The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-04-11
PARTIAL VICTORY
FOR THE BOSTON
OPERATORS
Telephone Girls Will Get Part
of Demands
STRIKE PROBABLY AVERTED
Comply Will Grant a System of Bon
uses to Be Paid at End CT
Each Year

Boston, April 11-A strike OF the
22O0 telephone operators in the % ex-
changes of greater Boston, which has
been threatened for the past few days
was averted, it is believed, by a COM
promise agreement reached early yes
terday.
The compromise was reached at $50
a. m, after a series of intermittent con
ferences lasting 30 hours between Pres
ident Spalding and other officials of
the New England telephone and tee
graph company, the executive commit
tee from operators union and a com
mittee from the Boston chamber of
commerce which acted as intermedi-
airy Formal ratification by the mass
of operators is necessary, and meet
ings for this purpose will be held to-
day.
Instead of the weekly wage increas-
es, averaging 81 each, which the union
demanded, the agreement provides for
the establishment by the company Of a
plan of anniversary payments. These
payments are to be SIS at the end of
the second year, $50 annually from the
end of the third to the end of the ninth
year, and 800 at the end of the 10th
and each succeeding year.
The so-called split trick" the aboli-
ton of which was demanded, will not
be compulsory upon any operator after
IS months service. The lunch period
will be heightened and the girls will
have the maximum number of holidays
Sundays and Saturday afternoons of
that is consistent with the require
ments OF the service.
These concessions are effective June
l. The agreement also provides for the
creation of an adjustment committee,
consisting of three operators and three
representatives of the company, which
is to consider all grievances An ap-
peal may be had to the general mana
ger of the company.
I'VE have won" the operators de-
clared at the conclusion of the confer
ences, and they were not contradicted
by company. officials who were stand
ing near by. In behalf OF President
Spalding, f. X. Hall, vice-president of
the company, said The adjustment
seems mutually satisfactory"
The moment strike was threaten
ed the company followed its first duty
and called on its reserve operators 10
protect its service" said Mr. Hall. "Af-
ter that had been done, we sat down
to discuss the questions at issue. The
conferences were carried on with the
best of good nature"
The company yesterday had nearly
1900 so-called emergency operators"
in the city, quartered at the most lux
urious hotels, awaiting the strike call.
they went from many cities of the East
including New York, Philadelphia, Bal.
timore, Washington, Jersey City, Pitts
burg and New England points. One de
legation of 800 girls was on the way
from Chicago when the agreement was
reached. Mr.. Hall said that the girls
would be kept there several days long.
er. The maintenance of this reserve
force is costing the company $4,000 dai.
ly.
1t was merely vacation for the girls
who went there to act as operators If
there had been telephone strike, and
it was the best vacation they ever had
all their expenses paid, housed and
fed in the best hotels in the city, moth
ing to do and many times the pay they
ordinarily earn.