New-York tribune., 1918-04-29
Employees Demand Right to
Organize, and Declare
Agreement Violated
War Board May Act
Men Allege They Were Dis
missed From Jobs for
Joining Federation

The Commercial Telcgraphers' Union,
meeting for the first time since the
strike Of 1907 in other than secret ses-
sion. yesterday adopted resolutions &C
cusing the telegraph companies of vio-
lating the agreement between labor and
capital by discllarging men for joining
q labor union, and calling upon the
War Labor Board, recently formed, to
intervene.
Failure Of the War Labor Board TO
act or to change the policy of the COM
panies, the resolutions declared, would
force thc union to resort to other means
to secure the desired freedom of organ
ization.
Percy Thomas, of Chicago, interna-
tional president of the Commercial
Photographers Union, presided at the
meeting in Beethoven Hall, East Fifth
Street. About three hundred men and
women were present. few OF the men
IN the uniforms of sailors and soldiers.
These, il was explained, were now in
the service, but retain their member
ship in the organization.
Exempted Men Discharged
The speakers included Wesley Rus
sell, of the Eastern district executive
committee. and Joseph 3. Boyle. of the
Central Federated Union. Mr. Russell
presented the resolutions. which allege
that the Western Union Company, after
securing the exemption of men from
the draft on the ground that their SER
vices were needed for the proper hand
ling of government work. discharged
them after it became known they were
union men.
The charge is also made that men
now in the army or navy who have been
using their spare time in the telegraph
service have been refused such employ
ment at shipyards and cantonments be
cause they were union men, though
there was work for them to do
No demands for wages or working
conditions are made by the telegraph
crs at this time.
Wesley Russell, explaining the reso-
luton, said that in the last few weeks
more than $50 men have been dis
Union companies for being union mer.
Many of these, he said, were in New
York.
He added that he had no doubt
some of those present yesterday would
find themselves marked for discharge.
adding there was not q doubt that tAe
companies had spies inside as well as
outside the hall.
Fight Dates Back to 1888
The fight between the operators and
the companies for the right to organ
ize dates back to the early eighties.
IN 1883, strike called by the late
Jack" Mitchell paraIyzed the tele-
graph business Of the country for a
while. but resulted III victory for
the Western Union. After that the
union was unable to make much prog
ress until 1907. when strike was
called. 1t resulted in contracts with
many brokerage houses, business ex-
changes and newspaper and allied
interests with the union More re-
Gently, the Northwestern Telegraph
Company, OF Canada, which has close
relations with the Western Union,
signed contract with the union.
There is no question that VIC
Pres ident Thomas. "I say that be-
cause l do not believe these companies
are bigger than the President and the
rest of the Federal government. There
is absolutely no question of wages, 70
question cf the closed shop, no ques-
ton of union recognition. All that IS
demanded is that the men and women
who work wires be allowed to Join or
not to Join the union. and that the
companies cease dischargine operators
Cor that cause"