Washington State journal and Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1906-1907, 1907-08-14
IGSTRIKE
IN FORCE
TELEGRAPH OPERATORS
ARE OUT OVER u. S..
THEY WANT SHORTER HOURS
AND BETTER PAY FOR
THEIR WORK.


tors will be universal throughout the
United States and Canada within "a
hours, according to National Secretary
Russell of the telegraphers' union
This statement was made by Mr.. Rus
sell after he had been informed of the
action taken by the men in New York
who, at meeting decided to hold
walkout in allegiance until the latter
part of the week.
This strike movement" said Mr.
Russell, has come to the point where
there can be no backing down. The
telegraphers have been trodden on
long enough by the companies, and
now that we have the opportunity we
are going to use all our strength to
enforce our demands. For several
weeks President Small and myself
have been holding the telegraphers
back and have been advising concil-
iation, but they have taken matters
in their own hands and we are going
to stand by them.
"No union men will be allowed to
work with any one not belonging to
our organization, and this means that
when the business OF the week be-
gins the strike will become universal.
We can not go half way in this mat
| ter. The strike has been precipitated
| by the men themselves without the
sanction of national officers, but we
are all now working in union, and any
thing that the officials of the various
unions throughout the country have
done In calling strikes meets with our
hearty cooperation"
This announcement was made by
Mr.. Russell at mass meeting of the
striking telegraphers held in Brands
hall Sunday afternoon. The hall will
seat 1900 persons. and SO great was
the demand for accommodations that
several hundred of the striking opera
tors were unable to gain admittance to
the building and remained on the
streets in the vicinity until some of
the early arrivals had left the hall.
The Order of Railway Telegraphers
was represented at the meeting by
National Secretary Quick. Mr.. Quick
informed the strikers that his organi-
cation was at their disposal, both
morally and financially. 1--WE have
81 900 900 in our treasury" said he,
"and it Is at your disposal. Your
fight is our fight, and we will stand
with you until the end.
Before the mass meeting meeting
Of the 800 union telegraphers en-
ployed by companies using leased
&c ho1d
brokers, news agencies and CONNER
cial organizations, including the big
packing houses, were represented. A
resolution was adopted declaring that
this class of labor was underpaid and
that the various firms would be asked
to sign a wage schedule and also to
employ none but union telegraphers.
1t was decided to let the private
wire men prepare and present their
own schedules to their employers.
The broker men will ask for mini
mum of $40 a week.
The men employed by the press as
sociations presented their request
and the employers were given "a
hours to comply with it. The schedule
presented calls for $35 a week for
six nights week, and 70 cents an
hour overtime, eight hours to consti-
tute a days work, with half an hour
for lunch. The operators employed
| by the news companies and news
papers in the daytime will ask for
$50 a week and 60 cents an hour over
time, eight hours to constitute days
work, and the regular lunch. These
requests were presented to every
news gathering organization in the
United States and Canada and "a
hours will be allowed for an answer.
II at the end of that time the de-
mands have not met with favorable
response, the men will report to the
union officials and they say strike
will be ordered.
The men are out in all the important
Offices of the United States.
All union telegraphers in Omaha,
Charleston and Atlanta walked out
Sunday.
Strike developments of Sunday, in
brief, are as follows: Labor Commits
sioner Neil asks Small. president of
the telegraphers, what assurance can
be given that men who declare illegal
strike will observe arbitration agree
ment. Small says provocation is
great, and promises universal resump-
ton of work if telegraph companies
adhere to their agreements with men.
More Operators Quit.
Tuesday-Afternoon dispatches and
such as has filtered through the ranks
of the strikers indicate that every i'm
portant telegraph Office, Western Union
and Postal, in the United States is al
most paralyzed by the strike Of the
Commercial Telegraphers' union. In
Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Spokane,
Boise, Helena and other northwest
points, including Lewiston, Idaho, only
the chief operators and managers re-
main IN the offices.
Private advices received in the West
said that the Boston operators of the
Western Union, who had voted to pos
pone any action on the strike, had
walked out early in the evening. EN-
ployes of the Postal were expected to