Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-12
MAY CLOSE
PRESS WIRES
OPERATORS FOR NEWS AGENCIES
ASK INCREASE
GIVE EMPLOYERS TwENTY-FouR
HOURS TO REPLY
National Secretary Russell Says Union
Has No Desire to Cripple
Newspapers, but Believes
Demands Are Just )
,continued from Page oneI

tContinued from Page OneI
can be no backing down The telegra-
pliers 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 conciliation,
but they have taken matters in their own
hands and we are going to stand by
them. No union man will be allowed to
work with any one not belonging TO the
organization, and this means that tomor-
row morning, when the business or the
week begins, the strike will become uni
yersal We cannot, go half way in this
matter now The strike has been precip-
itated by the men themselves without
the sanction of the national officers, but
we are now all working in unison and
anything that the officials of the various
unions throughout the country have done
In calling strikes meets with our hearty
cooperation
Operators Enthusiastic
This announcement was made by MIR.
Russell at a mass meeting of the striking
teIegraphers held in Bran6s hall this
afternoon. The hall will seat $500 per-
sons, and so great was the demand ror
accommodations that several hundred OF
the striking operators were unable to
gain admittance to the building and re-
mained in the streets in the vicinity until
some of the early arrivals had left the
hall
The Order of NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. was
represented at the meeting by National
secretary Quick. Mr.. Quick informed the
strikers that his organization was at their
djsuosaI both morally and financially
1--WE have 10000 900 in our treasury, said
he '.and it is at your disposal your
fight is ours and we will stand with you
until the end"
Before the mass meeting a meeting or
the 33O union telegraphers employed by
companies using leased wires was held.
At this gathering brokers, news
agencies and commercial organizations,
including the big packing houses were
represented A resolution was adopteo
declaring that this class OF labor was
,,nderuaid and that the various firms
,vo,,ld he asked to sign a wage schedule
and also to employ tnone but union teleg-
raphers
r. was decided to let the private wire
men prepare and present their own
schedules at 10 O'Clock tomorrow morning.
The broker men will ask for minimum
of $50 a week.
Press Operatorsp in Line
The men employed by the press asso-
Citations presented their request at ';oV
o'clock tonight, and the employers VIII
be given twenty-four hours to comply
with it. The schedule presented CANS
for s35 a week for six nights week ana
70 cents an hour overtime, eight hours to
constitute a days work, with half an
hour for lunch The operators employed
bv the news companies and newspapers
in the daytime will ask for $50 week,
and 60 cents an hour overtime eight
hours to constitute q day s Worh' anu
the regular lunch.
These reouests were presented to every
newsgathering organization in the United
States and Canada tonight and twenty
four hours will be allowed for an answer.
If at the end of the time the demands
have not met with a favorable response
the men will report to the union officials
and they say strike will be ordered
Statement to Newspapers
In regard to the newspaper end of the
controversy, Secretary Russell issued the
following statement tonight:
ITO all publishers, United States and
Canada:
saThe Commercial Telegraphers' union
does not desire in any way whatever to
hamper the newspapers of the country.
We are fighting for our rights, how
ever and believing that the telegraph
operators employed in this service arc
underpaid we have authorized our men
asking for what we consider reasonable
recompense for their labors. If these de-
rands are not met by the various news
gathering organizations within speci-
fled time, the men will be ordered to
quit work"
In Chicago today the officials of both
companies declared today that they had
more men working than they needed.
Sunday is quiet in the telegraph busi-
ness said one of these officials, "but
we could have handled twice as much
business as we did. In fact, we sent
several operators home, as we did not
need them
About 500 men were added to the ranks
of the strikers today. The new recruits
come from various sections throughout
the country. in each case the strikes be-
ing preciptated by the men refusing to
work with non-union men in other cities.
Tonight approximately $500 telegraphers
are on strike. divided among the follow
ing cities: Chicago, st. Louis, st. Paul,
Minneapolis, Milwaukee. Denver, Kansas
city, Memphis, New Orleans. Topeka,
Sedalia, Mo-; Pueblo, Jackson Miss;
Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Columbus,
Ohio; Meridian, Miss; Ell Paso, Salt
Lake, Helena. Fort Worth, Oklahoma
City, Birmingham, Augusta, Sioux City,
Omaha, Knoxville, Council Bluffs,
Charleston. Galveston, Atlanta, Texar-
kama, Fargo, N. D.; Los Angeles, Colo
RADIO Springs, Jackson, Tenn, and Beau
mont, Tex.
ANN TELE EGRAPHERS IN NEW