The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-04
ATLANTA STRIKE
WILL SPREAD
Nationwide Proportions Pre-.
dicted for Telegraph La
Dor Trouble.
.KO N EN- K MP TAI KS
Strikers March Out in Long
Parade-Grievances
Reach Climax.

Washington, June IA. P0-S.
]. Konenkamp. president or rs the
Commercial Photographers Union, Of
America, said here today he believed
the Atlanta strike would spread un-
til It assumed nation wide proper
tions and resulted in tie-up OF the
countrys telegraph and telephone
comhunica ton.
"The primary reason FOR the trou-
BILE now threatening through the At
lanta strike" said Mr.. Konenkamp,
is the failure OF the wire admins
tration. through postmaster General
Burleson, TO appreciate the force of
and carry out the TABOR policy of
President Wilson"
The postofiice departments wire
control board announced that re-
ports reaching 1t from Atlanta
showed that the sympathetic strike
of telegraphers was confined } a
| few individuals and was not gen
eral.
Marched Out in Long Parade.
| All union teegraphers, in the
Morse and multiplex departments,
and operators in the telephone de-
partment of the Western Union Tel
! egraph Office of Atlanta, together
with a number of those not affil-
! lated with the Commercial Teleg-
raphers' union. walked out at II
! o'clock today. demanding redress OF
grievances of long standing and in
support of the striking telephone op-
orators of Atlanta.
A mass meeting OF all organized
labor will be held tonight. and re-
ports are current that thousands o
organized workers may strike, II
! sympathy with the striking wir,
4 workers
The striking Western Union EN-
ployes marched in a long parade t.
the labor temple, where mas
meeting was held at noon
Union leaders state that 500 teleg
raphers, including multiplex and tel
ephone operators of the Westerr
/ Union. are out, in addition to thu
telephone operators who struck
Monday afternoon at the Bell ant
! Atlanta telephone offices.
/ Rrhe Postal Telegraph office was
not affected by today's strike
Charles f. Mann, third vice-presi.
dent OF the Commercial Telegraph.
ers' union, with which all the strik-
ers, both telegraph and telephone
are affiliated, said today:
! The strike Of the telephone anc
telegraph operators in Atlanta was
called as demonstration Of strength
IN order to impress the companies
and Postmaster-G Rurlesor
that our grievances. some OF which
nave been pending settlement ,foI
over a year, must be adjusted anc
ADJUSTED IN fair manner. Both the
Bell Telephone and Western Unior
Telegraph companies have continued
10 dlscharge employees for union af.
hlauons. despite MIR. Burleson's. or.
der to the contrary, and we have
peen unable to get an impartia
nearing. Employees have been called
into the offices Of officials. assured
that their frank statement of griey
ances would not affect their tenur,
or employment, and then discharged
Immediately for their efforts to Sc
cure Just treatment"
Only Beginning of Trouble.
The situation in Atlanta is only
the beginning of nation wide figh
by wire workers for their right {,
organize and bargain .colIectfveh
along lines laid down in Presiden
Wilson'S proclamation Of ApriI 3
1919. We are hopeful that the At
lanta demonstration will he effec
i've in securing action in Washing
ton which will guarantee to us thcs,
rights and the reinstatement will
tull rights Of our members wh,
nave been discharged for union af
hliations. But if this does not re
SUIT we have a more powerful ant
more widespread weapon at hand t,
secure these rights"
Following the vote last night o.
the telegraphers to strike, the West
efn Union detailed n humber o
telegraphers from other southeast.
ern points and started them for At
ianta. Some Of them arrived wear.
ing union buttons and did not go II
work Rumber of multiplex girl,
detailed from Charlotte were met =
the railroad station there by unior
railroad men. and advised them no
10 60 TO Atlanta. Most of them fol