Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-10
Transit Union
Ready 10 Offer
New Bid TODAY
Mediutors Arrange
Afternoon Session
For Bargaining
BY. HERMAN F. SCHADEN

ny lLnpNAN f. SC0ADEN
The Al day streetcar bus
strike, moving toward settlement
with all the speed of an $780,
model horse-car, will have an
other fling at bargaining this
afternoon.
Mediation Commissioners Gill
bert S. McCutcheon and James
Public Utilities Commission Continues
Fare Increase Hearing. Pose AZ
offieioIs Differ on Dote of Chorter
Expiration. Pose Ala
A. Holden set up the session for
3 pm. at their Tariff Building
Offices. An earlier time was
ruled out because of commit
ments of some of the company
negotiatorS.
Union officials, drawing up
terms of their first counterpro-
poSal since the contract was
re-opened three months ago,
were ready to expose it to COM
'pany eyes this afternoon. 1t was
given a final examination by
the unions Executive Board this
morning.
Plan Not Disclosed
AFL Transit Union officials
would not discuss their answer
to the company's offer of Sun
day. This would have given a
10-cent hourly wage increase, $40
monthly pension raise, and i'm
proved vacation. holiday and
health and welfare plans.
The union turned it down after
canvassing the Executive Board,
CONAN Policy Committee and a
part of the membership.
AS the strike neared the six
week mark, the most notable
aspect was the apparent lack of
eagerness Of the disputants for a
settlement.
Cost Rises Daily
If figures estimated early in
the strike are correct, and it is
costing everybody total of
$270,000 day, then the pocket
book damage has reached the
$ll million mark.
Thousands of former transit
riders still are inconvenience
and those in the lower pay
brackets have suffered economic
pain. With policemen battling
traffic instead of crooks. the
serious crime rate is creeping
up. But the strike drags on.
For a long time it dragged
partly because of the diversion
airy tactics in Congress. Finally,
on its last day, Congress passed
a bill which empowered the
Commissioners to make a deal
with Capital Transit. That was
eight days ago.
Parleys Drag On
What has happened since
then?
Wednesday and Thursday the
commissioners methodically
plowed through the weller of
union demands, trying to break
them down to a dollar value.
Friday hope suddenly bub-
bled. The union had made a
direct offer to the company, the
report had it. BY afternoon
agreement was in the bag-pro-
vided President Eisenhower
would not sign the bill which
also would cost Capital Transit
its franchise.
Next day, the unions local
leadership disavowed the deal
made by its international Off
GERS. No contingencies, they
said. But Sunday the company
made another offer. considerably
less inviting than that cooked
UP in the Friday deal.
After recess, the union was
supposed to bring back a
counter-proposal. But mean
while the company released a
statement denying it had made
an offer Friday. Words flew,
and the Sunday meeting broke
up.
Not in Writing
Monday the union took the
company offer to its governing
groups, but without recommen-
dalton. The officers did not con-
slider it an offer, they said, since
1t was not in writing.
Yesterday the union began
preparing a counter-proposal,
the first since bargaining began.
A mediation meeting was hoped
for in the evening, but the
unions answer was not ready.
That's where it stood today,
with Washington's feet getting
SOrer oil tho tipoa