The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1903-09-11

General Manager Says One Girl Persuade Others
10 Quit: the Girls Say She Did Not Exchange
IS Running With New Operators Brought From
Eairmont Salem and Weston.

Tho Telephone operators who quit their
poz lions Rt the central Office of the Con:
solidated Telephone company Tuesday
morning give their reason for doing SO
ths9 they could not get along With the
new chief operator, Miss Brittcn.
THE young ladies say that Miss Brit,
ton was very unreasonable in her de-
niands, and that she would exercise un-
due authority in ordering the operators
about their Duties. They say she would
not even permit THIN to leave their
switchboard to get a drink of water
without 4rst asking her pezsnissibp. Miss
Britton would try to ipdixiduaiize AAf
position and establish ktkiet m fqE
fha operators to obeys the young ladies
say and the rules were very pslsD5so som
able. The young ladies think .'.si new
chief operator overstepped her aattfsarity.
According to tn strikers version, the
strike of the day operators WAS brought
about by one of the young ladies quit
ting her work, when Miss Britton at
tempted to disconnect her switchboard.
THE other operators thought Miss Brit
toms action in disconnecting the switch
board was very unreasonable and they
quit their positions in sympathy with
shk other young lady.
The force of operators at the time of
hi trike consisted of six day opera
tof ppe relief operator. who was act
ine as day operator, three relief opera
The 1Oxf
operators were Miss Grace Sandusky,
Miss Swick, Miss Louise SIarkert, Miss
Bianche Haymaler, Miss Clara Markert,
Miss Chapman and Miss johnson. The
night operators were Misses Crisis and
Vincent, and the three relief operators
/ Miss Ida Rector, Miss Margaret Haugh-
ney and Miss Bessie White
All Of the day operators excepting
Miss Chapman, together with Miss
Haughney, relief operator. walked out
Of che Office, and for day or so the
ciarlssburg system was nearly tied up.
Efforts were made to have the young la
dies come back to work. but they refused
To do sosas long as Miss Britton remain
cd with the company.
The young lady who first quit her
position denies emphatically that she
induced the other operators to strike.
She said she could not stand the treat
nntiIt IN fhec flee and would quit. where
upon the other girls who had been in the
Once for some time walked out with her.
Tile general manager claims that she
persuaded some Of the others not to re-
fs,fsi 10 work, and there you are.
There seems to have been trouble in
tise exchange ossice ever sine Miss Brit
tom was employed by the company q
month ago. Miss Bessie Shuttieworth
Resigned her position rs chief operator,
and The compank thought that there was
,,b cpefitor in the CiarlSsburg Office that
could successfully al the position Of
chief operator, and secured the services
81 aIiss Britton, of Rockville, Indiana,
for That place.
The young ladies say iL has ri-a--
ben, the custom of the company to pro-
mote the operator who has been the
longest In the company's service to the
position of chief operator when there
Mas q vacancy in that position They
are 81 the opinion that the operator who
has been in the service long enough at
tie local exchange Office Is capable in
every respect Of filling the position Of
chief operator. They claim that the
Fairihont Office follows this custom.
un the other hand, the officers OF
he company did NOT think 80, and they
secured the services of Miss Britton-
Today there are twelve operators in
lie central ofice. Superintendent Barnes
succeeded In procuring the services Of
operators from Fairmont, Salem and
Weston. They arrived here "Wednesday
! ma BEGAN work at once. The exchange
e Is running fun force and all calls
II being answered the best they know
how. The new force numbers twelve,
siz being day operators, four relief OPP
srators and two night operators. e
Aiiss Britton. the chief operatcr, re-
fused d ny anything for publication
3 the Telgram representative when he
called npon her this morning. She ex-
pressed herself as being sorry that any
tro1ble Had occurred and hoped thai
er1ry thing would run smoothly and sat
isfselorily at the central ofice in the
future.