Denver labor bulletin., 1918-08-24
BURLESON BEGINS TO FEEL PINCHER
AND MAY RETREAT FROM UNION FIGHT
Electrical Workers Being Used Troops Against
General, Who Is Soon Make Complete
Surrender and Grant Postal Employees Full
Recognition Union Members.
NJ LAURENCE TODD


master General Burleson has written
to President Gaynor of the National
Association of Letter Carriers, in an
swer to the formal letter sent to the
postmaster general by the heads Of
the Letter Carriers, the Postal Clerks
. and the Railway Mail Clerks, asking
that Burleson grant the right Of work.
ers in the postal service to organize
and bargain collectively. Burleson
does not, in his reply, repeat the de-
nunciations of the A. F. of L. unions
that he put into his last annual report,
but he refers Gaynor to that docu-
ment for his views on the question Of
dealing with union spokesman
The rest of his letter is devoted to
artful phrases about his desire to meet
with the postoffice employees to dis
cuss the good Of the service with them,
and his unwillingness to talk with any
who do not speak for union and nom
union workers alike. The postmaster
general does not change his mental
spots to any noticeable extent.
The "Pincher" for Burleson-
President Gompers and Secretary
Morrison of the A. F. of l.. are get
ting more and more uneasy at the
situation as the possible intention Of
Mr.. Burlcson to stand out against
recognition of the unions in the tcle-
graph and telephone services become
plain. Thus far the direct issue has
been evaded by a play for time. Ar
gument by high officials has failed TO
move the postmaster general, who says
he is making an inquiry into all the
facts.
Men familiar with the case are Of
the opinion that the international
a
will finally take the brunt of the strug-
gle with Burleson. and solve the prob
lem. About $4,000 men and women
in the telephone service are now or
ganized and are affiliated with the
Electrical Workers. There are also
n large number Of telegraph linemen
in the same organization. Some day
a business agent OF the Electrical
Workers, in Boston or Seattle or else
where, will walk into telephone Of
fee TO discuss n local grievance with
the local manager. and will be in
formed that the postmaster general
does not permit discussions with union
officials. Then the case will be
started. and the Electrical Workers.
having n big majority of their mem
bership in private employment, will
have TO decide on how far to carry the
argument. They will carry il straight
thru to finish in Washington,
backed by the postofiice employees and
the Commercial Tclegraphers Union.
The final decision will affect all the
organizations alike.
Needless TO say. there is no possible
outcome, in the end, hut n recognition
of the unions. The only matter in
doubt is the time that will be con-
sumcd in getting to settlement.
L.
Over in Canada the government has
been paying its temporary postal
workers the extravagant wage of 1888
day in the region east OF Port Ar
thur, and $2S3 day in the terri
tory west OF that point. This sum
included the .'war bonus" which was
added to the former wage rate. Reg
ular clerks and carriers get somewhat
better money, but they were all pitt
fully undcrpaid. They have for years
been trying to get the government to
improve their situation. For the past
six months they have been demanding
that board of conciliation. under the
Lemieux act, be granted them The
Ottawa ministry refused this conces-
sion.
Finally the Canadian postofficc en-
ployes went on strike. In Toronto, in
Victoria and other cities the postal
clerks and carriers and railway mail
clerks formed their shop committees
and stopped work. The Canadian gov
crnment officials at first tried to bluff
IL thru, by announcing that strike
breakers would be employed thence
forth. But within few days the
government reached an agreement
with the union officials. whereby the
strikers returned to work and the Ca
madam civil service commission went
to Winnipeg and began an investiga
tion into all of the grievances of the
men in the postal service.
Canadian labor papers hail the re-
suit as a big victory. 1t comes upon
the heels Of series Of successful
strikes Of groups on municipal en-
ployes, in the cities of Western Can
ada, against the refusal Of city boards
of aldermen to pay living wage.
The postal strike in Canada is not
likely to be initiated here, because or
ganized labor in the United States is
too far developed to need to express
itself in that way. It can get fair
thru the national war labor board and
thru the President, in time. It moves
slowly because 1t wants to organize
the men in advance. Organized, they
will know how to held what they gain.
New Aids to Gompers.
r. s. Sexton, former general or
ganizer for the CigarmalSers Interna-
tional Union, has been appointed as
legislative agent in Washington for
the A. +. Of L. in place Of Grant Ham,
ilton, who has become chief Of the new
bureau Of labor conditions, in the
labor administration.
Chatter NJ Wright. formerly COM