Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-10
SlATE lDYIlON
Signing j Of Transit
Pact Likely Today
Agreement Has
Clause Aimed at
Avoiding Strikes

The signing Of a three-year
contract. which brings with It a
total wage increase Of % cents
an hour for the 1900 members
Of the Transit Workers Union,
was expected today.
Some 1000 members Of pivi-
sion $50, Amalgamated Associa.
ton Of Street. Electric Railway
and Motor Coach Employees Of
America shouted approval Of the
recently negotiated agreement
with D. c. Transit System at
a mass meeting last night at Con-
stitution Hall.
The contract, drawn up Just In
time to avoid a transit strike on
November /. required member
ship Endorsement.
Included is a key provision
which officials said was designed
to eliminate strikes.
Five Cents Raise Now
1t also provides for an immedi-
ate raise Of 5 cents an hour,
retroactive to August is. BY
April. 1859. the base pay Of top
operators will have jumped 20
cents. including 2 cents they now
get as a temperament cost-of-
living adjustment. It will bring
the total to $2.27. The agree
ment makes the 2 cents perma-
nent.
Walter ]. Bierwagen, union
president, outlined the provisions
amid repeated cheers. He de-
|scribed it as flair" "I,m salts
fed" he said. 1T wasn't ali we
wanted or all we deserve, but
it's fair"
He told reporters he expected
to get in touch with o. Roy
Chalk, president Of D. G. Trans
sit System, Inc, sometime to-
day.
I think everybody would like
to get the contract signed as
soon as possible" Mr.. Bierwagen
said. Were ready anytime, It
could be today"
The signing would put an end
to negotiations which have been
underway since August IA, the
day the Capital Transit Co.
went out Of business and Mr..
Chalk took over as head Of
d. c. Transit.
Two Increases Frozen"
The contract. approved last
night first established that two
l-cent raises, granted this sum-
ner as cost-of living adjust
ments, be frozen and permanent
ly added to the actual base pay
of sos which existed under the
old Capital Transit contract. If
this had not been agreed on, the
overall increase would have been
20 cents.
The formula raises the new"
and permanent $2.07-an-hour.
base for top operators by 5 cents.
to $2.12 retroactive to August is.
Additional scent raises will in
crease that amount to $2.17 on
November 8. 1857; to $2.22 on
November 2, 1858, and to S2.27.
on April IL. 1859.
Ofiicials pointed out that the
figures are exclusive Of any
cost-of-living adjustments that
may be received during the life
Of the agreement" which ex-
|pires on October 81. 1859, about
six months after the final April
raise.
They explained that workers
will get more or less money as
the cost-of-living index fiucu-
Iates. but never less than the
guaranteed base.
OF primary concern to nego-
tiators was the contract provi-
Sion that provides for establish.
ment Of permanent arbitration
machinery designed to eliminate
strikes not only during the life
of the contract but so long as
the Chalk organization runs the
firm.
In effect, it requires both man.
agement and the union to accept
the decision Of an arbitrator in
the event Of q dispute rather
than have a settlement depend
on give and take.
Grievance Machinery
Grievances during the life Of
the new contract will be ham
died by one union and one
company representative in CO.
operation with a third man from
a Federal Mediation and Con-
Citation Service list Of arbitra-
ton.
Future contracts, as long as
the present management exists,
would be arbitrated by q five.
man board composed Of a COM
pany and a union representative
and three outsiders.
Beginning July /. 1857 en-
ployes will get one weeks vaca-
ton after one year Of work; two
weeks after two years: three
weeks after seven years; and
four weeks after 20 years. The
present scale is one after one:
two after three; three after 10,