Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-05-07
Accord Drafted
To End l.. & n.
Strike Monday
Agreement Reached
To Send Issues
To Arbitration
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
An agreement was drafted to-
day to end the 55-day strike on
the Louisville & Nashville Rail-
road Monday morning and send
the disputed issues to arbitra-
ton.
The agreement was hammered
out at an all-night session OF
union and management repre-
sentatives with the National
Mediation Board.
Some details still were being
worked out but the main fea-
lures of the agreement - the
basis for arbitrating the case
submitting the issues to a
neutral's binding decision)-had
been decided on, it was learned
from the negotiators.
They said it might take sew
eral hours for the final arrange
ments to be made and formal
documents written and signed.
Rapidly Coming to Close
But it was apparent that the
longest railroad strike the Ma
ton has experienced in 80 years.
involving $4,000 workers, was
rapidly coming to close.
Mediation Board Chairman
Francis A. O'Neill, jr., said the
longest previous strike was one
that ran over 80 days in 1922,
one lost by the unions.
The present walkout started
March IA and paralyzed rail
transportation over most of the
South 1t has had widespread
economic effects. particularly in
the coal industry.
Details of the agreement were
withheld. pending signatures.
Both the LIN and the
unions had agreed some time
ago to arbitration, but had diff
fered on how to do it.
Wanted Signed Agreement
The unions had insisted that
the strike continue while the
case was being arbitrated and
not end until the arbitrators'
findings were incorporated in a
signed contract.
The LIN had insisted that
the strike end before the arbi-
tration started.
The railroad also had main-
tanned that the only issue to be
arbitrated should be the matter
of the controversy, over financing
a health-welfare plan. The
unions said that all their orig
inaf demands. as well as the
health insurance proposal,
should be passed on by the neu-
trail arbiter.
The strike was on the verge
of settlement Thursday night
when the fatal shooting of
striker near Mount Pleasant,
Tenn, stalled the negotiations.
The Mediation Board succeeded,
however. in getting the negotia-
tons resumed. yesterday after
noon and they continued all
night.
Violence in Strike
There had been a number of
other shootings and other vio-
lence in the long walkout.
Only yesterday two freight
trains were derailed in Kentucky
and a mainline bridge was dam
aged in Alabama.
The dynamiting of a 47-foot
trestle over Buxahatchie Greek
south of Birmingham made the
LIN mainline impossible. Di-
vision Supt. F. w. Kirchner said
he also is investigating report
that another bridge north of
Birmingham had been damaged.
In Kentucky five diesel units
and IL freight cars were de-
rallied by dynamite near Corbin
and three cars of another freight
jumped rails buckled by dyna-
mite between Corbin and Louis
vile.
George Leighty, negotiating
chairman for 10 railroad nom
operating unions, had said in an
80-station radio broadcast from
Washington yesterday that the
rail unions would insist on a ne
gotiated settlement. He assigned
shooting incidents as the reason.
The dispute started among
incorporating unions -- clerks,
shopworkers and others who
service the trains - primarily
over a demand for the health in
surance plan, which the nom
operating unions had won on
most other major railroads.
Others Joined Strike
Operating unions-the engi-
neers and others who man the
trains-later joined the strike
and their combined picketing of
L&N operations kept train
traffic over the 14-State system
to trickle.
Presumably the final agree
ment will provide for settling
the new health insurance plan
and possibly other issues raised
See STRIKE, Page A-3