Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-10-19
Local to Meet
In Possible Step
Toward Strike
By HECTOR MCLEAN

~~etAANAAA6 . AAluAlhSSS
ment proposal as totally unac.
Iceptable" and wholly made.
quate."
Walter j. Bierwagen, president
OF the transit workers union.
said the negotiations with o.
Roy Chalk, president of D. C,
Transit System are dead.
locked. The issues between us
are SO far apart that at the
moment there seems to be an
inSurmountable gulf"
He said a union membership
meeting would be arranged for
the earliest possible date" OBJ.
servers expected the union lead
ers would ask for authority to
call a strike November /.
Mediation Pressed
At the same time the Federal
Mediation and Cancellation Serv.
ice stepped up its offers to get a
settlement. Federal Mediator
James A. Holden arranged for a
resumption of the sessions at 2
pm. Monday and recommended
that the service name a three
man panel of mediators.
Assistant Director Clyde M.
Mills of the Mediation Service.
who supervises the Washington
area, Immediately named the
three-man team and called it q
"blue-ribbon panel"
He said the panel would be
made up of Mr.. Holden, r, w.
Donnahoo. regional director in
Philadelphia, and Gilbert r. Lee.
a mediator stationed in Balti-
more.
Cool to Chalk Terms
Mr.. Mills said Mr.. Donnahoo
has handled several transit cases
including those in Memphis, Bal
timore and Philadelphia. He said
Mr.. Lee had handled transit dis
puteS in Rochester and Balti.
more. Mr. Holden has been &C.
tive in transit negotiations here
for several years.
Mr.. Bierwagen said the union
leaders would report to the menu
bership meeting a proposal made
by Mr.. Chalk. 1t is, he said.
totally unacceptable"
Bernard Cushman, attorney
for the union, said the offer was
wholly inadequate"
o. David Zimring, head of the
Labor Bureau of the Middle
West and an expert union con-
sultant who Joined today's ses-
sions at the Labor Department
Building shortly after they be-
gan at 8 am. said, II think some
of the men ION the union Execu.
tive Committed feel the offer
was made with the intention Of
being provocative"
halkS at Arbitration
Mr.. Cushman, who is associ.
ated with Mr.. Zimring in the
Labor Bureau of the Middle
West, gave this analysis Of the
proposal by M. Chalk.
HE has refused to agree to
arbitrate in the form we UNDER
stood he told the Congressional
Conference Committee (Which
wrote his 20-year, partly tax
exempt franchise) he would.
1.-THE management has refused
to give us an offer for a one.
year or a two-year contract.
He will offer only a three-year
contract.
THAT three-year proposition,
If it can be called one, he will
not put in writing.
Under the three-year plan,
Mr.. Cushman said, Mr.. Chalk
proposes that there be no wage
increase during the first year. He
offered an additional, eighth paid
holiday and a $4,000 contribu-
ton to the union health and
welfare fund. Mr.. Cushman said,
management values this at less
than one cent an hour. The
union has asked for an increase
of rs cents an hour over the
present base pay of $2.05."
Raise in Second Year
In the second year, Mr.. Cush-
man said. Mr.. Chalk said he
would negotiate a range Of wage
adjustments from nothing to
two or two and one-half per
cent" Mr.. Cushman said this
would amount TO a maximum Of
five cents an hour.
Also. Mr.. Cushman declared.
Mr.. Chalk offered in the second
year to improve the vacation
program, allowing two weeks
after two years Of service, three
weeks after five years, and four
weeks after IS years. The present
contract allows one week after
one year. two weeks after three
years, three weeks after 10 years
and four weeks after rs years.
In the third year. Mr.. Cush-
man said, Mr.. Chalk offered
again to negotiate another wage
increase ranging from zero TO
two and a half per cent, also he
offered 70 guarantee full pay
ment for eight holidays q year.
workers are not paid for holi-
days which fall during their va
cationsJ In addition he offered
another contribution to the
health and welfare fund Of $685.
900 or $4,000.