Salt Lake Telegram | 1944-11-17 | Page 2 | Telephone Strike Hits Ohio Cities

J Telephone Strike Hils Ohio Cities DAYTON 0 O. Nov 17 UP A Wi-A A sudden strike of oC telephone operators operators operators opera opera- tors tied up long-distance long s service in three Ohio metropolitan areas Friday and threatened to spread to smaller cities Operators affiliated with the Ohio Federation of Telephone Workers left their boards here at nt a a. a m m. ewt in protest against employment by the Ohio Bell Telephone Co of town out-of-town personnel and shortly afterward operators in Columbus and Toledo walked out in an expression o of sympathy Local service maintained by the dial system was unaffected in all three cities but long distance calls were cut by upward of ot 50 spokesmen for Ohio Bell said and those hose being completed were put through by makeshift crews made up of operators who refused to quit and personnel sent to the switchboards from other departments departments depart depart- ments Several men sat at the big board in Columbus Ralph Marburger vice president and general manager of ot Ohio Bells Bell's southwestern area said tho the company company com com- pany was endeavoring to maintain service as well as possible with available personnel All outbound calls were challenged challenged challenged chal chal- and the subscriber invited to cancel top priority was to the military I IA A national labor relations boards board spokesman said the walkouts appeared appeared appeared ap to tobe be bc in contravention of a a section of or the war labor disputes act Martin Wagner Vagner regional N NL NLRB L LR LR R RB B director at Cincinnati said the tho labor disputes act required continuance of contracts through a day 30 off cooling period Miss Jeanette Reedy of Dayton president of or the southwestern area council of the federation disclosed that operators there voted Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednes Wednes- day night to walk out A previous announcement said they had affirmed affirmed affirmed af af- af- af firmed an earlier decision to quit Dec 3 3 Dayton Columbus and Toledo are in the heart of the vital in industrialized industrialized industrialized in- in midwest and the army air forces' forces two important fields Wright fields Wright and Patterson Patterson are are just outside Dayton The issue Involved Miss Reedy said is opposition to employment of workers who receive salary plus living expenses O. O N. N Olsen Ohio Bell commercial commercial commer commer- cial manager at Dayton said there thero were insufficient operators in Dayton and that expense money had to be provided operators from out of oC town This additional expense he said involves room costs meals which they must buy in restaurants restaurants res res- res- res and laundry allowances These three items average about 18 18 per week