Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-31
FACE VERY BIG STRIKE
Western Union Calls in Its Dis
triCt Men.
THEY PREPARE FOR TROUBLE
Demands Which President Clowry
Says Will Be Refused
TO BE PRESENTED ON JUNE IL
Operators Appear to Be in Earnest
and Serious Trouble Seems
to Be Likely.
TO BE PRESENTED ON JUNE IL

NEW YORK, May 31.-General superin-
tendents from the south. west and middle
west have been called to New York by
President Clowry of the Western Union
Telegraph Company, it is thought for the
purpose of preparing for possible strike
of Western Union telegraphers. Three gen.
eral superintendent have already arrived
in this city in the last few days and others
are said to be on their way hither.
Supt Frank Jaynes of San Francisco ar
rived yesterday from the coast. Supt.
Jacob Levin of Atlanta, Ga, and Supt. T.
P. Cook of the Chicago division of the COM
pany have been in New York several days
These three men among the most ex-
perienced managers in the employ Of the
company. Should the present crisis result
in general strike they will be the men
who will have charge of the campaign the
Western Union will naugurate to combat
the strikers The strike, if it comes, will
involve 10000 men in this country and Can
ada
Mr.. Levin and Mr.. Cook have been in
daily conference with Col. Clowry in the
Western Union general office at 1875 Broad
way since the middle of last week. 1t is
understood that the plans to meet strike
have been fairly well outlined. and that the
company will be in readiness by June - to
rush new force of telegraphers into the
main and branch offices should the union
decide to call a general strike.
Real Fight to Begin June 10.
The national executive board of the Com
mercial Photographers Union of America
will meet in this city June 10 to take
final action on the proposition referred to
it at the meeting two weeks ago of Local
No. Is of this city. Two days later the
board of directors of the Western Union
will meet and will it is supposed act upon
the demands.
President Clowry is still emphatic in his
assertion that the company will not coun-
tenance the demands of the union. He
says the company has given its telegra-
piers all it can afford to give. and that if
they not satisfied now the company
cannot help it. He says, too, that the oper-
ators who have been discharged for just
cause will not be reinstated simply because
the union demands their reinstatement:
President Small Of the Photographers
Union said last night that the union will
retract none of its demands, and that when
the executive board meets on June 10 there
will be trouble, unless the Western Union
decides to change it's present attitude. The
demand upon President Clowry and that
now the final negotiations will be made |
with either members of the board of di-
rectors or with the board as body.
No Breakdown, Union Men Say.
President Small said last night that the |
formal demands among other things will |
ask for an eight-hour day, the abolition of |
the sliding scale of wages and the REIN |
statement of discharged union teegraphers |
in New York, Nashville, Louisville, Roch- |
ester and other cities. A demand will also |
be made that the salaries of employees in
Mt. Vernon, N. Y, and Darlington, S. D.,
be readjusted.
"Our stand in this matter will not be
altered by anything except a complete CIV
ing in by the Western Union,'' said Presi- !
dent Small. I'VE are not anxious for
strike, but will not retract an inch now.
| am sure that every director of the COM
pany is familiar with our demands And
if he is not, he will be when he goes into
that board room on June II.
There has been some swift organizing
during the last few weeks. Most of the
employees of the Western Union are now
members of the union. Hundreds of them |
have seen trouble coming and have come |
into the union while there yet time.
Others, who are still on the fence, will |
come in during this week, probably.
The grievances against the company are |
not all here in New York. There are COM
plants against the company from the west
and south, and, in fact, from all over the |
Some of these grievances will be |
in the final demands the union |
will make to the Western Union Company |
We are keeping a close watch on the move
mentS of the CompanyS officials.
1T seems that they are getting ready for
trouble, just as We are. The members Of
our general executive board will arrive in |
this city next week Then the real fight
will begin"