The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-07-09
John Davis & Co.,
100 SECOND AV.

under consideration for some time by the
young women. A meeting was held Fri
day night. at which a temporary organ.
fZation was effected. Saturday night IL
was made permanent.
THE union has been organized under
most suspicious circumstances. II will be
conservative in its demands The day
force of operators, contrary to the state
ment made by the company IN the POST
Intelligencer last Tuesday. works nine
hours per day. with half an hour for
luncheon. They are kept exceptionally
busy.
1.-The night force works ten hours, and
has no regular lunch hour. The long
distance operator on Cherry street Is on
duty eleven hours, and has no reliefs.
On Sundays she works ten hours. also
without any relief In one case girl
asked for ten minutes release from duty,
and was laid OF
Many of the old operators are quit
ting the company. because OF the small
wages. In the last three months about
fifteen OF the best operators have left
the service on this account; The scale
of wages is as follows: Chief operator,
$45 per month: assistant chief operator.
$35: four operators, $3.50 and the great
young women is deducted from their
wages.
Wages Entirely Too Low.
New employees. after they have served
their time as students, start on $2O per
month. and are supposed to be raised to
times. however. the time drags along to
twelve and eighteen months before the
raise In wages Is made.
The so-called Cape Nome rush in the
telephone business really began during the
Kiondike excitement, and has never been
caught up with since. The epidemic OF
grip in the spring lasted but a very short
time. Many old employees resigned their
positions then because of overwork
There Is no relief from duty for tho
operator except when IT is asked for,
and then Il never exceeds five minutes.
Many operators complain that at the end
OF six months to a year they suffer from
nervous prostration, brought on by over
work. The b operators. for the business
lines. answer from 100 to 200 calls day.
They give the numbers to the A ope-
rators. There Is thus one TO receive and
two to answer calls. on the party line
boards there are many more calls. ave-
raging from 200 to 500 day.
THE reason there is so much complaint
on account of delay is that the overflow
board is attended to by students. This
IS why the public think the service is
rators are very well satisfied with. They
speak in high terms of the company's
treatment as regards the lunch ROOM
where tea. coffee, bread and butter is
this TO the day operators. Those who
work at night wait on themselves. The
lunch room is greatly appreciated.
The operators have formed the union
for their mutual benefit and protection.
and will endeavor to remedy the evils
complained of in respect to long hours
and wages. They will have the support
of the other unions"
Mr.. Millard's Statement.
Regarding the statement made by Sec
rotary Middleton. Superintendent Bush
says II is erroneous particularly regard
ing the scale of wages.
"Instead of paying four operators
$780," he said I'VE have three to whom
we pay $50 and five to whom we pay
s2750. Out OF the whole force of seventy
six girls only thirty have been receiving
$40. While II is true we deduct time lost,
we pay overtime