The Connecticut labor press., 1919-04-05
PHONE GIRLS
  ORGANIZER SAYS SHE IS SHADOWED
Claims Three Telephone Men Fol lowed Her From Hartford
 to Bridgeport.
TO STRIKE IN SPRINGFIELD
Organizing Unions of Girls in Hartford, New Britain and :
 Elsewhere.

Miss Teresa M. Sullivan of Boston, eastern organizer of the Telephone Operators Department of the Interna- tional Brotherhood of Electrical Work CTS, is busily engaged in organizing local unions throughout Connecticut Miss Sullivan has talked with a number of phone girls in Hartford and New Brit ain and plans are under way to form unions ip those cities. The girls in Bridgeport are already organized and have local. Miss Sullivan was in New Haven recently and talked with some of the operators but 1t is said the New Haven girls are not ready to organize yet It was said at the office of the Company in New Haven that the New Haven operators make good wages, they are satisfied with their conditions and while it is expected that it is only question of time when unions will be organized by the girls in all cities in this state. it is not expected that New Haven will be organized for some time.
 In Springfield, Miss Mary Quinn, president of the Springfield Telephone Operators Union, says that strike of employees to enforce their demands for Tuesday at the latest and possibly be- fore that time. Miss Quinn attended meeting of the state officers in Boston this week and planned to notify the Springfield girls about the exact time for the strike last night.
 At meeting of the Bridgeport union a few nights ago the cases of six girls that the company refused to reinstate were considered and new adjustment board was elected to confer with the officials of the company. The election of h1s sr1 he hers of the ,rig.nal board are TO longer considered employees of the company. Two of the girls were laid off last week and four others left the exchange be- cause they claimed they were diserirnin- ated against unfairly by supervisors and the traffic manager. The girls reported at the exchange later and asked if their positions were open and they say tf1a:: Traffic Manager R. J. Sanderson said tine positions were not open, Mir. San derson declined to discuss the matter. He had previously denied that any girls had been dismissed from duty and he said he<veas4 not aware of4tl1e existence of any union in Bridgeport. While in Bridgeport, Miss Sullivan the, organ izer, stopped at the StratheId, where she made the following statement:
 A local branch of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers was organized among the telephone operat- lors of the Bridgeport exchange about two weeks ago. and there are about 75 members. Officers were elected at that time, but the organization was not ef- fected until number of open meetings had been held to which the officials of the Southern, New Englard company were invited and the purposes of the union were carefully explained :" e.
 For the past week, and particularly yesterday, girls who have been officers in the local branch of rhe union have been croSs-examined for hours at timc by supervisors and other officials of the company, with the result that the girls became uinerved and rather than sub. init to such treatment left their posi- tions. There was no attempt on their part to start strike, but on the con- trary -hey prevailed upon fellow mem bers of the union who expressed a de sire to take such action to continue working.
 While would not care to accuse the Southern New England Telephone com pany with discriminating unfairly against girls who have joined the union of workers, it would appear that such has been the case. In view of the fact that the girls have remained% loya1ly at the switchboard throughout tine war in answer to the patriotic appeals of the government, and in spite of the fact that they might have commanded better wage in other occupations, at would seem that they deserve greater meas ure of fair play than they are now re- ceiving. No complaint has been made regarding our right under the federal law to organize.
 Of F. L. Moore, divisional surerin- tendent for the Southern New England
 <NnnHr $11A hSrrk0 est terms. He has been very fair in his treatment of the girls and respects their right to organize, which I regret to say is more than can be said of executives under him. Personally I am shadowed constantly by representatives of the Southern New England company, no less than three having followed me from Hartford to this city tonight. One of them. when I complained to the police some time ago, admitted his name an he is chief repair man at New Ha- ven. hope that the girls who resigned yesterday will reconsider their decision and be Areinstated."
 Miss Ethel Keefe, president of the Bridgeport union, was one of the girls who resigned and she has been an orer- ator and instructor for 10 years. She said New Haven supervisor had ac- cused her of calling other operators yellow dogs" and when she denied the charge and demanded proof that snc made such assertions it twas reFrsed
 Knowledge of this incident was dc nied at the headquarters of the com pany in New Haven. In regards to the statement of Miss Sullivan that she was shatlowed cons+antly by representatives of the company and had been traiied ;rr4u Hartford to Bridgeport. 1t was said that Miss Sullivan must be trying to attract attention to herself or else she has an excellent press agent It was said that the company had no in- ;erest in her movements that there was no incentive in having any one follow her and nothing would be gained by keepmz schedule of the places she vscifad