The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-06
THERE MAY Be 4 STRIKE
New Jersey Line Men Hold
ing Off-Ready to Help
Brooklyn's Strikers.

Local Union No. 81 of the National
brotherhood of Electrical Workers held
n session last night in Kelly's Hall at
Newark avenue and Grove street, which
lasted until midnight. There Were pres
emit representatives of the Jersey City d
Bergen and North Hudson County Rail
vays. Western Union and Postal Iele-
cram Companies, Hudson County and
Jersey City Electric Light Companies,
and the New York and New Jersey Iele-
phone Company. .
Watson raped for order about
| one hundred men and from the expression
| of their faces iG could be seen That they
| mea Mt business. The. doors were barred
| against all reporters.
! TTh first business transacted was 10
admit a committee OF the telephone IN
| sDectors. The fact that the telephone
ipsnectors have Joined issues with the
| linemep. gives chem reneWea strength.
The object of the meeting vas TO dis
| cuss the a~dvisabiiity OF Jrderlng q gen.
eraI strike in Hudson County. Every
| man in the room had some grievance TO
| air. and 1t was only with the greatest ef-
FORT IN the part of some OF he older
members That Union No. 81 did NOT order
an independent strike last night.
AT tan O'Clock u lineman who was IN
favor of striking was seen by a
Jersey CITY NEWS reporter. end ne said:
I'VE are going to strike. we have stood
\ this monkey business OF this - concern
| long enough. We want more pay and we
are aoing to get it If it becomes necessary
70 cali out every man in the State"
AZ midnight the Iinenen, climbers and
taisnhone INSPECTORS filed out of the room.
| some seemed pleased u others dis
| pleased. 1t was then that no
| strike would be ordered. A demand,
however. is to De made for algaer wages age
| ar an increase in pay from ST. to $500 a
| day. II the demand is refused there Will
The fact that the telephone inspectors
have taken sides with the linemen Is
causing the officials OF the Telephone
| Company some uueasinesS. IL Is not an
easy matter to fill the places OF telephone
iusnectors. 1t ia one of the hardest
branches of the electrical business, and
REQUIRES years of experience to oecome
\ Inefficient in It, A strike OF The inspectors
would seriously cripple the company.
First Vice-President Peter +. Healy,
| of the brotherhood, has left the ny
| after having served as q llnemah Tor
| fifteen wears. He has engaged two line
men VINO, until the time OF The Brooklyn
| strike. worked for the company. He pays
| the men $l8 per week, or 81 per day.
In speaking of last nights session, he
| said ~,
1.-THE linemen are dlssaIlsned. IheY
| know that they are receiving too small
refnsed. there is apt to be trouble. The
men however, will act honorably with
the company and will give the officers
| notice if tney intend to strike. The de-.
bate tonight on the adyisability OF y
striking was hot from beginning TO end.
mo strike will be ordered now for a
| sbnrt time. I believe. but IL the Grand
| President calls the men of the Brother
| hood out. Union No 81 will be the first,
| I think. to respond"
nany is particularly DESTROYS of prevent
| ing a strike is that it has already made
| preparations to begin the work OF placing
| its wires underground.
A linemen's strike, while this work is in
| progress. would result disastrously. The
| finemen will wait and watch develop.
ments in Brooklyn and stand ready to
| give all the support that is in their power.