Strike Gives Statesville Telephone Workers $2 to $4 Raise Per Week, 1947

“Phone Strike Ends in City” from the Saturday, May 10, 1947, issue of the Statesville Record Landmark

Southern Bell Agrees to Pay Hike of $2 to $4--Other North Carolina Towns Are Still Out

At 6 o’clock this morning the telephone strike which had hampered business and social life in Statesville for the past 33 days was ended when local operators and other workers who are members of the local unit of the National Federation of Telephone Workers began returning to their jobs.

According to the United Press, the Southern Federation of Telephone Workers came to an agreement with the company at 8:45 p.m. Friday after nearly continuous negotiations for two days.

A new contract with workers in the Southern Bell system gave about 42,000 employes raises of between $2 and $4 a week in contrast to original demands by the union for a $12 raise.

The bulky contract of 364 clauses added approximately $10,000,000 a year to the cost of telephone service in the south, according to the company.

President Hal Dumas announced that the company would ask the Southern Public Service commission for increased rates. Applications are now in for permission to pass raises granted last year on to the customers.

The raise gave workers $2, $3 and $4 more a week, depending on the length of service and job classifications.

Dumas said that “we believe the agreement which has just been signed is fair to the employes, fair to our customers and fair to the company.”

Telephone workers who refused to cross picket lines of striking Western Electric employes remained away from their jobs in many North Carolina towns despite the end of the telephone strike against Southern Bell Telephone company.

Chairman J.R. Burnie of the Charlotte Telephone Workers Union said long distance operators also would refuse to cross the picket line when they came to work later today.

A total of 35 Western Electric employees in Charlotte are still on strike pending settlement of their demand for wage increases.

An announcement late this morning by Dan W. Rigby, manager of the Statesville telephone exchange, revealed that while all workers who were out on strike had not been contacted this morning that enough had been reached to insure normal service unless the exchange is completely swamped with calls.

Mr. Rigby again expressed his appreciation to the citizens of Statesville for their co-operation during the emergency.