Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-10
Agreement Has
Clause Aimed at
Avoiding Strikes

of the Transit Workers Union,
was scheduled today.
Some 1000 members of Divi-
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-
lstitution Hall.
I 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 %
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-
Inent.
J, Walter j, Bierwagen, union
; president, outlined the provisions
amid repeated cheers. He de-
scribed it as fair" I'm salts
, fed" he said. 1T wasn't all 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. c. Tram
sit System. Inc, sometime to-
day.
Il think everybody would like
to get the contract signed as
soon as possible" Mr.. Bierwagen
said. We're ready anytime. 1t
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
ID. c. Transit.
Two Increases Frozen
The contract, approved last
might first established that two
: I1-cent raises, granted this sum-
| Imer as cost-of- living adjust
. ments. be frozen and permanent
{ lily added to the actual base pay
, of $2.05 which existed under the
) old Capital Transit contract. II
, this had not been agreed on. the
5 overall increase would have been
20 cents.
, The formula raises the new
] and permanent $2.07-an-houI
D base for top operators by 5 cents,
Ito $2.12 retroactive to August is.
r Additional scent raises will in
E crease that amount to $2.l7 on
J. November 8, 1857; to 1922 or
2 November 2. 1858, and to $2.21
! ion April IL, 1859.
Officials pointed out that the
= figures are exclusive Of any
cost-of Living adjustments thai
: may be received during the life
: of the agreement" which ex,
! pires on October 81. 1859, about
..six months after the final April
raise.
l They explained that workers
Z will get more or less money al
the cost-of-living index flucu-
i ates, but never less than the
J guaranteed base.
e OF primary concern to nego-
tiators was the contract provi.
o sion that provides for establish
ment Of permanent arbitration
4 machinery designed to eliminate
strikes not only during the life
Of the contract but so long a,
the Chalk organization runs the
firm.
In effect. it requires both man.
i Iagement and the union to accept
the decision Of an arbitrator in
the event Of a dispste rather
E than have a settlement depend
E on give and take.
Grievance Machinery
Grievances during the life OF
! the new contract win be han.
died by one union and one
!, company representative in CO.
; operation with a third man from
J a Federal Mediation and Con-
ciliation Service list Of arbitra.
tion.
Future contracts. as long ai
the present management exists
would be arbitrated by q i've
man board composed Of a COM
pany and a union representative
and three outsiders.
Beginning July /. 1867 EN-.
Iployes viii get one weeks vaca.
ton after one year Of work: two
weeks after two years: tire,
weeks after seven years: anc
-four weeks after 20 years. tn,
present scale is one after one
two after three. three after 10