The Lincoln times., 1955-04-28
Southern Bell
Damages
Against Union

against officials and members of
the striking Communication
Workers of America (CIO) seek
ing 100000 damages suffered be-
cause of an alleged distance
calling campaign designed by the
union to tie up operators and
lines.
Judge Claude D. Shaw of Full
ton County superior court in At
lanta issued a temporary restrain
ing order to halt the alleged
scheme. known as operation
Zilch" or the Tennessee Plan"
Among other officials, the suit
names Joseph Beirne, CWA IN
ternaitonal President, two inter-
national vice presidents of the
union. the presidents of 81 CWA
locals in Georgia, and 70 union
members in the state.
The suit alleges that the defen-
dantS ''conSpired together to con-
ceive, plan and put into opera
ton" the scheme.
The telephone company asks
$4,000 for injury to its business
and $4,000 punitive damages.
The petition stated that "opera-
ton Zilch" works this Way-A
telephone call is made to an in
dividual listed by the union, sis
referred by him to another num-
ber in the same locality. which
likewise appears on such lists
and this process of referral is in
some instances repeated over and
over again with no inten-
ton of completing the calls.
The purpose of the plan, ac-
cording to the suit. is to tie up
facilities and the services of
operators for maximum period
of time. and thus accomplishing
maximum of interference with
the operation of petitioners
business and its service" to the
public.
Southern Bells suit claimed
that G. E. Gill of Atlanta. strike
director for the union and as
slstant director, prepared and dis
tributed on April II, 1865, a
letter, enclosing instructions on
operation Zilch" and list of
names of people who would Co
operate" A copy of the letter. in
structions and lists which car
ried names and telephone num-
berS in many localities through
the SoutheaSt-Was attached to
the petition as evidence. The pc
tition alleges the instructions
were distributed through the
south and nation.
The instructions of Gill said
that calls to persons in the larg-
est city in each of the nine states
will be most effective" and listed
IA large cities as follows-Char-
lotte, Greensboro, Birmingham,
Mobile, Atlanta, Jacksonville,
Miami. Columbia, Nashville,
Memphis, Louisville, Jackson,
New Orleans, Shreveport.
The cities and towns included
on the Gill instruction list -
where the ''cooperators" would be
prepared to take part in the
scheme-included GASTONIA, N.
c.; Lowell, c.; Statesville, N. c.:
Troutman, N. c.: Raleigh, N. c.;
Salibury, N. c.; CHERRYVILLE,
N. c.; Sheffield, Ala: Florence,
Ala; Tuscaloosa, Ala: Columbus,
Miss; Jackson. Miss; Danville,
KY: Houma, La; ThibodauX, La;
Morgan City, La; Pensacola, Fla;
Cordele, Ga; Birmingham, Ala;
Memphis, Tenn; Mortons Gap,
KY: Madisonville, KY; Provi-
dence, KY; Dawson Springs, KY;
Nortonville, Ky; Spartanburg, S.
c.: Union. S. c.; WaycroSS. Ga;
ThomaSville, Ga; Carrollton, Ga;
Columbia, Miss: Picayune, Miss;
Blacksville. S. c.: Allendale, S.
c.; Denmark, S. C.; Orangeburg,
S. c.; New Orleans, La; Alex
andria, La; Macon, Ga; Ten
nile. Ga: Warner Robins, Ga;
Corinth, Miss.
The suit alleged that Bierne
made speech in Knoxville, Tenn,
on April 25, 1855, urging union
members to take part in opera
ton Zilch'. 1t claimed also that
A. T. Jones, one of the two inter
national vice presidents named,
described the plan to union men,
bers in New Orleans as one by
which telephone operators are
kept busy with calls for non-eX-
iStent persons, such as a long
lost uncle" like u. P. Zilch."
The petition said that j. L.
Crull. the other international vice
president, told union meeting in
Montgomery. Ala, on April g.,
1855, that we can keep the ones
who are working SO busy-with
the legal techniques that we all
knoW-it won't be easy for them
to make money for Bell tele-
phone"
The suit pointed out that tele-
phone service is vital to the pub
lie health and welfare. parti-
cularly in times of emergency or
disaster, and to local, state and
federal government officials.
THE conspiracy of the defen-
dantS, and the actions of the de-
fendants,' the petition said .
have caused and are causing
severe injury and damage to
company business and proper
ty, and serious interference with
its service to the public :"