Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-09
STRIKERS FIRM;
NOSETTLEMENT
IN PHONE FIGHT
Union Leaders Say Business Men
Are Urging Agreement Between
Two Factions.
THE PHONE STRIKE.
No early settlement is seen

No early settlement is seen
in the telephone strike.
Monday morning the opera
tors will start calling on all
union men informing them TO
have their phones removed or
to pay for not doing so.
Commissioner ]. J. Barrett
of Cancellation who signified his
Intention of returning to Rock
Island after one eHdeaVOr made
several days ago at arbitration,
has not been heard OF.
Business men are said to be
disconnected with telephone
communication during the
strike and are seeking arbitra-
tiOn of the dispute. Thomas s.
Brown, district manager of the
company will not arbitrate with
the men as a union.
, No immediate settlement is seen in
the strike of $50 linemen and girl
operators of the Central Union Tel
ephone company.
Despite strong efforts made by
the strikers to force the company
to accept their wage demands, the
company seems to be still holding
out Telephone service, however,
has been the subject of complaints
throughout the entire city.
The strikers hold out hope to
beat the trust by removing tele-
phones. Monday morning the girl
operators will make a canvass of
all union men in Rock Island ask
ing them to fill out notices to the
company for removal OF phones.
Those who do not sign the notices
will be reported and fined from $40
TO $50 for not helping carry out
the plan agreed to by ali presidents
and secretaries of labor units in
Rock Island and neighboring Hi
.nois cities. Already all phones of
Ne strikers have been removed,
and other labor organizations have
taken theirs out.
Situation Serious.
The situation is becoming more
serious for both parties. The com
pany is allowing its business to be
hampered in Rock Island, Moline.
East Moline and SiIvis, and the
strikers have been out of work for
StNGI dI hGEhSs All ClluCGlfOA has
been made by several business men
to have the strike arbitr9tad. H. D.
Smith, business agent for the cleo
trical workers, said today that he
had been called upon by several
who believed the dispute should be
settled for the good of the COM
munity. Business, they say, has
been considerably retarded because
of poor communication service and
many customers phones having
been removed.
The strikers today added new
strength to their cause by declar-
ing that the Moline franchise of the
company requires the recognition
OF union labor. The company will
not recognize unions in either of
the four cities.
Subscriptions from different To-
cal and outside unions are being
received for the support of the
homeless girl operators during the
period of the strike. More funds
were received at a dance in Mo-
line last night, and still more are
to be secbred at a street
dance to be held in Rock Island
some time next week.
Commissioner J. j. Barrett of the
United States department of labor
has not notified officials here that
he would return to endeavor again
at mediation. When the commits
siOner left several days ago he
said he expected to return soon.
Newly elected officers of the To-
cal branch of the national tele-
phone operators union were install
led this afternoon. Mrs. Rose Kin
ney leads the girls as president.