Evening star., 1952-12-27
Union Blasts Claim
That Arnold Bus Line
Must Cut Personnel

An Arnold Bus Co. claim that
| it will be necessary to cut per.
sonnet Is per cent after the cur.
rent strike ends brought from the
union today a charge of propa-
ganda.
The company contended busi-
ness will drop off, due to the
strike, and so a sharp curtailment
looms. But the union contended
the company has no way of know
ling this and said the announce
ment was made merely in an
effort to weaken the workers
determination.
Meanwhile the strike continued.
but Federal Conciliator Gilbert
McCutcheon prepared to meet
Monday afternoon with union and
company negotiators in an effort
to break the stalemate.
Bernard Wahle, executive vice
president of the company, deliv-
cred a memorandum on Tuesday.
notifying those concerned of the
impending cut. He said it would
oe necessary to reduce the nor
NAL force Of 300 drivers, mechanics
and clerks by IS per cent, even if
the strike ended Immediately.
H. j. Harris, union president.
issued this statement today:
The company's announcement
OF cut in working force is propa-
ganda designed to weaken the
spirit of the employees on the eve
OF a scheduled negotiating meet
ing. The union will insist that all
employees be returned to work
without discrimination and with
1ull seniority and other rights.
THE company's so-called study
has not been made available to
the union. We can not tell, there
fore, whether the company's al
legged expectations of loss of
patronage are grounded in fact
or are part of strategy designed
to use the employees difficulties
in the dispute with the company
as a springboard for further cuts
in service.
You cannot sell goods without
offering them for sale. We think
good service, not an absence Of
service, will bring back the Gus
toners. Any prophesy of loss Of
patronage is premature. In any
event. the union and the com-
pany have not settled their dis
pute."
Cites Drop in Business.
Mr.. Wahle anticipated that bus
mess will have fallen of so much
that the personnel slash will be
mandatory. He forsees that only
80 or 80 buses will be necessary to
handle the patronage compared to
the normal 1870 buses. According
ly, it will be necessary to drop the
surplus drivers, he said.
Mechanical operations will be
correspondingly cut. Mr.. Wahle
declared. The body and paint
shops and the unit assembly room
will be discontinued and their
personnel dropped from the pay
rolls, he said. Clerical and super
visory help will be cut accordingly.
While II drivers and 5 me-
chanics who struck December 10
with their colleagues have asked
to return to their jobs, according
to company sources, the union
maintained its lines are intact.
Skeleton Service Running.
The workers want a 80 cents an
hour pay increase or agreement
to submit the dispute to arbitra-
ton. But the company plans a
two-year contract with a Scents
an hour pay boost Immediately
and S cents additional later. One
year drivers now get about S1.67
an hour.
A skeleton service of l8 buses
was running today. with no service
planned tomorrow. With 40 buses
IN operation. Monday will have
the reduced emergency service
during morning and evening rush
hours, with dozen buses operating
during the midday period. The
Virginia Corporation Commission
mas been operating the line since
the EMPLOYEES walked o,,t