Evening star., 1952-04-11
Phone
Strike Settled;
Pattern Seen
Could Spur Peace
In Other Disputes,
Union Head Says
By Herman F. Schoden

The Michigan telephone strike
was settled today. raising hopes
for a speedier end to work STOP
pages in the District and AZ
States.
Joseph A. Beirne. president Of
the CIO Communications Workers
of America, said the Michigan
agreement could serve as a pat
tern for settlement of other dis
putes with the Bell System if the
American Telephone g. Telegraph
Co, chooses to make it a pattern"
But the strike of 10000 Western
Electric employees here and in 43
States continued unabated. The
w. E. employees are picketing tele-
phone offices. causing thousands
OF workers to remain off the job.
Working Conditions Involved.
Mr.. Beirne said Michigan tele-
phone workers would be expected
to respect w. E. picket lines in that
State if they are manned tomor-
row
Federal mediators agreed the
michigan settlement will have
considerable influence" on set
tling other stoppages. However,
w. E. employees are striking over
working conditions as well as for
wage increases.
Mr.. Beirne said the strikes be-
ginning last Monday might have
been averted if the telephone COM
Ipanies had agreed to the settle
ment terms then.
The Michigan decision more
likely will have greater effect on
telephone worker strikes in Ohio,
New Jersey and northern Cali
fornia. In all, about 81 900 tele-
Iphone workers have been out in
those States and Michigan since
/, Monday, when the w. E. men also
walked out.
Wage Talks Here in May.
j. B. Crlgler, vice president and
> general manager of Chesapeake &
Potomac Telephone Co, followed
up the Michigan settlement by as
serting that it would set no pat
e tern for future bargaining with
S Washington telephone workers.
S However, when bargaining be-
S gins. we will as in the past bargain
= IN good faith and with open minds
y In order to reach agreements ap-
plicable to conditions existing in
= Washington" Mr.. Crigler said.
CWA locals are expected to open
= wage negotiations next month for
0 more than 5000 C. e. P. employees.
+ 81 to 81 Raise.
Clyde Mills, top assistant to
Chief Conciliator Cyrus S. Ching.
= said mediation efforts have been
= stepped up everywhere, with the
= Michigan settlement as the incen-
S tive.
The $4,000 Michigan workers
will get pay raises ranging from
81 to 81 weekran increase
{ averaging 1877 cents an hour. The
= Communications Workers Of
l America have been asking 10 to
% cents an hour for w. E. en-
ployes and other telephone work.
> ers.
Michigan Bell employees making
: less than $53 a week will get a So
: raise Immediately and another ST.
I if the Wage Sterilization Board
= approves. Those in the S53-$73.9 80
bracket will get 81, those between
0 $74 and $29.99 will get S.. those
S between $50 and $3.50 will get Sc
e and those over $89 will get ST.
Although the overall increase is
= expected to meet with Wage
= Sterilization Board approval, cer-
+ tain clauses will be submitted to
n the board for study. The wage
G boosts will cost Michigan Bell
t about SIS million, the company
e said.
n Union officials set the cost at
: $3.8 million.
Peaceful Picketing Here.
f Peaceful picketing of most tele-
+ phone Offices continued here today
o after reports of disorder and court
action in other parts of the
o country.
Il Telephone company officials
, claimed long distance service here
was at least 80 per cent of normal
and that $4,000 calls we're handled
: in the area yesterday. About 80
# per cent of the regular force was
: on the job. the company said, but
: union spokeSmen insisted that
e most members were respecting
e picket lines.
j In Virginia pickets were with
e drawn except in suburban Wash
d Iington. Western Electric installers
said they would continue march
: (See PHONES, Page A-5D
= kAoeh;n;ek Nno.~koe