Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-21
LOCAL OPERATORS
NOT SATISFIED
MANAGER SAYS MEN HAVE NO
GRIEVANCE
Denies Discrimination and Sliding
Scale Exists In Los Angeles.
Does Not Anticipate
Trouble
fcontinued from Page one,

(COntfnued from Page OneD
course, we should have been badly Grip.
pied had a strike occurred. Some of the
men would have remained loyal to the
company and we might have secured a
few from the outside, but even If every
man had remained in the local office we
would have been unable to use them, be-
cause other offices would have been
short-handed, and to Operate a telegraph
wire you have to have a man at each
end of the line.
Now. regarding this 10 per cent in
crease in pay granted last spring: Every
man in this office was given that raise.
The sliding scale complained of does not
apply here, whether or not 1t does else
where. For instance, we do not replace
an $S5 man permanently with man who
draws only SIS. or. in fact, with man
who draws less than $50.
I'm the Los Angeles office there has
been no discrimination against men be-
cause they were or were not affiliated
with the union. You say that the men
complained at being asked to provide
their own typewriters. That always has
been the custom and I assume 1t will
continue to be-"
No Complaints Were Made
| Asked specifically about the Redlands
case, in which the men claim that Miss
Phoebe Kennedy, the local manager of
| the Western Union office, was paid s75
month prior to the 10 per cent raise
|
quently. resigning to be replaced by a
man who was paid $40. Mr.. Miller re-
piled that his knowledge of salaries was
confined to Los Angeles and that he
never had heard of the matter. F. H.
Lamb the superintendent, is not in the
city.
Mr.. Miller declared that no complaints
had been made by any operators at;
when told that the men claimed they
did not dare to complain for fear of
losing their places. replied that he never
knew of man being discharged for that
cause.
The chief regret of the men over the
settlement arises through their failure to
secure a straight eight-hour day. On
other points they are waiting to see II
the company will live up to its promises
better than they assert has been done
in the past
works at the main office consented to
make a statement last night when given
assurance his name would not be used
Says There Is Sliding Scale
eve care more for the eight-hour
day tha for specious promises. 1t Is
interesting to note that Colonel Clowry
denies there is such q thing as sliding
crease has been applied everywhere, ac-
cording to the promises which were given
such publicity some weeks ago. 1t makes
good reading, but we will have to be
shown some.
ibid the scale slide at Redlands when
Miss Phoebe Kennedy was manager
there? She received $3.50 month. She
resigned and man was sent to relieve
her. He gets SIS month. Is that not
| sliding some? At Tucson 1t only slid SO
cents on one job Was that test?
instruments costs IS. we furnish a
| typewriter which costs 500. admit the
company owns the wires and big sys-
tenn, but there seems to be something
/ -ix ell In on rrrf,ra IN
one day six different. typewriters are
used If the company furnished the ma
chine one typewriter would suffice.
| Hiring chiefs are instructed to put
men on if they swear allegiance to the
union. Plenty of cases of discrimination
can be produced if they want them"
President Clowry's Letter
| Following is the text of letter ad-
dressed by President Clowry of the
Western Union company to Hon. c. P.
Neill. commissioner of labor:
NEW YORK, June 2O.-Re-
ferring to the conferences held
between yourself and me and other
officers of the Western Union Tele-
graph company, and having In view
the possible grave Inconvenience to
the public following any general
| interruption to our business / AIN
glad to make clear to you the posi-
ton occupied by the Western Union
/
this whole matter. AS to the state
ments made by persons in no way
! connected with this company that
| the 10 per cent increase granted by
the telegraph company March / last
| has not been applied to all salaried
! telegraphers, 1 desire to say that
| the telegraph company announced
| this increase in good faith, and is
carrying it out in good faith, and
/ that If any case can be found in
| which the increase was not granted
| II will be corrected at once. The
| statement also being made that the
telegraph company is endeavoring
to neutralize the 10 per cent adj
vance by the application of the So
called sliding scale is without
foundation.
There is no such practice in ef-
feet, nor is there any intention of
putting it into effect by the man
agement of this company The
standard salaries for regular posi-
tions as established by the increase
of March 1 will be maintained and
the company will pay to any man
appointed or promoted to any posi-
tfon the salary attached to that po-
sition after that increase and Will
pay to extra men the salaries In
effect for their work as of March I
first inclusive of the 10 per cent
increase The company has not
Disseminated against nor viii It
discriminate against any employe
Of the company because of affilia-
tion or non-afeiliation with any orr
ganization, and IL it can be shown