Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-04-19
Settlement Seen Near
In Telephone Strike as
Insta|Iers SET Pattern
New York Wage Accord
Grants 31-Cent PACKAGE
ToWestern Electric Men

The 10-day-old Western Elec-
trio Co. strike that threatened to
disrupt telephone service in Wash
ington. and 40 States appeared on
the verge of settlement today.
A compromise wage increase
agreement reached in New York
early this morning ended the key
strike of 10000 installers and is
expected to set pattern for set
Element at a meeting later today
of the demands of 5000 still strik-
ing Western Electric statesmen,
distributors and warehousemen.
Picket lines remained around
the Western Electric warehouse
at I'LL North Capitol street this
morning and William Edwards,
agent for the installers CLIO local,
said he doubted whether the in
stallers would cross them to re-
turn to work Monday even though
their strike has ended.
To Hold Picket Lines.
Thomas Collins, president of
the distributors local, said the
picket lines will be maintained
until an agreement covering the
statesmen, distributors and ware
housemen is reached. The dis
tributors local has 237 members
and the inStallers about 200.
The new installers' agreement
provides a basic average wage in
crease of AL cents an hour and
fringe benefits of II cents, making
a 31.1 cents = an hour package.
Present wages average $1.64 to
SLIT an hour.
The new contract becomes effec-
tive Monday after ratification by
the union membership.
The agreement was reached
after an all-night meeting under
of Federal mediators. The
union had been asking for % cents
an hour more plus unspecified
fringe benefits. The company had
made offers ranging from IL to II
cents an hour.
Company 'Gratified.'
c. c.. Randolph. personnel di-
rector of Western Electric. said
his firm is "gratified that a So
luton fair both to the company
and the union has been found"
A. T. Jones, vice president of
the Communications Workers of
and top union negotiator,
said the pay increase was the
Largest" yet negotiated with
Western Electric. He said it was
"a major accomplishment"
Joseph A. Beirne, CWA presi-
dent, said after the installers'
agreement:
"We hope to wind up the other
Western Electric negotiations in a
hurry and reach an agreement in
Northern California. That will
end the strike"
Some $500 CWA telephone
workers are striking against the
Bell System affiliate for Northern
California and Nevada.
C. & p. Not Involved.
The Chesapeake & Potomac
Telephone Co. was not involved
in the Western Electric wage dis
pute. but operators refused to
cross picket lines when they were
thrown around telephone COM
pany buildings by the inStallerS.
The picketing was not general.
but on a "hit-and-run" basis and
the phone company was able to
near-normal service.
The company is negotiating a
new wage agreement for its oper-
ators and clerical workers in Mary
land with the independent Mary
land Telephone union. Yesterday
it offered increases ranging from
50 to IS.
The union is demanding elimi-
nation of the salary schedules
under which operators are paid
different wages in different COM
The company's offer did not
mention elimination of the geo.
schedules, but did offer
to reclassify 80 towns into higher
lNra nI>ofo