Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-14

tFrom Wednesdays Daily.l
The telephone operators and line
men in the employ of the Iowa Tele-
phone Co., in this city, it is stated,
have received considerable increase
In their wages as result of the
strike OF the Des Moines employees of
the company. The operators in the
local office secured this increase
through the efforts of the Trades and
Labor Assembly, although they are
not members of the union.
An object Lesson.
AS an object lesson of the good that
unions do in benefiting not only their
membership but those also who are
without the pale Of their organizations,
reference Is made to the telephone
strike at Des Moines which has re-
suited In better pay and better condi-
tons to all the employees of the Bell
company throughout the state. In
every instance where organized labor
was power in the cities in which the
Bell Telephone company had fran
chises, outside of Des Moines where
the strike was inaugurated both the
operators and the linemen received
Des Moines union. A majority of
these receiving these benefits are not
members of any union. Yet they re-
ceived Increased wages and better con-
ditions solely through the influence of
the men and women who have invested
money in the union for the same pur-
pose. If it had not been for the ex-
position by the unions of the wages
paid, and the conditions of employ
ment enforced by the Bell Telephone
company, these non-unionists would
have been working today the same
hours and for the same wages as they
did before the strike took place in
Des Moines. So due credit and appre-
citation should be extended by these
non-unionists to the telephone oper-
ators and linemen's unions at Des
Mofnes, and the trades and labor as
semblies in the different cities through
out the state. 1t is desired to sound
word Of warning to those non-union-
lists who have received an increase in
their wages, If they wish to retain
what has been gained for them, and
hope for better things in the future,
they should become members of the
union. For Just so sure as the strike
ends favorebly at Des Moines for the
: linemen and the operators, of which
there is but little doubt, they may be
face to face with reduction, which is
invariably the case with non-unionists
at the termination of a struggle of this
kind There is sufficient number of
telephone girls in this city to organize
strong operators union The oppor.
tunity is at hand for them to do It and
be prepared to protect themselves.
They should take advantage of this bp.
portAnity for their future welfare. The
4 linernen are thoroughly organized in
/. this city.
There is no discouraging feature of
1 the strike at Des Moines, as it is in
good hands and will be well taken care
of. The yawpings Of Van Camp, the
alleged organizer for the electrical
workers, has no bearing whatever up
on the situation, as the international
officers put an end to that party be-
fore he had done any harm The cir
cular Letter issued by him had as much
authority attached to it as the dicta
lions of street loafer to a police
Judge. It was we'll known in Ottum
wa at the time that Mr.. Hall the
representative Of the Iowa Telephone
company, met a committee of the
trades and labor assembly in this city
that Van Camp had offered himself uI
to the management of the telephone
company at that time. Extreme conf
dence had never been placed in the
man on account of his
buster and noise on com
ing inte the tate. 1t was sooI
found out that he was working without
authority, and when he discovered that
the trades unions of Iowa were onto
his game, there was nothing else fol
him to do but to leave the brotherhood
accept a position with the Bell Co
and make his exit noiselessly out Of
the back door, into another state
To further condemn himself in The
eyes of ALL honest people he issued {
circular as an officer of the Indepen
dent Brotherhood of Electrical Work
ers demon ncinp the trades unionists