Evening star., 1951-03-18
Transit Union
SET TO Ask New
Pay Increases
Contract Will Expire
June 30; Fare Raise
Again in Prospect
By WiIliom A. MiIlen

transit co. are preparing TO aSF
for wage increase soon.
If granted, it could mean g
later company request to the Pub.
lie Utilities Commission for an
other fare increase.
When the last fare increase
was granted by the PUG in 1949
the company cited, among other
reasons for needing the extra
money, increased operating costs
including those for labor. The
PUG raised fares to the present
Is cent cash fare, three tokens fol
40 cents and weekly pass fol
50 in a June %, 1850, decision
The new fares became effective
last July 16.
Still in Discussion Stage.
How much the workers will re-
quest is still in the discussion
stage. But Walter j. Bierwagen,
president and business agent of
the Amalgamated Association of
Street Electric Railway and Mo-
tor Coach Employees of America,
Division 689 (AFL, said yester-
day:
Definitely we are going to ask
for a wage increase.
Because no pay boost was
granted last year-the prior con-
tract having been renewed by mu-
tual agreement-and because liv-
ing costs have mounted, Mr.. Bier
wagen said the financial plight
OF the workers is now desperate. -
A wage increase of 10 per cent
would mean an advance in CTC
operating expenses of more than
81 million, persons close to the
transit firm said. An increase of
10 per cent is the wage ceiling
set for the country by Economic
Stabilizer Eric Johnston in the
defense program to stabilize wages.
Contract Expires June 80.
The present transit wage con-
tract expires June 80. Under the
Taft-Hartley Act, a union must
give go days notice of intention
to reopen negotiations. This places
May ! as the date for opening
wage talks between the company
and union, although it could be
sooner.
Some union men are represented
as feeling they have aided in
paying for the surplus which the
company has built up. They said
773 union members have been
eliminated IN the company'S econ-
omy drive under way for some
time.
On AUGUST 81. 1949, the union
had 4,659 members. Last Febru-
ary %, the number was 3,886-a
decrease Of 773 members.
The company's annual report
for 1850, released few days ago,
said that at the close of that
year. 4,270 employees were on the
payroll. compared to 4,975 at the
same time the year before.
Manpower Troubles Cited.
In its 1850 report, the company
pointed to manpoWer troubles. It
said:
"Manpower problems are be-
setting us again. Washington has
been classified by the United
States Employment Service as a
shortage area. Qualified help,
particularly operators, has been
difficult to obtain. The Armed
Services already have called "a of
our men this year and there is
no doubt that more will be called
as the military forces are built
up. So scarce are the qualified
employable applicants that an at
tempt was made to recruit oper-
ators in surrounding States.
although extensive advertising
was done, it was only slightly pro-
ductive. Qualifications for oper-
ating positions have been reduced
as far as safety considerations
permit but full replacement of
those leaving the service for vari-
GUS reasons has not been possible. 4"
On December 18, 1949, board
of arbitration awarded union en-
ployes an across-the-board in
crease of 10 cents an hour, retro
active to July l and some changes
In working conditions. This wage
and fringe benefits award meant
an increase of $1,170,000 before
taxes, the company said. This
was the fifth wage increase for
union employees since the end of
the war, the company also pointed
out. It contended the effect of
this award was to reduce net in
come to S332 432 for the wear.