The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-05-22
TELEPHONE MEN
LAY DOWN TOOLS
Strike of Electrical Workers in
This District Ordered by
President.
COMPANIES DENY DEMAND
BELL ALLEGES BREACH OF
CONTRACT.
COMPANIES DENY DEMAND

More than 100 men, according 10 the
estimate of Louis Lynn, president OF the
intermountain district of the Information
al Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. are
out on strike. The strike is against the
Bell and the Independent Telephone COM
panies. and includes the entire district,
but the number stated is only the num-
Der involved locally, and not the men
ia other states-W yOming, idaho and
Montana. The number involved I'm those
states Will raise the total approximately
to 2Je men In the district ali told there
are about 800 men. but some of these are
under contract ana will not. therefore.
join the present movement
Many Answer RoIIcalI.
At meeting held yesterday afternoon
in Electrical Workers hall, eighty-six re-
ported for strike duty. It is expected that
at the next meeting, which VIII be within
day, number OF men viii have com
pleted their work for the companies. left
1t IN shape aud reported for strike duty,
sufficient to make the aggregate moIe
than leo men.
President Lynn and the executive com
bittee, consisting Of S. A. BirkhOusc, NJ.
t. Roberts. B. Ii. Helms, R. G. White
head and W. F. Ramsey, together with
Dan ]. Elton, representing the Utah Fed
Grafton of Labor. called upon D. S. Muir
asked. it is said, whether or not the Bel
company, of which he is general mana
ger. would grant the increase asked for
The upshot of the interview was that
vance would not be granted.
Upon the instant every man in the dis
trict, except those in Ogden, Cheyenne
and Butte. was called out. In Salt Lake
City more than seventy-five had laid
down their tools within half an hour after
Lynn's Instructions had been sent out.
Service Still Good.
Thus far little or no interruption has
been caused in the service of the two
companies apparently the lines are in
working order. The Bell company, IL is
said has in its employ seven or eight men
who do nothing but attend to the main
tenance. They are called trouble men.
The executive committee puts It this way:
IF it requires seven men to MAINTAIN the
system under normal conditions, IL viii
require at least that number of men to
maintain it under present conditions. n
storm would cause trouble that, we be
lieve. the company could not possibly
meet; we hope there will be no storm. for
we do not want the system demOraltZed
by outside agencies.
ION the basis of seven men for trou-
BILE work now, you can figure out for
Yourself how long the service viii last IN
its entirety"
Members Of the Electrical Workers
union and representatives Of the L tan
Federation Of Labor called at the office
Of General Manager D. S. Murray. of the
Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone COM
pany, about $50 o clock IN the morning
to submit anew the demand for an in
crease in the scale. Mr. Murray repeated
what he said formerly, and told them the
company could not grant the demand.
The conference lasted only few minutes
and the strike of the Bell company en-
ployes was called soon afterwaTd.
The following notice was posted in the
Bell telephone building about noon:
salt Lake City, Utah. May z, 1907.
ITO Employees:
Feeling that number of our EN-
ployes who are members Of local union
No. 81. l. 4. f. W, knowing that II has
violated its constitution in declaring a.
strike. are not in sympathy with such &C
ton the company hereby offers TO take
them back in its employment under the
agreement which exists between that
union and the company. without preju
dice Apply to the fOremen Of the various
departments