Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-04-17

Boston, April 16-LeaderS OF the
striking telephone operators in New Eng
land expressed unwilingness to-night
to accept plans for settlement of their
grievances proposed by Postmaster
General Burleson and Joseph p. Tumulty
secretary to President Wilson. Secre-
tary Tumulty. in "A telegram to-day to
Miss Julia O'Connor, president of the
telephone operators department of the
international Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers. urged the strikers to return to
work and TO file their wage demands
with w. r. Driver. Jr., general manager
of the New England Telephone & Tele-
graph Co. He said Mr.. Driver was
authorized to recommend to the govern
mcnt operating board any agreement
Just and fair to all parties concerned 81
Replying tonight. Miss OConnor sent
the following telegram to Mr.. Tumulty:
Your proposition contained in to day S
telegram is not fundamentally different
from the proposition of Mr.. Burleson.
1t states that we may discuss with Mr..
Driver. general manager of the New
England Telephone company, our con-
tentions. Subsequently he reaches a
conclusion upon which he will advise us.
Then to be submitted to the operating
could the methods you recommend be
construed as collective bargaining. We
insist upon our right to reach con-
clusion with Mr.. Driver mutually agree
able to the unions and the company and
do not recognize the right of any other
agency or individual to hold the power
TO repudiate this agreement. Partcu-
larly do we object to it being submitted
to committee constituted as is the
operating committee, it's entire personnel
being composed of telephone and tele-
graph officials generally believed to be
opposed to the principle of collective
bargaining and indisputably opposed to
wage increases for reasons readily under
stood Committee reiterates that II
stands ready to bargain collectively with
Mr. Driver upon assurance that he is
empowered to reach a settlement with
US"
COMPANY'S STATEMENT
The following summary of the strike
situation was made by the general mana
ger Of the New England Telephone &
Telegraph company this evening.
In most places outside of greater Bostor
we are able to give a fairly complete loca
service during the day. but the toll serv.
|
places the operating force now in the serv'
ice force, which includes those who re-
fused to strike or those who struck volun
tarily returned to duty, and the private
branch exchange operators who volun
tecred for temporary service and the stu
dents who applied for positions in response
| to our advertisements constitutes q
larger local force than we had in those
| ir,oa IF n
| We are Indebted to various business or
ganizations and to the influence of patH
otic societies of women for the develop
ment of the public sentiment OF theil
communities that have made possible this
partial restoration of service. They have
taken the ground that this strike was un
necessary because the government had OF
! fered reasonable method of securing
speedy adjustment of the wage question
involved and that therefore it was pub
| lie duty for them to assist in restoring
service as well as a means for protestint
against the injustice of it all.
In Boston and vicinity progress In re
establishing service has not been Al
rapid. In nearly every suburban ex
cange and in several Boston exchanges
we are able to take care only OF SOM
emergency calls and even to switch
some between many of the exchanges
in this district. For the present, how
ever, in the Boston and suburban ex
changes we cannot undertake to Civ
reliable service in all cases.
over 100 student operators were en-
rolled to-day as result of adver
tisements in Boston morning papers.
It was announced that the operating
officials of the company were planning
to send to each of its subscribers
statement summarizing the issue tina
has been raised between the telephon
operators and the government. 1t read
as follows:
To our subscribers. 1t is the desire o
the operating officials of this compan.
to deal justly with all employees. TIL
attitude of the management in thi
respect has not changed since the tele
phone systems of the country wer
taken over by the government
The principle of collective bargain
ing still prevails. Formerly wag
schedules were presented to the gen
eral manager, who presented them wit
recommendations to the president, wh
in turn considered them with the boar
of directors. Now wage schedules, a
heretofore. are to be presented to tn
general manager, who forwards ther
with his recommendations to the op
Grating board, which board Is require
to forward them with endorsement 70
further recommendation to the wir
control board, of which the postma st er
general is chairman.
| This wire control board is not restrcte
by these recommendations. 1t require
them simply for information regardn
local conditions which is necessary
enable the board to render and intelligen
decision.
The operators refusal to submit tn
desired wage scale to the general man
ager for his consideration and recon-
mendation is not due to any feelin
against him or the company. This ha
been explicitly stated by union officials