400 Capital
Transit Co. workers.
One hour after midnight the
workers meet at Constitution Hall
either to accept a contract or
decide whether to strike.
A strike would tie the Capitals
mass transportation in a rigid
knot. hating 963 buses and 6l5
|streetcars operating over 1855
round-trip bus route miles and 134
miles Of track.
Another bus line, the w. M. g.
A., has scheduled a strike for md
might regardless Of the outcome
|of the Capital Transit dispute.
The line hauls about 10000 pas
|sengers day between the District
and Prince Georges County.
q. s. Mediators Call Meeting.
After more than two hours Of
talk failed last night. a panel of
three Federal mediators called the
Capital Transit Co. disputants to-
|gether again at 1880 am. today.
The mediators were determined
to keep the parties talking up to
the zero hour If necessary to
effect an agreement.
AT midnight the contract ex-
|pires between the company and
Division $50, AFL Amalgamated
Association Of Street, Electric
Railway and Motor Coach EN-
|ployes of America.
A settlement did not appear
impossible, since an understand
ing had been reached on all but
one or two points. Only a penny
or two was said to separate the
wagesquestion, after the company
raised its offer to Is cents an
hour, with an additional 3 cents
in fringe benefits.
The crux OF the stalemate was
seniority, with an amended PEN
sion plan also figuring in the dead
lock.
Demand Seniority Clarification.
Union negotiators are deter
mined to have a seniority clause
written into the contract to spell
out the manner in which workers
will be laid of in case of reduction
in force. and how they will be re-
hired.
The union wishes to divide the
personnel into two categories-
operators and shop workers. L
layoffs are necessary in either
category, the union wants the mar
last hired to be discharged first
regardless of his job.
The company says this Is i'm.
practical. 1t points out that IL
may be necessary to lay off track
workers and not welders, for in
stance. and that under the union
plan it might be necessary to dis
charge some welders because OF
their lower seniority rating.
The company has offered tc
write a seniority clause in the con-
tract but it has been declared un-
acceptable by the union. Al
present there is no written agree.
ment, but the company insists II
follows the unions desires a!
closely as possible.
The union also wants to rehirs
linen in the order in which they
were laid of. The company say
this is impractical for it often il
impossible to locate these mel
when they are needed again.
i Compromise Figure Reached. !.
Il In the less knotty pension mat
! ter, the parties have agreed on t,
compromise figure, but the com
-lpany wants to make it effectiv
: for three years and the union
: insisting on a one-year agreement
Other fringe questions remail
Ito be polished up for approval
but mediators are confident a set
: tlement could be easily drawn Vi
once the seniority road block !
D oIremoved.
AS to the wage question, tn
: company announced it had com
: Iup from its original 13-cent figure
Al Ito the total increase Of IS cent.
!. The union has yielded sharply o.
etits original 30-cents-an-hour de
yEmand.
!; With the deadline nearing, tn
District was ready to cope with
E strike to the best of its ability
!. Provisional traffic rules have bee
!, adopted, permitting great lati
tude in parking for the sharp in
!, crease in automobiles expected t
enter the downtown area.
Hope was not abandoned for
settlement in the W., M. 81 4
dispute. A meeting was called fo
.l3 pm. today between the com
: , pany and union, Division 1865
!, the Amalgamated Association.
Miss System Plan Scored.
+ The union is unhappy becaus
the company last Monday intro
duced q miss system" plan I
suspend drivers two days whe
they showed up half an hour lat
for duty. Previously the penalt
3 3 was one day.
'd Notice of the change was poste
st on the bulletin board and deli
d cred to the union, but Charl
:. Penrod, union president, sa
~ members felt the change ShOu