The Nation - News from Aug. 13, 1989

Three regional telephone companies serving 24 states negotiated into the early morning in an effort to avert walkouts by more than 125,000 additional workers, while week-old strikes continued to disrupt service in 15 other states. The three so-called “Baby Bells” met with or exchanged proposals and counterproposals with representatives of the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The unions had set a midnight deadline for walkouts. The regional companies facing strike deadlines were U S West, based in Englewood, Colo., serving 11.8 million lines in 14 states; Southwestern Bell, based in St. Louis, serving 11 million customers in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, and Ameritech, based in Chicago, serving 12.3 million customers in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin.