The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-25
PHONESTRIKE
IS THREATENED
Plans Made for Strike Here
and in Jersey to Extend
Over Entire Country.
25 P. C. WAGE INCREASE
Standardized Scale Over Pres
ent Rates SOught-Meet-
ing Is Held Here.

a complete tieup Of telephone SER
sey and throughout the entire coun-
try if possible was threatened by
speakers last night at a meeting. Of
500 employees of the New York Tele-
phone Company at 351 West Seven
teenth street Tentative plans were
made for a strike ''in the near future"
II the companies refuse to grant a
standardized wage scale in which a
25 per cent. increase over the present
rates is to be incorporated.
Demands presented some time ago
to the New York Telephone Company
resulted in a slight increase. The raise
was declared unsatisfactory at the
meeting last night, and resolutions
were adopted to press the company for
a further raise and insist that the
issue be met squarely. either by re-
lection or refusal.
During the discussion the speakers
were careful to mention no names and
anything which would reveal the iden-
tity OF those present was carefully
avoided because, 1t was explained, it was
feared that dctaphones had been
planted In the hall"
What actually happened to the city's
telephone service as a result of Gov
ernment control of the wires during
the war--or, at least, what men who
have been employed by the New York
Telephone Company for twenty years
alleged had happened-was spoken of
openly for the first time last night. 1t
nf IN
of the company issued official orders for
"slackening'' of the service at the time
the Government assumed control.
Nevertheless II was asserted that the
supervisors suddenly exhibited marked
lack of interest in their work.
Previously, 30 the speakers said, the
supervisors in charge OF the central eX-
changes had insisted that each young
woman operator at a switch board keep
the service up to its highest pitch" But
since the lines have been turned back
to the companies, It WAS charged, but
little effort has been made TO bring the
deteriorated service back to its pre-
war standard OF excellence. The asser-
tion was made that this attitude had
been adopted because company officials
| knew that improved service meant
higher salaries.
A contrlbutory factor TO the present
poor service was said to be the fact
that the rate of pay is so low that first
class operators can earn more money in
other lines The inspectors, II was sug-
gested, were afraid to hold the opera tors
rigidly to the rules for fear they would
leave their positions and take others.
Indifference was manifested by both
supervisors and operators the speakers
declared, because the former average
but SIC weekly and the latter 3l4.
The recent voluntary decrease in tele-
phone rates was spoken OF as "bribe
| money to avert an investigation con-
! templated by the Public Service Com
mission"
The installers-workers who put In
telephone lin,s-demand that their maxi
mum pay be raised TO S45 q week Ac-
cording to their figures 1t is now $40.
The company says 1t is actually SS9.
| The average wage is said TO be about
| $40 fourty-four hour week is also
insisted upon.
In the event that the company rejects
the demands mass meeting OF em-
ployees ID TO be held in October possibly
the 18th. In the meantime plans for u
strike will be Ldshed forward.