Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-21
GENERAL EcKERr,s STATEMENT.

y committee of SIX persons called upon
me yesterday and presented a memorial
address to the Western Union Telegraph
Company, and signed by themselves as
members of the Executive Committee of
the Brotherhood of Telegraphers of the
United States and Canada. This memo
rial calls upon the company for certain
concessions in regard to hours and rates
of pay, substantially in accordance with
the programme with which you have
been familiar since their March
meeting in Chicago. The parties were
asked if they represented the employees
of this company. and upon replying
afiirmatiVely they were requested to fur
nish a list of such employees. This they
said they were not able to do, stating that
it would require long time to prepare a
list. and that they were here ON expense.
They were told that the company did not
know the committee, or whether its men,
bers had authority from Western Union
employees to present any demand. and
that we could not deal with outside par
ties, aside from the questionable manner
of presenting such memorial.
One demand is that both sexes shall
have equal pay for equal work, and
another for II per cent. increase on all
salaries. An operator now receiving
salary of $50 would by this plan get a
smaller increase than one receiving $50 or
S9C, thus widening the difference now eX-
listing. An $50 operator at present works
nine hours daily, twenty-siX days month,
equal to "a lS-l00 cents per hour. Under
the schedule in the memorial the same
operator will receive S92 per month of
eight hours daily, equal to about 80 per
cent, in addition TO the Sunday allow
ance lust granted under the new rule.
This is the smallest increase demanded.
In case WheatsiOne operator receives
$50 per month for twenty-siX working
DAYS, equal to u 36-l00 cents per hour.
the proposed schedule would give him
Al 46-lOO cents per hour, an increase of
over 81 per cent. Another demand is that
linemen shall be allowed two days pay
for Sunday work, and that $50 shall be the
lowest rate of pay, regardless of location
or importance of service, and that the
duties Of lnemen shall be confined to
legitimate work. Nothing is mentioned
about the duties Of other classes being re-
stricted to their particular line of employ
ment, but if such concessions were allowed
one class there is no reason for withhold
ing it from others, and why linemen
should have helpers is not understood.
Again, double pay for Sunday work offers
temptations to the men to slight their
Saturday duty to create a necessity for
Sunday work. The demand that both
sexes shall he paid the same for like SER
vice looks to the driving Of woman labor
IRON the ranks, as, were the company to
cOncede it, il would be to its interests to
prefer men operators, who can be aVailed
of for greater variety of service than wo-
men operators, who may be equally capa-
BILE for general duties.
In a published interview with member
of the committee, he stated that since the
organization of the league, petty wire
trouble and mistakes in messages have
practically ceased, and that business had
been greatly facilitated. these results be-
ing attributed directly to the fact of the
organization. The reverse is the case.
Operators declining TO Join the league
have been interfered with in their
duties, wires have been thrown out
Of working condition, and in numerous
eases the official business of the Off
GERS of the company has been mutilated
and seriously delayed. A strike of Ameri-
can District Telegraph COmpany's line
men. members of the league, took place
in this city recently, since which time the
strikers have been engaged in cutting
wires daily, one man now being under ar
rest and Indictment for such lawless
work. With thousands of able-bOdied
men out of employment all over the coun-
try. many of them applying to us fer work,
such a demand is remarkable. 1t is
known that a large proportion of opera
tors have been led to Join the league I'M
der cOmpulsion, and others under the be-
lief that the organization was cO-Opera-
tive for legitimate and benevolent pur-
poses, many of whom have stated that
they will repudiate any arbitrary action
Of the striking element.
THOMAS 7. EcKERT,
Acting President.