New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-17
Tenants, Stenographers
and Porters Operate
Elevators in Build
ings After Walk-Out
Demands Granted
Some Union Men
Inconvenience i'm Early
Hours, With Practically
Normal Service Later

The strike Of elevator operators
called by the Elevator Starters and
Operators Union, came off on schedule
yesterday morning, but, from all indi-
cations, was not as effective as the
union leaders had hoped.
While thousands Of persons, particu-
larly in lower Manhattan, were incon-
venienced on their arrival for work
service on the elevators, abandoned
by the strikers punctually at o'clock
was resumed before noon and. accord
ing to available reports, was main
tanned at from 60 to 80 per cent of
normal throughout the day. In many
buildings, real estate agents reported
the service was 100 per cent.
The strikers failure to paralyze the
vertical lines of transportation was
due directly to the enlistment Of thou
sands of volunteers, many of them
women. In many buildings tenants
formed into relays and worked in
shifts. The larger buildings wers able
to Impress into service members of
their electricians and mechanical
force. Since announcement of the
probability of the strike had been
made many days before, the large
buildings were able to provide emer-
gehcy crews which went to work imme-
diately upon the walk-out of the
strikers.
None Of the big hotels Of the city
seemed to be affected.
Various estimates of the number of
men and women out were given during
the day.. The estimates ranged from
$1,000. given at the Office of the union,
1876 Third Avenue, to 1000, made bv
j. J. Belan, of the State Industrial Com
mission on Mediation and Arbitration,
who visited the headquarters of the
union and offered the services of the
commission to settle the strike.
In some buildings the strikers won,
union officials asserting that owners of
several large structures had agreed to
meet the demands of the organization.
Little Confusion Marks Walk Out
There was virtually no disorder or
confusion following the beginning of
the lkS.out, with the exception of a
slight disturbance at the Equitable
Building, housing II, 900 tenants, where
the sixty-three elevator operators
walked out in body. There was great
congestion in the corridors for about
an hour before porters, cleaners and
Janltors were put on the lifts" Po-
licemen were called sin, all doors were
closed and no one was admitted until
all corridors were cleared. Late in the
afternoon the superintendent of the
building said thirty of the sixty-three
elevators were in operation. Many of
the tenants, because of the limited
service, failed to go out to lunch.
Service in the Woolworth Building
was normal throughout the day. the
elevators there being operated by
women employed during the war, who
were called into service when the men
operators left their posts in the build
ing three days ago.
All elevators in the Hudson Terminal
Building were in operation, the men
saying they were not members of the
union and refusing to obey the strike
order.
In the building at SO Broad Street
the men returned to work after being
out a short time.
In the Singer Building all the eigh-
teen operators employed walked out.
Thirteen of them were replaced and the
service continued throughout the day
under the direction of F. G.. Stenill
agent of the building.
Only part Of the usual number of
elevators were in operation at the
Trinity Building and the United States
Realty Building, Is Broadway. Ele-
vators at the City Investing Building
and other large buildings near by were
in operation, being manned by janitors,
porters and others hurriedly sum-
moned.
The operators in the Empire Build
ing, II Broadway, stuck to their posts
Fifteen strike breakers ran elevators
(ContInuad m mana thraa\