Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-08-14
OPERATORS Give
THEIR STORY
Question Involves Hours of
Labor, Wages and Con-
ditiOn of Service

SALT LAKE, Aug. 1.-THE third
day in the strike of the Western Union
telegraph operators in this city was
marketed by the presentation to Man
ager A. w. Long of the telegraph
company, of statement Of concessions
asked for by the strikers. The opera
tors held a meeting at the Federation
of Labor hall Monday forenoon and
drafted a rough sketch OF the state
ment to be presented to the company
and special committee worked all
afternoon perfecting 1t. The statement
was handed to Manager Long imme-
diately upon its completion.
The statement is in the form Of q
schedule desired, with relation to
wages, hours. shifts, rating of operators
and also a specification of regulations
requested with reference to the dis
charging of men. the reducing Of oper-
ators to an inferior rating, and the re-
instatement of men involved in the
present strike. In many of its details
the statement is technical. dealing with
duplex and ouadruplex circuits
Wheatstone service. Morse service.
much Of which would be unintelligible
to the average newspaper reader.
Ask for Eight Hour Day.
But everybody will understand the
request for an eight-hour day instead
of the nine hour day which at present
prevails in the telegraph Office. The
night trick" asked for is seven hours.
and seven and a half hours will con-
stitute a split trick if the schedule
presented by the operators is adopted.
The schedule presented requires
that overtime worked by regular oper-
ators shall be computed at their regu-
lar salary rating. counting seven hours
a day. At no time must overtime be
substituted for regular time lost. Ser
vices rendered on Sundays ANA AAHM
days, according to the schedule, sh
be considered extra service and shall
be paid for at the rate of one days
pay for each four hours work done.
The circuits operated shall be classi-
ned in three divisions. first. second and
third class. Definite specifications are
given as to what shall constitute each
class. Salary Is dependent upon the
class of circuit operated. The mini
mum salaries established by the pro-
posed schedule are as follows: First
class, sos; second class, SEQ; third
class, $S5. This Is an increase of prac-
| tically 10 per cent over the present
salaries paid. It is definitely prescrib-
ed that no first class operator shall be
reduced in pay IL he Is asked to oper-
ate an inferior circuit temporarily
Permanent removal to an inferior wire
must be preceded by at least six days
notice.
AZ to Discharges.
! Article v of the statement requires
that no telegrapher shall be discharged
from the company's employ except
for cause. Right of appeal to the
companys superintendent is demand
ed in case of discharge. and IL the
superintendent decides in favor of the
employe, the latter shall receive full
pay for ali tifAe lost.
The aboiishment of the regular ex'
tra'' comprises men who report daily at
the ofice, but are not put to work un-
/ less the business demands their i'm
mediate services The operators claim
that this works an injustice to then
in that they are compelled many tin1e'
70 sit perhaps for several hours with
out pay, waiting until they are needed
! Operators leaving the service are re
auired to give six days notice ane
telegrapher dismissed for other rea
sons than gross insubordination shal
be given similar notice.
It is provided that telegraphers shal
not forfeit their regular position
through the taking of vacations, o
sick leave, provided that such leav
shall not extend over a period of 81
; consecutive months.
, cTnENr CnnERNEkIN