The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-10-20
rILECRApaERS LOSE BONUS
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The honu. paid Nv the Western Union
Telegraph Company 10 n. employees since
tho strike vas discontinued beginning nj
midnight la., night. but overtime pay and
double pay for Extra work are go bc con
tiuued until further notice The bonus vas
double pay for regular work The with
drawal notice was contained in a letter
which w,s sent 20 AL the city su%p@rintend-
cnts by superintendent y. VI milford. II
said
A. midnight on SATURDAY. October ~. tho
pa m Of bonuses to all employees will
he discontinued NJ the Offices IN this district
Extra or overtime put In by operators he.
yond the regular tour of duty will for the
present be paid for at double their hourly
rate.
sunday work Will be on the basis OF seven
hour for a days work. all sunday work
after regular tour OF work to be paid for at
double the hourly rate.
should IL be necessary for wire or traffic
chiefs TO act as such beyond their regular
tour Of duty they. will for the present receive
double pay for extra time at the regular
rate. when serving as operators. double pay
at the rate of u first class man.
The management is considering the means
Of showing appreciation OF the valuable and
faithful services of loyal employees.
The employees. il was said. we're pre-.
pared for the withdrawal 81 the bonuses.
Under the bonus and overtime system the
operators got higher pay than operators
ever got before. Many OF them, by work
ing fourteen hours a day n or Sundays.
made s275 a month, and some made more.
The chief operators were able TO earn $500
and $50 month and up. Besides this they
-. L.-l a.l l.l-,n~ thA ,hiAf 1tS.xas-x.
being lodged AT hotels. Even with the with
drawal Of the bonuses they will get very
good pay
The strike leaders declared yesterday that
the operators would earn only half what
they did, and say that it is a sign Of weakness
on behalf of the company. The officials Of
the company say that it simply shows that
they now have the situation well in hand
For the last two days the strike leaders
have been asserting that United States
Labor Commission Neil had been com-
missioned by President Roosevelt 10 come
here and settle the strike. Head Strategist
Russell made a positive announcement
TO that erect. Mr.. Neill arrived yesterday
and registered at the Fifth Avenue Hotel.
but would not say what the object of his
visit was. At the Office Of the Western
Union company II was said that Mr.. Neill
had not asked tor a conference and would
not ask for one. Supt. Brooks said:
Il can say positively that Mr.. Neill il
through with these strikers. He knows
that under no circumstances will We COM
promise with them or recognize them
in anv way. Neither Mr.. Neill nor any
one else could get us to change our policy.
We might as well throw up our hands and
cease to do business AZ yield to them one
iota in this uncalled for strike. The money
spent in beating this strike is the best
investment We ever made. We have the
q .-l 49, ill l. 4
to carry On our business in peace when
the union knows IL ia beaten. MIR. Neill
il not here in connection with this strike.
He in often here on other matters, when
his arrival would not cause any comment
because there was no strike OF this IND
on hand on these occasions.
MIR. Brooks said that the withdrawal Of
the bonus took possibly one-third of the
earnings from the employees. More teleg-
raphers were returning, he said. -Four
women and two men had been taken back
here and eight employees had returned to
work in the Western division.
Yesterday was pay day for the strikers
at Clinton Hall. There was some excite
ment at first when they assembled and no
strike money had arrived. After an hour
or 40 Secretary Treasurer McInerney sent
enough TO pay the strike benefits to the
m rried men. IL was explained that the
money had beer received in $40 bills and
smaller currency WAS required.
The Postal announced that twenty five
strikers had applied yesterday at the main
Office for reinstatement n that at the
Postal offices throughout the country the
number Of returning strikers was in
creasing.
CHICAGO. Oct. 10 Sylvester J. Small,
deposed president of the t~elegraphers. ad-
mitted to-day that he was out OF the presi-
dency of the union and he would not appeal
to the special convention TO be held at
Milwaukee on October 70 either for rein
statement or for a trial on the charge OF
failure TO perform the duties of president"
Will you return to work for one of the
telegraph companies3' he was asked.
"No, they probably will not want me-" he
said. -Iexpect 10 have another job within
a week"