Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-08-11
OMAHA MEN Go OUT
Some Operators at Western Union ano
Postal Quit.
ALL ARE OF THE NIGHT FoRCEs
Enough Stay at Keys to Handle the
Business.
GOULD OFFICE TAKES LEAF
GOULD OFFICE TAKES LEAF
Men Who Stick See No Cause fol
Going Out.
MEETING TO BE HELD TODAY
Operators who Remain Mt Work Qucs-
tion Legality of strike on Basis
of President Smalrs
Declaration.

with Omaha the last connecting link he
tween New York and the Pacific coast.
Western Union and Postal telegraph op-
| orators walked out at p. m. Saturday.
! Practically the whole night force at both
offices and in Council Bluffs struck in SYM
pathy with the other unions all over the
country. The trouble, which has been
brewing for several days. was brought to
Z a head when the two men at the Western
Union office who were operating the wire
with Chicago refused to work on a line
with an unfair" office and asked to be
transferred. The chief operator canvassed
the Office to find a man to run the Chi
cago wire and everyone refused They
were told they could take their pay II
they would not take the wire and thirty
five took their time checks and walked
out.
Postal Men Go Out.
At the Postal office. where ten men were
working, the unionists were awaiting the
action Of the Western Union men, and
when they came marching up the street
two by two, the Postal men took their
hats and fell in with, them. There was
little cheering, but the crowd was en-
tirely orderly and no attempt was made
| to coerce the men who remained. There
were only three at the Western Union be-
side the chiefs and one branch operator
at the Postal office. All of the union men
Joined the strike and at the ladger> Office
seven nonunion men also went out
As soon as the Western Union office at
Council Bluffs was notified the four night
men there took the same action. The
Postal does not have Council Bluffs
night service One newspaper operator in
Omaha went out bu the Associated Press
was not disturbed. The men here will
take no action unless the Chicago office
strikes.
1t is expected at least 75 per cent OF
the day force will join the moveIne1t
Sunday morning ,and II that number is
added there will be at least 125 men out
altogether. The night wire chief of tho
Western Union, II. r. Eastom, is wth
the strikers and no Ill feeling has exc
listed between the men and any of the
, oficials.|
NO Local Grievance.
There is no local grievance, according
to the statement authorized by Harry
GrauI, president OF the local union. 1t
is true the men have been forced 10
work fourteen and fifteen hours Cay
because Of the conges don resulting from
strikes elsewhere, but the real cause is
| sympathy with unions in other citiHS.
! The men state they will not under aty
/ circum stances go back until the conf
/ panies officially recognize the union,
cease to discriminate against union men
and do not force men to work with un-
fair outside Offices.
Until the matter is settled the union
| intends to keep close watch on the offices
| to dissuade any nonunion men VINO may
appear for work. Two pickets were inn
mediately placed at the door of ca IN
office and they were relieved at midnight
by others. At the Postal Office W. b.
/ W. night manager, although
UNI pathizer and member remained
In se, with the understanding that
! he ' ,uld take his leave Sunday If the
affairs were not Strengthened up. He Is
! acting under the Instructions of tho
leaders. Sunday afternoon meeting
will be held In Barlghrs hall and fur
ther action will be decided upon.
Companies Determined to Win.
At the local Offices of the two companies
the atmosphere was decidedly hopeful
'"The company has determined to wn
this fight and 1t is going to do It," sad
Manager f. F. williams of abe Postal.
/ our men were not dissatisfied talked
TO several of them and they said they had
no grievance at all. But a lot of the
Western Union men came into the ONCE
here and began shouting and making fun
Of our men, who were at their keys They
couldn't stand that and so went out. We
have half a dozen at work now and by
Monday 1 expect a number back They
simply cannot hold out. What pressing
business cannot get on the wires In the
somewhat congested condition bound to
result If any considerable number of men
stay out can be done by telephone"
And Manager Williams walked back to
the key which he was industriously op-
Grating.
Up in the Western Union office about
twenty-five men we're keeping tha -
room full Of the clicking keys.
1T is only some of the young bloods
who have walked out" said ]. II. owens,
chief operator "A few days ago an opera
tor IN Los Angeles got fred for soldier
ing He happened to be a union man and
the other men walked out Then the Chi
cago men wouldn't work with Los Angeles
and they walked out. Now the movement
has spread over the country and has
reached Omaha The strikers have no leg
on which TO stand. We will have a lot
OF men at those keys within a very short
time"
Superintendent Nelson appeared smil-
ingly before his chief operators desk and
asked for an assignment And he took
his place at the key.
No Cause 10 strike.
The operators who stayed at work took
the position that the strike was not legal,
that President Small sent out official state
ments saying the strikers were not au-
thorlzed. and that therefore the walkout
in Omaha was unwarranted as well as
unprovoked. The Western Union has
very large force at present and anticipated
no difficulty in keeping enough men on
hand TO handle the work.
CHICAGO, Aug. lO.-The breach between
the Commercial Telegrsphers out on strike
and the telegraph companies widened and
a finish fight was promised today. when
the Western Union Telegraph company i'm
ported its arst load Of strike breakers 10