Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-04
Atlanta Operators Also AIIege
Grievance Against BurIeson
Administration.
MAY TIE UP.
BUSINESS OF COUNTRY
Head Of Commercial Telegraphers'
Organization Alleges Long
Standing Differences.

strike OF all Western Union op-
orators in Atlanta. Ga. went into ef-
rect there this morning at IL o'clock
(noon Washington time). in support
OF the telephone operators and en-
ployes who walked out Monday.
i This decision of the commercial
telegraphers was reached at 3 o'clock
This morning after an alI-night ses-
sion of the local council of the Com
mercial TeIegraphers' Union of Amer
lea, of which the telephone operators
and employees are members. The strike
Is to enforce the demands of the tele-
phone operators and employees as well
as 70 settle long-standing differences
existing between the commercial
telegraphers and the wire administra-
tlon as represented by Postmaster
General Burleson
s. J. konenkamp. international
president OF the Commercial Teleg-
| raphers' Union Of America, who is in
Washington. said this morning that
he believed that the Atlanta strike
would spread into nationwide strike
j OF all telegraph and telephone oper-
ators and allied trades in the coun-
try. Charles +. Mann, vice president
Of the union. is quoted in a press dis
patch from Atlanta to the same eff
| 1ect.
States Belief Of Union Officials.
TT is the belief of the officials of
the telegraphers' union" said Presi-
dent Konenkamp, that Mr. Burle-
son will not at the outset of the strike
make any concession to settle the
trouble"
President Konenkamp said he based
| this view on advices from Atlanta
that the wire administration to meet
the strike situation is importing strike
breakers to take the places of tho
strikers.
That the wire administration is
planning to blacklist all telegraph
and telephone operators who go out
on strike is evidenced, officials of the
telegraphers union say. by telegram
| which they say Postmaster General
Burleson has sent to representatives
Of the telegraph and telephone COM
panies in Atlanta setting forth that
| strikes in the government service
! are not permissible" and asking for
a complete roster of the men and
! women who strike. AS counter ac-
orders from Washington have set q
time limit of o'clock tonight when
employees and operators may return
! to their work.
Explains Basis of Strike.
Mr. Konenkamp, explaining the
basis of the troubles that brought
about the strike, said the discharge
of the president. secretary and other
members of the Atlanta union work
ing for the Southern Bell Telephone
Company was the principal cause. An
ultimatum sent the wire administra-
ton, returnable at o'clock last Mon
the discharged men and women. was
refused he said. This brought the
Western Union operators and ems
ployes, members of the International
Electrical Workers. into the fight.
Postmaster General BurNson APP
pealed to Representative Upshaw OF
Atlanta to obtain for him the facts in
the trouble, and Mr. Upshaw, in turn.
wired Mayor Key of Atlanta to ascer-
tain the facts. Mayor Key made ms
report to Mr.. Upshaw yesterday. and
Mr. Upshaw is scheduled to meet Mr..
Rurleson today to discuss the matter,
it is said.
to the trouble in it's earliest stages m
an ultimatum from the telephone ana
telegraph operators April %. Work-
ing conditions, wage scale and the al
legged refusal of the wire admlnlstra-
ton to permit the telegraph ana teie-.
phone operators to organize as per-
eral service, are the backbone OF the
contention, according to Mr.. konen-
kamp.
Outlines Logical Result.
President Konenkamp said today
that ."The logical development that
will result from the Atlanta striks
would seem to indicate that all tele-s
graph and telephone operators ana.
employes of those interests. the cleo
trical workers and allied trades. are the
first break that will cause a nation
wide strike of all wire interests, ike.
a row of bricks set on end-Atlanta
being the first in the row-when the
first one goes down. the entlre line
will topple and fall nat.
.aThat seems certain in SO far as the
Western Union situation goes. The
primary reason for the trouble now
threatening, through the Atlanta
strike. every business interest of the
country is the failure of the wire adj
ninistra ton through Postmaster General
Rurleson to appreciate the force of and
carry out the labor policy or Presis
dent Wilson. This strike already mas
car workers unions all over the coun-
trv. and may involve that big pubic
NIFTY and other kindred trades and
vocations.
Action Taken Last October.
..The telegraphers and telephone
employees last October presented to-
the wire administration a wage scale
and working condition plan that has
been studiously ignored. All COM
nlaints filed with the wire admins
ration have Aeen ignored. On April
90 1918. more than 200 workers were
locked out by the Western Union Tel
aoranh Company and are still out OF
service. although Postmaster General
Rurleson ordered that they be REIN
stated last August. The union insists
that Mr.. Burleson enforce his order.
"These men were locked out and
others have been summarily dis
charged for the sole fact that they
were and are members of organized
labor.
Mr.. Konenkamp pointed out that
nation wide strike vote taken by
telegraph and telephone operators re-
suited in a large majority in favor
of the strike as the only weapon to
enforce their demands.
Mr.. Burleson Silent.
Mr. Burleson sent out word he had
nothing to say" when request was
made at his office for a statement on