Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-04
Contract Agreement
Ayeris Pickeiing Of
Phone Company Here

: HUtlG NVHskJUW NO
: The signing Of q one-year
!. contract in New York yesterday
: between the Western Electric Co.
: and telephone equipment install
{ lers has averted anticipated
picketing Of the Chesapeake &
Potomac Telephone Co. here and
settled arNation-Wide strike.
The settlement ended the
wlakout Of 1900 CLIO Connmu-
nications Workers Of America-
$50 Of them in the Washington
area-which began Thursday. It
had little effect as far as the
public was concerned here.
The strikers did not picket;
thus the other union workers
remained on the job. The union-
lied phone workers usually
honor picket lines.
The new contract gives wage
increases Of 5 to z cents hourly
for instaners and $50 weekly
to job clerks.
Back on Job Tuesday,
Although the agreement Is
subject to ratification. BIT q date
vet to be set, by the member
ship affected, the workers are
expected to be back on the job
Tuesday. Western Electric Is the
manufacturing agent Of the Bell
Telephone System, OF which
c. & p. Is a part.
cWA had demanded Of the
Western Electric CO., prior to
the strike, q 6 to 8 cents hourly
: Increase. The company offered
4 to 7 cents. Pay averaged $1.86
hourly under the old contract,
which expired May 2, although
pay scales varied widely.
Workers will be paid for the
Fourth of July, officials said,
under the new plan.
The new scale will range from
$1.31 to $2.16 hourly after five
and q half years Of service in
the first region, but in the South.
Southwest and Rocky Mountains,
1t will range from $1.24 to $2.04.
Wage increases will be figured
from June 20.
The settlement provides for
four new locations from which |
telephone equipment installers |
work: West Palm Beach, and
Pensacola, Fla, Saginaw. Mich.
and Lake Charles, La. Joseph E.
Dunno, national director of the
installers, sand about 100 men
are affected. but 1t was agreed
no worker would be forced to
move too far from his home and
cases will be reviewed. The COM
pany will pay all costs of moving
workers from one area to an
other.
Company Position Told.
The CWA walkout affected a
States and the District. Only
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont
and Montana, where phone conn
paniessinstall and maintain their
own work, were unaffected.
/ A. c. g. p. spokesman ex-
planned the company's position
thus:
1.-THE Chesapeake 81 Potomac
Telephone Co. had no quarrel
with the unionized employees Of
the Western Electric Co. How
ever. we are always prepared to
furnish normal telephone serv-
Ice. And If any OF our buildings
had been picketed, we would
have used supervisory employees
where needed. in keeping the
service up to standard"
While this agreement brings
peace to the telephone world.
the CWA here is working on
demands to be presented to the
C. & P. Telephone Co.
Glenn E. Watts, president Of
the CLIO Industrial Union Coun-
Gil here, explained his union will
get into negotiations with the
company about August /. He is
district director. District 2, CWA.
He said the new negotiations
will effect all the unionized en-
ployes of c. g. P. here.
The unions demands have
not yet been made on the COM
pany. he explained, as details
are still being worked out by
the union negotiators.
He said the same situation
prevails regarding the telephone ,,
companies In Maryland, Virginia
and West Virginia also. The cur
rent contract with c. & P. ex-
pires about mid-September. he
with those with other
companies in this region ending
around the same time.
TIL 1AI:lL N..:J>l