National Republican., 1883-08-14

presented to the Western Union, American
Rapid, Baltimore and Ohio (commercial), and
numerous telephone companies in the city.
The only answer which has yet been re-
ceived is from the American Rapid company,
which has partially acceded to the demands
of the brotherhood. The answer Of the West
ern Union to the appeal of the operators was
that IL was not known whether the commit
tee had authority to speak for the employees
of the company. Mr.. Campbell said that 90
per cent. of the employees were members of
the brotherhood. Operators had frequently,
presented grievances to the local managers
for increase of wages, but these had been dis
regarded. It was generally believed that
the Western Union company had a
we'll established system of black
listing men who made applications
for increase of wages and took the first op-
portunity Of discharging them from its en-
ploy upon some pretext or another. Favorit-
ism was shown by all the local managers and
skill was ut discount. A system of intimi-
dation was practiced by the officials of the
company. Since 1870 several movements had
been started to organize the operators butall
had failed on account Of this system of intim-
idation. Mr.. Campbell also intimated that
by the process of watering its stock practiced
by the Western Union, whenever il had alb
sorbed a competing line, the company was
now paying at least % per cent. dividends on
that the work of an operator was very wear
ing and exhausting, and the men seldom
lived long who continued in the business.
Many left it after following 1t for score of
years, and this was the limit of an average
mans endurance.
John Mcclellan, an officer of the brother
hood and an operator of fourteen years stand
ing, was next examined. He said that the
direct cause of the strike was the insult Of
fered by the Western Union company to the
committee Of the brotherhood in refusing to
recognize or treat with them Until then it
had not been expected that strike would
occur, but it was thought that the company
would be willing to listen to the demands of
the men and come to some adjustment, if
possible. The grievances were real ones, and
If there had been spirit of concession mani
tested by the company the operators would
have mot them in this spirit. 1t was shown
that Gen. Eckert and other officers of the
company had known of the plans of the
brotherhood before the strike began. The
company knew that the grievances existed,
and that demands were to be presented, and
had been preparing to resist those demands
ever since March last.
In regard to tho grievances, the salaries of
the operators was of secondary importance,
while the length of the working hours and
Sunday work without additional compen-
sation was the greatest grievance. Mr.. Orton,
when president of the Western Union, said
that six hours day was sufficient for any
operator to work in order to do justice to the
company. The operators now only asked that
eight hours be considered days work. AS
TO wages, inferior men were getting larger pay
than first class men. This was the result of
favortism on the part of the officials If the
present. strike was failure it would only
strengthen the existing organization.