Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-06-20
TELEeRAPHERs WILL STRIKE
General Executive Board Has APP
Approved Movement Against
Two Big Companies.

NEW YORK. June 1s-The general exec
utive board OF the Commercial Telegra-
pliers union has approved a strike against
either OF both the Western Union and
Postal Telegraph companies This an
nouncement was made today by Deputy
President S. J. Konenkamp of the union
The date for the beginning of the strike
is left TO President Small but the first
move is expected to take place IN the next
week or ten days. Mr.. Konenkamp said,
when questioned. that a tax OF one days
pay per week has been levied against all
the members OF the union.
Notwithstanding the strike announcement
Commissioner OF Labor Neil is continuing
his Investigations with view to an ad-
justment of the controversy and has today
been in consultation with the officers OF
the Civic federation as well as with those
of the telegraph companies and the union
Local officers of the Commercial Tel
egraphers Union of America have not
been notified officislly of the calling of a
strike of the operators employed by the
Western Union and Postal Telegraph
companies in New York City AS the
differences between the telegraph com
panies and their employees exist mainly
In New York and Chicago, It is not con-
sidered here that the strike, II IT does
come, will AFFECT the telegraphers Of
Omaha and the west generally.
A local representative of the CONNER
cial operators, in an interview this even
/ ing, summed up the situation as follows:
"The general public does not fully real
ize what a strike of the telegraphers of
the country would mean to them A tele-
graph strike is an unheard of occurrence
to any other than the oldest business men
of the country. Not since 1888 has the
commerce of the United States been un-
settled by a telegraphers' strike, and a
majority of the business men OF today
know nothing of its consequences AMI
those who were in business a quarte'
of a century ago have forgotten it's ef-
/ fects at the time.
| For years the operators have remained
passive and submitted to rules and regu-
lations inimical to their interests.
'The present threatened trouble was
brought about by the failure of the tel
| egraph companies to live UP to their
promise to increase the wages of their
employees, which was announced two
months ago. The men claim It was not
a general increase and that It only ben
/ ehted few of the operators
Our officers and members in New York
also have proof Of discrimination and I'm
timidation toward the union and the in-
! PRODUCTION of a sliding scale. which. they
claim, has made conditions actually worse
than before the announcement of the ad-
vance In wages.
81 do not believe that the telegraph
companies are aware of the numerical
strength of the commercial operators
In view OF the alleged discrimination and
discharge Of operators because of their
afiliation with the union, a secret list
In every city In the country has been
maintained and a great many operators
have come into the organization under
! this protection.
I'VE expect to receive notices OF an as
! sessment within the next lag or two and
they will be met by every uRion. operator
! in the city.
'Of course we are hoping there will be
no strike, but should we be called upon
the men afiliated with US in Omaha will
walk out in a body"