The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-08-15

Chlcago tSpecidl) Inc Strlke OF
union commercial telegraph opera
tors will be universal throughout
the United States and Canada within
"a hours, according to National Sec
retary Russell, of the Commercial
Telegraphers' Union of America.
This statement was made by Mr..
Russell Sunday night after he had
been informed of the action taken
by New York union telegraphers,
who at meeting Sunday decided to
hold a walkout in abeyance until the
latter part of the week.
This strike movement" said Rus
sell, has come to the point where
there can be no backing down. The
telegraphers 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 sever
al weeks President Small and myself
have been holding the telegraphers
back and have been advising con-
ciliation; but they have taken affairs
III their OWL udHu5 anu We dlt BOluS
10 stand by them.
mo union men will he allowed tc
work with anyone not belonging to
our organization, and this means
that Monday morning. when the bus
mess of the week begins. the strike
will become universal. We cant go
half way in this matter now. The
strike has been precipitated by the
men themselves without the previous
sanction of the national officers, but
we are now all working in unison,
and anything that the officials of the
various unions throughout the coun-
try have done in calling strikes
meets with our hearty cooperation"
This announcement was part of
Mr.. Russell's speech at a mass-meet-
ing of 1900 striking telegTaphers
held in Brands Hall Sunday after
noon.
The Order of Railway Telegraph
ers was represented at the meeting
by National Secretary Quick. who in
formed the strikers that his organi-
cation was at their disposal both
morally and financially. I'VE have
$1,000,000 in our treasury" said he,
''and it is at your disposal. Your
fight is ours. and we win stand with
you until the end"
Before the mass meeting 800 union
telegraphers employed by companies
using leased wires held a meeting. At
this gathering operators for brokers,
news agencies and commercial or
ganizations. including the stock
yards packing houses, were repre-
sented.
A resolution was adopted declar-
ing that this class of labor was un-
derpaid, and that the various firms
would be asked asked to sign a wage
scale and also to employ none but
union telegraphers. 1t was decided
to let the private wire men prepare
and present their own schedules TO
their employees. The broker opera
tors will present their schedules at
10 O'Clock Monday morning, asking
Tor minimum wage of $40 a week.
The men employed by the press
associations presented their requests
at 7.30 O'Clock Sunday, giving en-
ployers "a hours to comply with the
request.
The schedule calls for S35' week.
for six nights a week. and 70 cents
an hour overtime for night opera
tors, eight hours to constitute
nights work. with half an hour for
lunch
Operators employed by news asso-
Citations and newspapers for day
work ask for $50 a week and SO
cents an hour overtime. eight hours
to constitute a days work. and the
regular lunch hour.
If at the end of "a hours the re-
quests have not met with a favor
able response, the men will report
to the union officials, and they say
strike will be ordered to enforce
the demands.