Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1884, 1883-07-20
The STRIKE.
The Telegraph Operators Throughout
the United States and Canada
Quit Work Thursday.
They Ask for an Increase of Fifteen
per Cent. Salary, and Extra
Pay for Sunday Work.

All O1lCldl OldCtuleuC VI Lut CdSc sAS
Presented by the High Mncky-
- Muck OF the Organ
r.. .- ..>.... jZatiOn.
.," The Strike.
At 12 o'clock noon, Washington time, the tel
egraph operators throughout the whole country
struck. The Bismarck operators received the
notification at II IS, thus giving them five min
utes notice. The difference in time between
Washington and Bismarck accounts for the
strike taking place in this city at 1850. There
are about twenty operators in this vicinity be-
longing to the brotherhood, five being now in
Bismarck and at this writing enjoying holiday.
The operators west have not struck yet, but it is
impossible to raise an Office east. Tho notifca-
ton to strike came from the grand headquar:
ters at Pittsburg to the chief of the brotherhood
at Bismarck. J. II. Carnahan. The operators
having possession of the lines throughout the
country it was possible to send this notification
to all sections. It is probable that nearly 5O,-
600 operators are now out on the strike, and
the outcome will be watched with eagerness.
The damage to business of all kinds by this
sudden suspension of telegraph service cannot
be estimated. Should the strike be pro-
longed one it will prove most disasterous. The
railroad operators Eot being included in the
strike, it is possible for . little commercial
business to be done over their lines, but the
amount will be SO small comparatively that it
will hardly do any good.
The following is an official statement from
the executive officers of the brotherhood of tel
egraphers, concerning the difficulties existing
between telegraph companies and their en-
ployes. This statement is furnished to the press
in order that the public may not be deceived bv
unauthorized statements which may emanate
from irresponsible parties.
On Monday, July 18th, the executive board of
the brotherhood of telegraphers of the United
States and Canada presented to the executive
officers of the several commercial telegraph COM
panies of the United atates and Canada, a me-
mortal placing before the companies the griev-
ances of the operators and employees generally.
and petitioning for the redress OF the, same.
The companies to whom the memorial was pre-.
sented, embrace the following: In Canada, the
Crest Northwestern and the Mutual Union. In
the United States, the Western Union. Mutual
Union, American Rapid, Baltimore and Ohio,
(Commercial) New York American District, and
the New York Mutual District Telegraph comra-
nies; also the Metropolitan Telephone company
of New York and the Chicago Telephone com
pany of Chicago.
The bills of grievances are as follows:
AMERICAN COMMERCIAL INTERESTS.
SECTION l. Believing that maa'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 abolition of Sunday work as
compulsory duty, unless compensated as extra
service.
SEC. 2. That eight hours shall constitute
regular days work, and seven hours a regular
nights work, and that both sexes shall receive
equal pay for equal work.
SEC. 8. That universal increase of fifteen
per cent. on all salaries paid, shall be petitioned
now for.
CANADIAN COMMERCIAL INTERESTS.
The memorial of the Canadian Cmmercial
telegraph employees is nearly identical with that
presented by the American employees.
The American memorial asks for the linemen,
that eight hours shall constitute days work;
that compensation at the rate of two days pay
shall be allowed for all Sunday work; that the
lowest salary paid q regular linemen 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. III
The American memorial petitions on behalf
of the irst-class Wheatstone operators, that they
shall be paid at the rate of $75 per month, and
for the second class operators 500 per month;
that their working hours shall be the same as
the Morse operators. This completes the sew
eral memorials. The frst-class Wheatstone
operators are at the present time but $50 per
month, and the second-class operators but $3O.)
The members of the brotherhood claim that
their organization is the result of the tyranical
and unjust treatment meted out to them during
the past ten years, and that their demands are
not unreasonable, in view of the systematic re-
ductions that haze 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, amounting to about Is per cent. From
1874 to 1877, LEGAL superintendents and mana
gers 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 90 tamely to this process, became bolder,
and announced the famous (or infamous) slid.
ing scale or general reduction of from five to
twenty-five per cent on all employees. This
instrument had the quality Of sliding but one
way, downward and was followed BY many
contamptible and underhand measures.
Protests were sent from all points without
avail. The comp.ny's official Journal, contain III,
ing the order, with an aduacity unparalleled,
had published on the same r'ge. the quarterly
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