Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-15
VOID
ORDER FOR STRIKE.
Act After BurIeson Rules
Phone Workers May Bar
gain Collectively.


were issued last night by J. P. Noonan.
acting international president of the
Electrical Workers Union, after is
suance of orders by Postmaster Gen.
eral Burleson granting employees OF
telephone companies the right to bar
gain collectively.
Besides establishing the right Of
employees to deal with telephone COM
paniesy either as individuals or coll
lectiyely. Postmaster General Burle-
sons order requires companies to
dead with. REPRESENTATIVES. Of employees
who are not themselves employed by
the company concerned. II they have
ever had that policy In the past The
right to organize or to affiliate with
organizations that seem to them best
calculated to serve their interest" is
further confirmed for employees, and
companies are forbidden to discharge.
denote or discriminate against work
ers for so organizing.
Await Carrying Out Orders.
Mr.. Noonan said that the orders had
been sent out from the offices of the
brotherhood at Springfield. ILL.,, post
poning the strike indefinitely. pending
the carrying out Of the Postmaster
Generals orders by the companies.
Our fight from the beginning" Mr..
the right of the telephone workers to
organize and to bargain collectively
with their employers and to stop dis
elimination practiced by great
many of. the companies throughout
the United States, which have been
discharging men and women on ac-
count of joining organizations despite
a previous order of the Postmaster
General.
"The new order issued by the Post
master General complies with practi-
cally all of our demands. with the
exception of the establishment Of a
central board. which is delayed until
the disposition of wire systems IL
finally determined
Keymen Counted on Aid.
The fact that the Brotherhood Of
Electrical Workers had planned a
strike for tomorrow was looked upon
by the striking telegraph operators as
spelling success for them in their
fight against the Western Union and
Postal companies for the reason that
with that large body Of electrical
workers out on strike the telegraph
and telephone companies would be
helpless. These workers look after
the adjustment and repair of instru-
ments, switchboards and the circuits
Of the wire service generally. They
are absolutely essential to the opera
ton Of the wires and their places
could not be filled to any extent.
I'VE are highly elated at the status
of our general strike all over the
country and especially conditions here
in Washington tonight" said w. F.
Mcdowell, president of the local Of the
Commercial Telegraphers' Union of
America. the denials Of the Western
Union and Postal people notwith-
standing. We know that our ranks
are being gradually swelled by men
and women employed by the two tele-
graph companies. who are not mem
bers of our organization.
big hit yesterday when we captured
fifteen of the multiplex operators Of
the Western Union Again today we
had ten of these girls join US, and not
one of them belongs to our union. AS
to the Postal there is little to say.
Their business is practically par
alyzed, with Manager Foote Of the
local Office working eighteen hours q
day on a heavy wire getting OF press
dispatches. The Western Union is un-
dertaking to handle the Postal busi-
ness for them.
II look for crisis" continued Pres
ident Mcdonald, when Director Gen.
eral Hines of the United States rail-
road administration attempts to carry
into effect an order he is alleged to
have issued to discharge any railroad
telegrapher. a member of the Order OF
Railway Telegraphers. who obcys the
orders of his union in refusing to
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