Evening star., 1951-07-01
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tract. The union had refused tt
discuss other issues until tht
seniority phase was settled.
Observers said other issues hao
become relatively unirnportant
and that the parties were close tt
agreement on them.
The union wants two seniority
districts-one covering operating
employees, and the other, non.
operating. They want men fired
and re-hired on the basis of theil
length of service with the COM
pany.
It was reported that the unior
had lowered its original demands
for 30-centS- an-hour wage in.
crease and that the company hae
increased it's original offer of /:
cents to Is cents an hour, with
fringe benefits totaling 3 cents
more.
Differ on Pension.
The parties were reported dead
locked also on the pension. They
agreed on terms, but the COM
pany wants the new plan to ex.
tend over three years and the
union wants it limited in the
contract to one year.
The company had maintained
that this plan would be unwieldJ
because of the diversified jobs per.
formed by the employees.
In an advertisement in Sunday
newspapers, the union charged
that the company had refused
to arbitrate the issues in dispute
The advertisement pointed par
lticularly to the disagreement over
the seniority issue and listed
wages paid to streetcar operators
in other cities where the rate Is
higher than that in Washington
The strikers normally keep 963
buses and 615 streetcars operating
over the city's 1874 miles of car
tracks and 1896 miles of bus
routes.
Talks Started i'm March.
The contract between the COM
pany and the union expired at
midnight. Negotiations for a new
contract began early in March,
with preliminary discussions be-
tween the company and the
union executive committee.
On March 80, the then CTC
president, Z. D. Merrill, wrote
to Union Ihasident Walter j.
Bierwagen, saying all union sug-
gestions had been considered. A
company proposal was made, in
cluding an increase of 13 cents
an hour in all pay rates, cents
effective April l. and the re-
mainder July /; SO monthly in
crease in pension rates and in
crease in sick leave benefits.
On April 8. the offer was re-
jected by the union. Ten days
later, the new CTC President j.
A. Broadwater sent letters to in
dividual employees, urging careful
consideration of the company'S
offer. The union charged this
move was an effort to "undercut
the authority of their (the en-
ployes) freely chosen bargaining
agent"
President Broadwater on April
% denied in a letter to the
union a statement attributed to
him that "the new owners would
rather lose their 81 million in
vestment than arbitrate their
differences with the employees" !"
He denied any effort to undercut
the unions authority.
Warned on Termination.
The union made it's formal writ
ten demands April 27. At that
time, Mr.. Bierwagen wrote that If
no agreement were reached by
midnight June 80, and if the COM
pany refused to arbitrate, I'VE ex-
pressly reserve freedom OF action
and will consider our existing
agreement terminated as of mid
night June 80 -"
Three days later, President
Broadwater replied that the 30
cent-an-hour wage boost asked by
the union is "in itself twice the
amount permitted" under Gov
ernment wafe regulations.
Company and union representa-
tives got together May Is for
formal uepotiationS. On June %