Fridoy, August 5S, 1977
THE MiCHI-lGAN QAiLY
Page Three
Phone workers may strike
WASHINGTON ISi( -A phone
company union leader said yes-
terday that a long nationwide
strike by 700,000 workers against
the Bell System beginning at
midnight Saturday is "almost
inevitable." But the company
said it expects to reach a settle-
ment by then.
Glenn Watts, president of the
Comnmunications W o r k e r s of
Asmerica (CWA), said negotia-
tions between his union and the
ocmpaay "are in very serious
trouble" and "activity at the
bargaining table has come to a
complete standstill."
HOWEVER, a c o m p a ny
spokesman took a much more
optimistic view and predicted
a strike could be avoided.
The spokesman, C h a r l e s
Dyses, declined to disclose the
company's next move, but it ap-
peared the Bell System was
prepared to improve on its orig-
inal offer, a move that could set
the stage for a last-minute
agreement this weekend.
"I'm sure there is going to be
movement in the next few days
because we all knowe there is
not much time left," Dynes said
in a interview. "I'n still con-
fident 't can come up with an
agreemern "
TALKS WITH the CWA have
been in recess since Tuesday
but have continued with two
smaller unions.
Although tDynes stressed he
doesn't expect a strike, he said
the company's nearly 200,000
management a n d supervisory
personnel w e r e prepared to
maintain service that "would he
pretty good for quite a while."
The last nationwide strike
against the Bell System was in
1971 and lasted two weeks.'
WHILE THE phone system is
highly automated, Watts said a
strike would disrupt operator-
assisted calls, new installations
and repair of existing equip-
ment.
"The public will be inconven-
ienced ad I think it will be a
very unnecessary tragedy grow-
ing directly out" of the com-
pany's attitude toward its em-
ployes, he told a news confer-
ence.
Watts charged that the coin-
pany has refused .to match the
terms of the recent settlements
in the auto and steel industries,
despite high profits and strong
productivity gains in the tele-
phone industry.
TlE AMERICAN Telephone &
Telegraph to., the parent com-
pany of the Bell System and the
nation's biggest private employ-
er, reported profits of $3.8 bil-
lion last year.
The telephone unions rejected-
the company's offer on July 21
of a new three-year contract
with a tea per cent wage i-
crease, plus cost-of-living ad-
justments in the final two years
of the agreement.
The company said the propo-
sal would have raised the salary
of a top-paid craft worke-r earn-
ing $333.50 per week by 18.3 per
cent over the life of the agree-
ment.
STEEL. AND auto wurkers re-
cently won wage boosts of aout
ten per cent a year in new
three-year contracts.
Watts also accused the com-
pany of ignoring the problems
caused by the loss of nearly
100,0011 jobs over the last three
years due to autonation and
recession. The untion has de-
manded a shorter work year
and other "job security" mea-
See TEEIPHIONE, Page 10
Walkout won't halt
telephone service
By M. EILEEN DALEY
Should Ilell Telephone employes decide to strike this weekend,
phone services in Ann Arbor should continue "almost rnormally"
according to Michigan Bell spokesman Ilarry Kenworthy.
"The only thing we'd expect would be cirtailment of (tele-
phone) instllation," he said.
KENWORTIIY said regular telephone services can conlirue
indefinitely regardless of a strike. Persons from remaining staff
and management departments woiuld man thse switchbards left by
strikers.
Although repair services would be operating, customers
requesting "nion-esseittial" repairs, such as replacement of a
worn cord will have to wait until the strike is ocer, Kenworthy
said.
JEANNETTE IBiRANT, a telephone reptir stipersvisir said the
strike would not interfere with repair services.
"It won't really affect us at all," she said. "tf a persia needs
their phone repaired, it will be reipaired."
Information services and operator assistance would alsi, con-
tinue as usual, Kenworthy said.
It's a dog' lfS e
Cindy (far left) and Elsa (far right) were probably doggone tired after doggedly pursuing the
stick thrown by owner David Church (center).
C -rrection
Incomplete information supplied to us by the Urni-
versity Ticket Office made yesterday's explanation
of the football ticket lottery a good deal less clear
than it might have been. The lottery will work like
this:
* Last year, students who wanted to be first in
line for tickets had to literally be first in life, which
meant that some started camping outside the Track
and Tennis Building as early as mid-August. This
year, any student (or group of students) who wants
to lead the pack has only to show up at the Track
and Tennis Building at noon on September 1 for the
lottery,
* Groups of less than 13 will draw lots to deter-
mine who is first in line, second in line, and so on.
That place in line may be held by one person until
8 a.m on Thursday, September 8, regardless of the
number of people in the group. At 8 a.m. Thursday,
however, the group must have one person in line for
every four tickets to be purchased and must continue
to have a one-to-four ratio at every roll call until
tickets are purchased.
* For each class the priority will be: (1) indi-
viduals and groups which drew in the September 1
lottery, in the order they drew; (2) individuals and;
groups which did not draw in the lottery, in the
order in which they arrived on the site; (3) groups
of more than 12, which are classified as "block seat-
ing" and thus get the lowest priority in the class.
* There will be only one lottery for all four
classes. Thus, for example, a junior drawing first
position would get only first position in the junior
class, while first position in the senior class passed
to the senior drawing the highest number.
0 The dates for redeeming football coupons re-
main as announced: Friday, September 9 for seniors,
who should have SY3AU2E on their ID cards; Mon-
day, September 12 for juniors, who should have
3AU2E on their cards; Tuesday, September 13 for
sophomores, who should have U2E on their cards;
Wednesday, September 14 for freshpersons, who
should have E on their cards.
The Daily regrets any confusion yesterday's article
may have caused.
Happenins -.-.
. Looks like one of those days-we have
ahs{ilutely zero happenings on tap for today.
C arl at the bat
Congressional Republicans had a bad year at the
polls, but they had a good day at the plain this week.
California Rep. Pete McCloskey smashed a clutch
double and Michigan's own Rep. Carl Pursell rap-
ped the game-winning hit to lead the GOP to a
come-from-behind 7-6 victory over the Congressional
Democrats, as Maine Republican "Wild Bill" Cohen
stifled the Democrats on just three hits (six runs,
three hits, that is). The Republicans now lead the
annual series 133. "This is the fiercest competition
we have in the Congress," McCloskey said. "There's
one thing about politicians, they can't bear ti lose.
Everyone is out there to win, including us in our
declining years." Pursell contributed a sparkling
defensive play when he cut down a Democratic run-
ner at home plate with a perfect throw. "We got
him by about the same margin as .I won the last
election," said Pursell, whis slid safely into office by
344 votes.
Greetings from Antarctica
Joining Love, Delaware and Christmas, Michigan
in the Cheesy Postmark Sweepstakes is a new entry
-the South Pole. The U.S. Antarctic Research Pro-
gram announced yesterday that Anarctic postmarks
and station cachets for Amundsen-Scott South Pole
and McMurdo Station may be obtained by any in-
terested philatelist. Just affix first class U.S. pastage,
mark "McMurdo Station" or "South Pole Station"
in the lower left corner of the envelope and mail
before February to: Philatelic Mail Clerk, McMurdo
Station, U.S. Naval Support Force (Antarctica), FPO,
San Francisco, California 96692. For the South Pole,
write Postmaster, New York, N.Y. 1o1.
On the outside
Remember when, as a kid, you told the raiin to "go
away" and "come again sote other day"? Well, it's
back. With a vengeance. Today and tomorrow will
bring scattered showers and thundershowers, with
a high of 84 today and 88 tomorrow. Look for clear-
ing and some sun by tomorrow afternoon.