Show Telephone Strike Spreads in Ohio Operators in 20 Cities Walk Off Jobs In Sympathy for Workers at af Dayton COLUMBUS Ohio Nov 18 UP Jp-A Jp A spreading strike of telephone telephone telephone tele tele- phone operators reached into 20 Ohio cities Saturday and others appeared likely to follow tollow along Demonstrating sympathy for operators at Dayton Ohio who quit work early Friday in protest against employment of out out-of- town personnel by the Ohio Bell Telephone Co operators in city after city voted to walk out and switchboards were manned partially partially partially par par- by makeshift crews recruited recruit recruit- ed from other departments of ot lo local local local lo- lo cal telephone offices Columbus and Toledo followed swiftly to support Dayton and at 10 a a. a m. m the following exchanges were virtually empty Springfield Tiffin Xenia Findla Findlay Findlay Find- Find la lay Wellsville Winchester Sandusky Sandusky Sandusky San- San dusky past East ast Liverpool Steubenville Steubenville Steuben- Steuben ville yule Bellaire Martins Ferry Piqua Bridgeport Uhrichsville Dennison Fostoria and burg Withhold Action Akron operators voted Friday night to join the walkout but withheld act action ton pending a vote ote that was being taken Saturday at Cleveland Youngstown D and Can Can- ton Spokesmen for Ohio Bell said the smaller cities suffered the worst since their entire operations generally were manual Local service continued as usual in the metropolitan areas where the au- au fr Everywhere E long distance calls were and put through only if they were military or emer emer- gency Ohio Bell described the Dayton area as the second most vital communications center in the country next to Washington The army air forces' forces two important fields Wright and Patterson are located there War Var plants ordnance ordnance ordnance ord ord- nance depots and military Installations installations la lations surround many of the other cities affected by the strike Dispute Issue Miss Jeanette Reedy president of or the Ohio Federation of ot Telephone Telephone Telephone Tele Tele- phone Workers' Workers southwest council said at Dayton the operators contended contended contended con con- tended sufficient help could be found locally and It was not necessary necessary necessary sary to bring in outside personnel Ohio Bell disputed this The dispute was certified to the regional war labor board at Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland Cleve Cleve- land which scheduled a hearing Saturday The Dayton Daton local previously previously previously pre pre- had announced it planned to begin the strike Dec 3 Ohio Bell spokesmen said It was necessary to transfer operators from other cities to Dayton to handle the vital communications out of the A A F bases We pay them their regular salary In addition to expenses for room meals and laundry which amount to about 18 a week he added Dayton operators average about 27 a week weel he said |