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re1 l v •ce o g-/ 'j ediator /J~ . By MARION GAINES The possibility of an o the r s t r i k e by Atlanta firemen . 'loomed Monday after a fire- , •.men's · union official declared 'that a mediator's proposals were "totally unacceptable." The proposals were put forth Monday morning by Dr. Edwin , Harrison, president of Georgia, 'j Tech, who was named mediator by both the firemen and the Chief Jenkins calls for improvements in Atlanta Police Department working conditions. Page 9. City of Atlanta as part of the settlement of a three-day walk, ou t by some 550 firefighters in early June. Dr. Harrison recommended that the city ei ther decrease the firemen's work week to 56 hours (fro m the present 60) or increase their salaries an equivalent amount by Jan. l. "Basically, this leaves us right where we started" (before the June walkout), said Capt. J ack Martin, president of the Atlanta Firefighters Union, Independent. LEADERS CONFER Capt. Martin conferred in the afternoon with the union 's executive board and later in the night with some 267 of his union membership. The results of both meetings left no doubt that the firemen are extremely displeased with Dr. Harrison's recommendations, which are not binding on either the city or . the firemen under terms of the resolution by Atlan 1.a aldermen authorizing the mediation. After a station-by-station poll Monday night, Capt. Martin reported that the firemen at the union meeting voted unanimously "to wholeheartedly reject" Harrison's findings. He said they also pa ed a resolution authorizing the executive board "to take any action we should determine necessary" ! in the dispute. 'MORf DESPERATE' As for a walkout, he said, I .011ii 1Ucd on P11ge 8, Column 1 .._.., 2 {.e . Continued From Page 1 then to meet separately a n d joi ntly in order to define the " These men are becoming more citv's position in this matter." and more desperate." . · l\1ayor Allen sai d the alderMartin said he still has in hand manic board already has stated mass resignations given him it will give first consideration two and a half months ago to do in next year's budget to the with as he sees fit. establishment of a 5li-hour work In answer to newsmen 's ques- week for Atlanta fire men."

Wons, Capt. Martin said _the " Th implementation o,f the ; tl!,ion was "miking for the 1·1gltt 56-llotir' woi·k \veek wlll 1ft fl6 , of coll ective bargaining." way decrease the city's respo~- ; He said his union would not !·e- sibility to consider i~creases_m ject "compulsory arbih·at10n fir emen·s sa lan es 111 keep mg • wi th ~roper ·safeguards. " with the recommendations" in ' MEETING TODAY the upcoming PAS report, said , The union will hold another the mayor. , meeting Tuesday morn_in_g for i~s Putting into effect either the / second shift. Union offlcrnls sa1d 56-hour week or an equivalent their executive board would pay increase for the firemen meet after that to determine its would cost the city some $400,000 course of action. annually. Capt. Martin said in re,<;~iv2 ing Harrison's . report was like OPTIONS GIVEN waking up on Christmas morn.:- Dr. Harrison gave the firemen two options: accept_ing eithing-and no Santa Claus." "Right now, we are more er the equ ivalent pay mcrease &hocked and confused than any- or the four-hour per week work reduction. thmg," he said. ._ First reaction from f1rem e1. In terms of money he said, in the station house indicates that would mean a month ly pay they are ready to walk o~t increase of about $28 for beginaga in "in an effort. to get t1le1r ni ng firemen and about $35 _for i top-scale firemen. The st_artmg poiot across," he sa id. '·We thought we had made our pay for the city's fi remen 1s now . . poin t," he said, "but ev idently $403 a month. Dr. Harrison said the dec1s1on we didn't" Capt. Martin said that, in his on the options shou ld be "left opinion, it would 'defini tely ta_ke entirely to the firemen." He added: "It should be unmore than a two-step (pay) inderstood that whichever option crease" to satisfy his union . Dr. Harrison pointed out in is elected, it is not to be con- · his findings that the city now sidercd a substitute fo r, nor an has under way .an independent offset against, any future g~mstudy of all city government sal- cral increases granted to city aries by the Pubic Administra- employes at large ." tion Service of Chicago. The PAS salary report is due . Sept. 15. The firemen had asked Dr. Harrison, at a July 25 hearing, for a finding that they are ·entitled to a $100 a month pay raise and a 48-hour work week retroactive to Juhe 1. Dr. Harrison said he recognized that his findings did not come close to meeting the firemen's requests. But he sa id he believed the city " has attempted within its limited resources, to 'treat its employes, including firemen, in a fair manner." MAYOR ASKS ACTION Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. said he was asking three city agencies to consider Dr. Harrison's recommendation immediately, and �