The Lincoln times., 1955-03-14
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AN OPEN LETTER
TO THE PUBLIC

"a message from Telephone
Workers, members of Communi-
cations Workers of America, in
this community
AS employees of Southern Bell
Telephone Company. We are now
in the process of negotiating with
management on new contract
to cover our wages and working
conditions. We have been bargain
ing for more than eight months
and trying to mind our own busi-
ness. We haven't bothered any
body with our problems and We
did not intend to debate the is
sues publicly. That has all been
changed by acts of Southern Bell
management. They are now at
tempting to bargain with the pub
lie rather than with the Union,
| That is, to say the least. very
peculiar way to live up to their
obligations under the Taft Hart
ley Act. Since that law is heavily
weighted in their favor, you would
think they'd be satisfied to live
up to it; but the Bell System has
its own practices n d policies,
which may or may not be in har-
mony with the ideal of decent hu-
man relations, and it is really no
surprise to us now to find ourselves
being subjected to Company pro-
paganda which bellies the truth.
The Telephone Company is a
party to this dispute. and nothing
they say can alter that fact. Every
announcement they make is word
ed to make it seem otherwise, yet
they are biased and they are duty
bound to accept their share of re-
Sponsibiity for maintaining peace
full relations between the employ
eeS and management. The South
ern Bell bosses who are making
these public announcements are
old hands at selecting facts and
telling just enough of the truth
to suit their motives. 1t is no won
Ger that we as telephone workers
are often at odds with the Com
pany "brass." Human beings can
take only so much of that attitude
of almighty righteousness. AS hu-
man beings, we admit that we have
made mistakes. We make no claim
to be without sin, and we are well
aware that our own belief in the
| business of our cause might blind
us to some of our failures.
We don't claim anything except
that: We believe in what We are
doing - and We are willing to risk
everything to protect ourselves
from management automatons
who have turned their backs on
human problems.
It's shocking to realize how far
the 13 billion dollar Bell System
has departed from it's own we'll
advertised personnel goals enunci-
ated originally by the man who
founded the telephone system in
this country. The Bell System did
not grow to be great by browbeat-
ing it's employees. 1t is only in re-
cent years - since the Company
clinched its dominating position
as the monopoly in the industry,
protected by franchises and all
the paraphenalia of political and
economic power that its en-
ployees have been treated as of
secondary Importance. The Bell
System has taken tremendous
strides scientifically. You can dial
distant cities from your own
phone; you can talk across oceans;
YOU can make use of the energy of
the sun stored in the Bell Systems
solar battery, because the Com
pany has made Science its servant.
But somewhere along the way the
people were forgotten. The Com
pany has lost touch with us. We
are not complaining that we have
been trodden under the heels of
the Company - that hasn't hap
pened, but the reason why we
have maintained our dignity as
workers in the Bell System is that
we have individually and collec-
lively insisted on being treated
like people and not like machines.
If it were not so grave matter
with possible effects that will be
felt for weeks and years to come,
we would look upon the Company's S
attempt to bargain with the pub
lie as no more than an amusing
admission on their part that they
are no match for their own en-
ployeeS. But this is serious. It's
serious because this same company
is making bold move to weaken
and possibly even destroy the un-
ion which we as workers have
formed to protect ourselves.
The Company keeps saying
"The public is entitled to unin-
terrupted service" It's a good
thought. We subscribe to it. How
ever, we would like to point out
that in addition to uninterrupted
service, the public is also entitled
to know the truth about the dis
pute between Southern Bell and
our Union. They haven't heard
the whole truth from the Com
pany.
There are a dozen vital issues in
dispute. This is matter Of record
1t is undeniable. It is a plain, or
dinary fact.
We are asking for a reasonable
general wage increase; the Com
pany has given out story about
a $4.00" wage offer. The truth is
that thousands of the $4,000 work.
ers involved would receive moth
ing, and only a handful would re-