The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-18

The Demands of the Brotherhood-C Contra
dictiOn of Some of Their Claims.

The Demands of the Brotherhood-C Contra
dictiOn of Some of Their Claims.
CHICAGO, H., July IL
To John f. Waliok, Superintendent:
The following has just been received from
7. T. Eckert, general manager and is trans
mitted for the information of all concerned.
"a committee of six persons called upon me
yesterday and presented memorial addressed
to the Western Union Telegraph Company, and
signed by themselves members of the exeeu-
tive committee Of the Brotherhood of Telegraph
of the United States and Canada. This me
mortal calls upon the company for certain con-
cessl0Hs In regard to the hours OF labor and
rates of pay, substantially in accordance with
the programme with which you have been
familiar since their meeting in Chicago in
March. The parties asked If they
represented the employees OF this company,
and, upon replying atlirmatively, they were
requested to furnish a list of such employees.
This they were not able to do, stating that 1t
would require long time to prepare list, and
they were here on expense. They were told
that the company did not know the committee,
or whether its members had authority from
Western Union Telegraph Company employees
to present any demand, ana we could not deal
with outside parties, aside from the question
able manner OF presenting such memorial.
Zone demand is that both sexes shall receive
equal pay for equal work, and another is for 10
per cent. increase ON all salaries; and operators
now receiving salary of $50 would, by this
plan, get n smaller increase than one receiving
$50 or $50, thus widening the differences
existing. An $50 operator at present works
nine hours daily, GweutY-si days per month,
equal TO "a lS cents per hour daily, equal to
about 80 per cent. increase, in addition to the
Sunday allowance just granted under the
rule. This is the smallest increase demanded
In the case of Nheatstone operator, receiving
$50 per month for twenty-slx working days
equal to 21.36 cents per hour, the schedule
would give him Al 46 cents per hour-an in
crease of over "a per cent.
"Another demand is that linemen shall be al
lowed wo days pay for Sunday work, and that
SOS shall he the lowest rate OF paw, regardless of
location or Importance of service, ana the duty
of liuemen Shall be confined TO legitimate work
such AS Is mentioned about the duties of other
classes being restricted to their particular line
of employment; but If such concessions were al
lowed one class there is no reason for withhold
ing them from others, and why linemen should
have helpers Is not undcrs TODD.
again, double pay for Sunday work would
offer temptation To the linemen to slight their
Saturday duty to create necessity for Sunday
work The demand that both sexes shall be
paid the same for like service looks the driving
of women labor from the ranks as, were the COM
pany to concede il, il would be to its interest to
prefer men operators, who can be- availed of for
a greater variety of service than women operht-
ors who may be equally as capable for general
duty.
ain published interview with a member Of
the committee, he stated That since the organ
lZatOn OF the league, petty wire trounles and
mistakes in messages have practically ceased,
and that business has been greatly facilitated,
the results being attributed directly to the fact
of the organization. The reverse is the case
Operators declining to join the league have been
interlertd with in their duties and wires have
been thrown out of working con diiiun. AMI in
numerous cases the official business OF the Offices
has been mutiated and seriously delayed. A
strike of American District linemen, members of
the league, took place III this city recently since
which time the strikers nave been engd ged. in
cutting wires daily, One man now being under
arrest and indictment for such lawless work.
with thousands of aOe-hOdied men ont of
employment all over the country, many of them
applying to us for work, such demand is
markable. IL is known that large proportion
of the operators have been forced to Join the
league under compusi0n, and others under the
belief that the organization was co operative for