The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-07-26
The Great Strike.

1 ue GrOdU NLrlk0.
THE OPERATORS LEAVE THEIR KEYS IN
ALMOST EVERY CITY STATEMENT OF
THE CASE by THE BROTHERHOOD, &C.
AT noon on Thursday lust the great
strike of the Telegraphic Brotherhood be-
gun. In New York Baltimore, Boston,
Washington and other large cities where
operatives are employed by the hundred,
the men at a signal before agreed upon
quietly left their tables and marched from
the rooms. Innearly every case the female
operatives followed. The country offices
were soon after completely deserted, and
for short while the telegraphic business
was entirely suspended. The chiefs and
general managers in the large cities re-
manned faithful to the companies, and by
mastering in recruits from all sources man
aged to get the pressing business off. The
general tone Of the company at first may
be inferred from the following messages
between two of the principal Offices:
CHICAGO, July 49,. N. Miller The
following message has been received from
the General Manager:
''With recruits we have fully half force
on duty in the Eastern Division, and more
coming in rapidly. They exhibit an en-
thusiasm that is wonderful. l have no
fears of the result with such employees.
Extend to those in your division, both men
and women, my best thanks, and leave
nothing undone to provide for their wants
and protect them from indignities on the
part of the strikers. Spare no expense in
this respect. Provide carriages for such
as may have to go home and back.
''R. G. CLOWRY, e. 5. '''i
CHICAGO, July 10.
[. N. Miller. Superintendent
The following message is from the Gen
eral Manager
''Col. r. c. Clowry, neralSuperintend-
ent-Am glad to hear such favorable ac-
counts from you of the completion OF bust
ness in your division. / will honor your
draft for any amount you may think nee
eSSary for the proper care and protection
of ali operators who remain, and those who
come to your relief. Arrange to board and
lodge them in the best manner possible.
We are comfortable off in the East. About
one hundred and fifty operators in our New
York office, with recruits coming in beyond
my expec tation. Other large offices i'll very
good shape and business fairly up. For
yourself and for the loyal men and women,
accept my thanks.
''THOMAs F. ECKERT, Genl Manager"
In the strike of 1870, when the operators
remained out about four weeks, they were
totally unorganized Now they are secret
society with all the Masonic forms of grip,
password, oath and initiation. They are
divided in Assemblies, " with Master
Workman presiding over each Assembly,
and ''DiStrict Grand Master Workman
of the United States. Members had been
INSTRUCTED to refer all reporters to the
"PresS Committee, - who would call. This
committee submits the following state
ment (:
OPERATORS STATEMENT.
The following is an official statement
from the Executive Officers of the Brother
hood of Photographers, concerning the diff
ficulties existing between telegraph COM
panies and their employees. This state
ment is furnished to the press in order
that the public may not be deceived by
unauthorized statements which may ema-
nate. from irresponsible parties.
On Monday, July Is, the Executive
Board of the Brotherhood of Telegraphers
OF the United States and Canadapresented
to the Executive Officers of the several
Commercial Telegraph Companies of the
United States and Canada a memorial
OF the operators and employees generally,
and petitioning for the redress Of the
same.
The companies to whom the memorial
was presented embrace the following In
Canada, the Great Northwestern and the
Mutual Union in the United States, the
Western Union, Mutual Union, American
Rapid, Baltimore and Ohio Commercially /,
New York American District. and the
New York Mutual District Telegraph
Companies also, the Metropolitan Tele-
phone Company, of New York, and the
Chicago Telephone Company, Of Chicago.
The Bills OF Grievances are as follows
AMERICAN COMMERCIAL INTERESTS.
SECTIoN1. Believing that man S physical
and mental welfare requires that at least
one day in seven be accorded him for rest
and recreation we ask for the total aboli-
tion of Sunday work as compulsory duty,
unless compensated as extra service.
SEC. 2. That eight hours shall constitute
regular days work, and seven hours q
regular nights work, and that both sexes
shall receive equal pay for equal work.
Sec. 3. That a universal increase of fif-
teen per cent. on all salaries paid shall be
petitioned now for.
CANADIAN co NUMERICAL INTERESTS.
The memorial of the Canadian COM
mercial telegraph employees is identical
with that presented by the American en-
ployes, with the exceptions OF Section l.,
which asks for a fixed compensation for
Sunday work of forty cents per hour Sec
ton 8, that salaries now paid shall be in
creased according to the following schedule:
Employees now receiving $65 per month
and upward, ten per cent. increase en-
ployes receiving from S45 to $65 per month,
fifteen per cent. increase employees re-
ceiving $$35 to $45 per month, twenty per
cent. increase. and that the lowest salary
paid shall be ss35 per month. This applies
to all practical Geographic employees, such
as operators, clerks and linemen.
The American memorial asks for the
linemen that eight hours shall constitute u
days work that compensation at the rate
Sunday work that the lowest salary paid q
regular lineman shall be $65 per month,
and for helpers $50 per month, and that
the duties of linemen shall be confined
solely to their legitimate work.
The American memorial petitions on be-
half of the first-class Wheatstone operators,
that they shall be paid at the rate of $75
per month, and for the second-class oper
ators $50 per month that their working
hours shall be the same as the Morse oper
ators. This completes the several me-
MORALS. 1.-THE first-clasS WheatstOne OPP
orators are at the present time receiving
but $50 per month, and the second class
operators but $780,
The members OF the Brotherhood claim
that their organization is the result of the
tyrannical and unjust treatment melted out
to them during the past ten years, and
that their demands are not unreasonable i'll
view of the systematic reductions that
have been forced upon them at different
times by the Western Union Telegraph
Company, which fixes the standard OF
wages for the United States and Canada.
They give the following suggestive facts
in support of their claims Between the,
years 1870 and 1874, two general reductions
took place throughout the country, amount
ing to about twenty-five per cent. From
1874 to 1877, local Superintendent and
Managers, in order to curry favor with the
company, We'd with each other in economic
suggestions. In 1878, the executive officers,
seeing the men submit so tamely to this
process, became holder, and announced the
famous Tor infamous) sliding scale OF gem
eral reduction Of from five to twenty-fiv
per cent on all employees. This instru-
ment had the quality Of sliding but one
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