New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-02-28
STRIKE BY 800 LINEMEN
THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BROKEN
WIRES TO MAKE DEMANDS.
THREAT THAT THE TROUBLE WILL SPREAD
ASK FOR sis A WEEK AND AN
EIGHT HOUR DAY


With hundreds of miles of telephone wires
down account of the ice storm on Friday
night. and hundreds of telephone subscribers
waiting impatiently for hello connections 10
be restored. about three hundred iinemen en-
ployed in the metropolitan district by the New
York Telephone Company and cooperating
concerns went on strike at m. yesterday.
The linemen demand increase in wages from
$40 to SIS week. an eight hour worl1day and
several other things they regard essential to
their weilbeing
The company refused yesterday to confer with
delegation OF the strikers. This was quickly
followed by a threat from the strikers that the
strike should receive the official Endorsement of
the International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers, and that the strike should become
general all the country.
The strike was secretly conceived and sprung
as surprise on the managers The lines are
In bad shape. and the work of the linemen has
been harder than usual The feeling between
the managers and the is bitter, and ii is
understood that kilograms have been sent to
Pittsburg, Chicago and St Louis for new men,
The linemen have organized patrol system, and
VIII do their best. IT said last night, to pro-
long the strike. The headquarters of the strik-
ers are at Military Hail. No. 1913 Bowery Presi-
dent c. Gilmore. of the Local Electrician w orkers
Union. c. B. Smith and John Connors called
yesterday afternoon at the Office of the New
York Telephone Company. at No. Is Dey-st,
with the following agreement, which they
wished the company to sign:
ra Agreement cen between New York Telephone Com
hood of Electrical Workers for two wears from
GATE. me party of the first part agrees pay all
'ss5 s@Po PER das 50 for all
tms 96r h s 5o to eonsuts days york double
time for all other overtime. and the men not to
lose any time on account of Indictment weather, and
to receive regular pay for all holidays without re-
porting 10 their local station.
nemen II requested to- within Pdi oD f1Fns sn a
OF time and to enforce strictly all the requirements
Present system of carfare II agreeable with the
exchange or storeroom within the specified time Of
eight hours going to and coming from work.
There will be discrimination against any of
the men who will be implicated in this strike.
The delegation announced later that the COM
panys officials had refused to see them. A
strikers meeting will be held this morning.
On the present scale of wages the linemen re-
ceive 81 30 day and ground men get So. Some
ground men get 50 80 day The linemen say
that If the ground men. who take no risk of
losing their lives. are worth 81 and 50 30 day
they certainly worth So.
The district covered by the New-York Tele-
phone Company, includes the Borough Of Man
haitian and all the Westminster territory. The
phone Company includes Brooklyn. all of Long
Island and points in New-Jersey within thirty
miles or New Ork-
An official of the New-York Telephone Com
pany, in commenting last night the strike,
said:
This matter came before this morning without
any previous intimation, and quite surprise.
Their demands coming in the way they do are
only unreasonable, but most improper. AS
near as know, our men have had no previous
cause to complain: they have been used decently,
and. while they have been getting only SIS a week,
there are a number who have been getting SIS a
week of their ability to test circuits and
locate breaks. The situation is simply this: They
wa give them a fat rate of S1S week, and
their demand is inconsistent. The men are not
asked TO work more than eight hours except during
the summer time when the days are longer and
the demands on the company's service much
greater than in winter.