New-York tribune., 1919-05-07
Mr.. Burleson's System

Such was Mr.. Burleson's new system ac-
cording to his own ultimate statement of ID
and his Wages Board had no place in it
anywhere. His Wages Board, after all, was
nothing. Impartial history may call it
nothing. The operators call it trap. 1t
took their case and held it for months
promising decision and making none; and
then it passed them on to other boards.
and, from their standpoint, what boards!
The operators of Boston were tired of
autocracy and Of subterfuge. On February
26 they took q strike vote.
BY that time, under public control and
operation Of telephones, Miss O'Connor had
ceased to be an employed telephone op-
orator. Under private control she had been
allowed to attend to her union duties and
still be an operator. Under public control
she was asked to resign. She Joined the
discharged officers of the postal service
organizations among the trophies Of Mr..
Burleson's unerring spear
But the postal service employees are civil
servants. The telephone operators re-
mained citizens. And Miss O'Connor seems
to be one of the ablest organizers extant.
She took her strike vote with the greatest
care. She did her best to make it a genuine
expression Of the opinion of the member.
ship of the union. Every girl was warned
that if she failed to cast ballot she would
be fined one dollar; and the ballots were
unsigned and secret. When the mandate
came it was a mandate.
1t came overwhelmingly for striking. It
empowered the officers of the union to call
ctr Ia NJ -bov1 all +L,~
methods, in their judgment had failed.
4 100 Per Cent Strike
They called it. 1t started on schedule
and went through on schedule. 1t was
perfect exhibition not only of leader
ship but of intelligent self-disciplne in
the rank and file. 1t was q 100 per cent
strike. The girls were organized 100 per
cent. They went out 100 per cent. They
stayed out 100 per cent. And when their
officers arranged the terms of settlement
they debated them at great mass meet
ing, and differed about them, and argued
about them, and came to a unanimous
agreement in action about them, and went
back 100 per cent. AS performance it was
most remarkable. AS victory it was COM
plete.
The operators of Boston won their point
absolutely. 1t was not, in essence, point
Of wages They got an increase of wages,
yes. A beginner, at the end of her first
year of service, will now get $13, instead
of $40. An experienced operator, at the
end Of her seventh year, will now get $19,
instead of SIG. 1t is substantial increase.
But the point was, and is, the method of
bargaining. On that point, the strategic
point the operators were completely vic
torious. The bargaining which settled the
strike and which made the new wage agree
ment was done in precisely the way in
which the operators wanted it done
The Operating Board was forgotten. The
Wire Control Board forgotten. Mr..
Burleson, in the person of his First Assist
ant, Mr.. Rooms, travelled to Boston. For
mally he blessed the scene. Formally he
gave his sanction to everything and any
thing that happened. And what happened
was that the wages Of the telephone o2-
orators of Boston and Of most of New Eng
land were revised by agreement in the one
genuine joint board existing for them any
where in the situation-the same half EN-
ployer half employe board which for years
they had peacefully used.