Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-08
WIRE
STRIKE WEDNESDAY
Order Issued by President of
Teiegraphers' Union A.
fects Over 10000.
INVOLVES MANY LINES

CHICAGO, June IA nationwide
strike of telegraph and telephone oper-
ators who are members Of the CONNER
cial Telegraphers' Union Of America was
ordered today to take effect next We'd
nesday at s am. standard time.
The order was issued at general head
quarters of the union here on Geographic
instructions from 8. ]. Konenkamp. in
ternational president, who was in Pitts
burgh on his way to Chicago.
The strike order applies to employees
of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany. the American Telephone and Tele-
graph Company and the Postal Tele-
graph and Cable Company with its asso-
ciated institutions.
Not Half Belong to Union.
1t was estimated at headquarters here
that the strike would affect between
$4,000 and 100000 individuals, Of whom
nearly $4,000 were said to be members Of
the union. Outside Of the union ranks.
1T was said. many wire workers had
pledged themselves to support a strike
The decision to call a nationwide
strike was reached by President Konen-
kamp after spending several days in
Washington. where he had directed a
strike Of union employees in ten south
eastern states. That strike followed a
strike Of telephone workers in At
lanta, where telephone employees were
said to have been discharged because
of union affiliations.
In Chicago. it was said at union
headquarters, more than 1000 wire
workers would be affected.
The Commercial Telegraphers' Union
was born here in 1902.
w. q. Head Not Worried.
NEW YORK. June THE nation
wide strike of telegraph and telephone
operators ordered by s. ]. Konen-
kamp, international president Of the
Commercial Telegraphers' Union. will
amount to nothing" according to a
statement tonight by Newcomb Carl
ton. head Of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company.
THE Western Union would like to
assure the public that there will be no
delay IN handling their messages"
said Mr. Carlton. I'VE will maintain
a full force at all our Offices, and the
small number of union employees who
obey the strike call will not affect the
character OF our service or its contin1
uity."
Little Change in Atlanta.
ATLANTA. Ga, June Little
change in the wire strike situation
was reported by either side today.
Union officials reiterated their claim
that approximately 5000 employees of
the Western Union had responded to
the strike order. H. c. Worthan. gen.
eral manager of the southern division
of the Western Union. reported that
s15 employees were out today COM
pared with 2sS reported yesterday.
Business was normal, and being
moved in first-class shape" he de-
clared.
New Orleans Linemen Strike.
NEW ORLEANS. June Gable and
linemen employed by the Cumberland
I6lSpuOu0 dAo NhC ColcEH OulOu
companies. members of local No. s23,
International Brotherhood of Electro
cal Workers of the World. walked out
today. The union says 1854 are out;
officials of the telephone company
state only seventy-five quit.
Orders Strikers to Go to Work.
Orders that they should return to
work Immediately under penalty
were sent yesterday to the striking
shopmen of the Norfolk and Western
railroad by officials of the Railway
Employees Division of the American
Federation of Labor, who said that
the strike was illegal and INSANE
toned.
Oficials of the railroad administra-
ton said the dispute which caused
the walk-out was purely local and
would be settled at the shops where
1t originated. They expect that the
new weeks work will commence with
out interruption.
A question of shop discipline was
| said to have been the cause of the
strike.