The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-04-17
STRIKE OF LINEMEN
BOTH SIDE MAKE KNOWN THEIR
 POSITIONS.
ColoneI Gentry of the Hell Company Declares That the Men Were Get ting More Than Union De-
 manded.

Atlanta, Ga, April 16.-The strike or the Southern Bell Telephone and Teie- graph Company linemen whicn mas been rumored for some time, was inau- gurated today. It is understood that only the linemen are involved in the strike The statements as to the num- Der of men who actually quit work to- day vary, Colonel W. T. Gentry. vice president of the company. declaring that only about 400 of 1000 men sm- ployed in the territory affected are out. while Dale Smith, of Washington. president of district council Nos. and 2, International Brotherhood of Eiectri- cal Workers, asserted that eighty per cent of the 1900 to 1.400 men in the territory are out.
 MT. Smith based his assertion on in complete telegraphic reports and says the exact number out will be known tomorrow morning. The contest which will be fought out in Atlanta, covers the States of West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina. Geor- gia, Florida and Alabama. The line- men state their claims to be, a nine hour day; time and a half for overtime :; double time for Sundays and holidays. an increase In wages for linemen, ap- prentfces and instrument men. Mr. Smith said today that negotiations for adjusting these matters have been un- der way for more than a year.
 The position OI the SLTlklnR Tn emen was outlined today by MT. Smith and James N. Noonan. vice president of southwestern division as follows:
 '"rhe matter of increased wages and other grievances was taken up at a meeting in Atlanta one year ago this month, and a committee was named to confer with the Bell officials NeRotia- tions were opened Immediately with Colonel Gentry. but he refused to treat or make any concessions. A referen- dunn vote was then ordered for Strike or No strike, which resulted in a prac- tically unanimous vote for strike We earnestly desired to avoid a strike. and council again conferred with MT. Gen try but with no tangible results. Final ly last December MT, Gentry agreed to increase wages for linemen In certain towns. These promises were never fulfilled. At the same time MT. Gentry agreed to take up the question of s2,15 for the linemen and overpay for cer tain duties. We met him last month and he then stated that he had not and would not take up the matter This brought us down 10 last Saturday when Mir Gentry finally said he vo,,id not agree to anything. and we issued orders for the mon In the territorv to go out Monday morning"
 The men who struck said coIone, Gentry, were receiving more money than was demanded by tho union, The highest daily wage demanded bv ,nion officials was s2.75 per day of nine hours
 we are paying our first-class IInen,on Se.7O per day of nine hours giving them two hours off on Saturday, for which they receive full pay, making tbeir to- tai wage average $2.S0 per day. Npm- Der of our linemen have stated that they have no grievance against thc company. The wages, the hours and
 fhn.r N-'+N factory. The union wished us to sIgp an agreement to pay the present scale for definite period. to employ oniv union men and to let the complaints of our men come to us through a griev- ance committee composed of unIon rnor, or officials. We declined to sign this agreement. preferrlng to deal directly with the men. believing that our inter. ests and the interests of the men, as experience has demonstrated. would he best subserved by the method now in vogue"