Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-10
Transit Workers Views


in the Nations Capital for the
past 81 years, I would like to
answer some Of the letters to
the editor printed in your pa
per during the transit strike
and to offer a comment on
your editorials, which often
seem to be slanted in the COM
pany's favor.
First. let me say that our
union is a very conservative
organization. All of the Off
GERS, both of the local and Of
the international union. are
transit employees who are on
leave of absence from their
transit jobs in various parts
Of the United States and Can
ada. There is no racketeering
In this organization.
When I started to work as
q transit employe. every
streetcar had two men on 1t.
There were no buses. The
schedules were leisurely. and
traffic was not so congested as
it is today.
All of the equipment used
at that time has been junked,
and new, modern, faster, one
man equipment has been
bought and paid for by the
travelling public and through
the work of the employees Of
the transit company. No new
stock was sold to buy this new
equipment. 1t seems, however,
that q return is expected on
the basis of the cost Of repro
ducing this new equipment.
During World War II. when
1t was impossible to get new
automobile and when gasoline
and tires were severely ra-
toned and over a thousand OF
our people were in the armed
forces, we had to work on our
days of, before our regular
days work started. and after
our regular days work was
completed. Many times we had
to carry a double space on our
routes because no operator
was available for the vehicle
ahead of us. All Of these con-
ditions made our job harder
and put huge sums Of money
in the treasury of the COM
pany.
Remember that during this
time workers were frozen on
their jobs and wages were also
frozen. When this tremendous
accumulation Of money was
being made. the present man
agement Of the company had
not been heard of hereabouts.
They had no part whatever in
the accumulation Of this huge
reserve.
We employees Of Capital
Transit are green with envy
to read in the papers where one
of the new officers Of the COM
pany has been awarded a $l0.-
000-a-year pension after three
years OF service. This is eleven
times the amount that we who
helped to bring in the money
by our long and tedious hours
of work are able to get after
40 years Of service. And. while
we are talking about pensions,
we are not even sure OF that
meager pension. as there Is a
hassle over 1t even now.
We are not happy to learn
that one of this new group
receives an expense account
amounting, each year, to the
annual wages Of six bus drivers,
even though this person Is
rarely even in town.
A Statistician wrote a letter
to your paper indicating that
would take a solid line Of
buses IS miles long with a load
Of so passengers on each bus to
pay this expense item alone.
Yet many Of your correspond
ents lay the blame for fare in
creases on the union.
Some of your writers have
been critical of the fact that
wives Of transit employees work.
This seems a rather hollow
argument in view Of the fact
that many professional peoples
wives work. Even a husband
and wife who are movie stars
both work. In our case 1t is
necessary for a wife to work
il we are to have some of the
ordinary things that are
termed modern appliances"
and are to send a child or two
to college.
Our wages have been COM
pared with various mechanics
in the building trades, etc. !
/ would like to draw your at
tention to the fact that this
strike Is not composed solely
OF bus and streetcar operators.
In the Capital Transit or
ganization there is almost
every trade and craft known.
They are all members Of the
same union. For example. a
streetcar or n bus can be built