Min 05/02/1952 154
Wichita Falls, Texas
Memorial Auditorium Bldg.
2, i,952
The Board of Aldermen of theCity of Wichita Fal]s,Texas, met in called
session on the above date, in the Council Room of the Memorial Auditorium Building,
at 7, o'clock P.M., with the following members present:
Kindel Faulk Mayor
R. P. Willis
Francis L. Harvey ( Aldermen
Geo. T. Henderson City Clerk
Bill N. Taylor City Manager
J. Walter Friberg City Attorney
Mayor Kindel Paulk stated this meeting had been called for the purpose of
attempting to perfect settlement between the Local Union and Bus Company, in an
effort to get the busses back into immediate operation.
Since a quorum was not present, the Mayor and Councilmen present immediately
went into an executive session in further effort to bring both Bus Company and Bus
drivers to an early agreement.
At the request of, and on the advice of, Federal Mediator, C. W. Thompson
of Dallas, the discussions were limited to a few representatives of both groups.
Accordingly, after some two hours of discussion, at which no agreement was reached,
although there were offers made on both sides, the Mayor asked that the bus officials
retire to a room by themselves and the union officials do likewise and come back
into executive session withmembers of the Council who were present, and make some
sort of offer that might be workable.
About thirty minutes later, the groups reconvened at which time some further
concessions were offered by both sides but a deadlock was reached when neither of them
would agree to the others, proposal in full.
It was then suggested that a Board of Arbitration be appointed and that the
dissenting group agree to the findings of the Board. This was refused by the Bus
Company representatives.
As a further attempt at a solution, it was suggested to them, after much
discussion and arguments, that each side offer to give in fifty-fifty as it seemed
that the principal thing that caused the deadlock, was a differential in wage agree-
ment. Neither side was willing to accept that method of settlement.
The Council members present then asked if either side had an offer that
might solve the problem. Whereupon, the Bus Company men stated that they would
agree to start buses at once, continue negotiations and make whatever agreement
reached retroactive. This offer was rejected by the drivers representatives.
The Council members were quite distressed that the parties were so unwilling
to give and take, and told both factions fiankly that, in their (theCouncils') opinion
there was a moral obligation for both parties to cooperate and get the buses going
and that they (the Council) sincerely hoped that they would take that into considera-
tion and that they, (the Council) felt that since an avenue of escape was offered
by the Bus Company when they agreed to resume operation and make whatever settlement
that was reached, retroactive, that the burden of responsibility of the moment, at
least, rested on the operators. This statement was given to the press and was
carried in the Sunday morning Times of May 4th.
11* Mayor
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