New-York tribune., 1920-05-30
Electrical Workers Say
They Will Quit Utilities
If Their Employees Are
Sent to Jobs ON B. Il. 7.
Traffic Is Normal
In Spite of " ak Out
Crews on Street Railways
yVon't Heed Demand for
Support, Union Asserts

Leaders of the B. r. T. strike yes
tertlay threatened to tie up all of the
power and light plants in the city if it
was found that men employed in these
had been strk ke breaking in the B. R.
r ,ower houses.
The strike gained no momentum yes
tsrdsy On the contrary, there was no
redrced service Of any kind to the pub
lc 10 all appearances, except for the
glalds at the 3. r. 7. power stations.
theis was no general strike. Because of
the comparatively small traffic through
op: the afternoon and evening. there
vas no necessity for the B. r. 7. con-
sd.ping any other than normal re-
duction in traffic.
Threat Made by Reeves
1!Ae threat of a general eIectrica,
ta'up was made by Phillip Reeves.
bieinesa agent Of Local 20 Of the In
'einational Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers, which IS conducting the strike
ot tAe eighty union employees. 1t was
''.eH 49, >Y4.> "a ttt III ~ James W
QDo1ineu. international representative
O. The electrical workers organization.
ODpnneI agreed that if the workers
in i2e Edison, Brooklyn and Queens
and United Electric Light and Power
coTnanles were found to be aiding in
BIZ hNng the strike of the B. r. T.
nj z, all so employed would be ordered
0ut
Fhe effect Of such action would be to
deny the city most of its artificial light
as we IS power for the operation of
It's public utilities.
! 2 addition both Reeves and ODon-
neI said there was probability that
the cable splicers employed by the B.
i. 1, might be ordered out. This state
ne, T vas based they said, unon The
so tdarity" displayed at a meeting of
the eighty striking electrical workers
yes terday afternoon, which was attend
ed by Edward Reynolds, business agent
ocas embraces all the organized cable
spIi sers employed by the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit Company.
Statement by Union
after the meeting, which was held at
Tammany Hall, Bridge and Willoughby
ST eets, Brooklyn, from to D. m,
OF 1onnel made the. following state
While W. S. Menden, general man
ae ar Of the B. r. T. system, asserts
III II there is no strike we say there
Is one. Further. our inspection this
al Iernoon has shown that the power
10 uses are being operated largely by
mt n who are working overtime. These
na are virtually exhausted and will
SOC n crack. We have concrete evidence
tHl i the officials of the B. R. T. system
vii face 4 marked impairment of serv-
ice by Monday.
tr. Menden says also that but 25
per ccH- Of the power house men are
ont We say this percentage is SO and
nol %. The general manager of
th4 company adds that 200 electrical
ro ters arc employed at the Kent
ava wrue power house, the largest in the
cry Again he is in error, because
tnl'c never has been more than fifty
mel at WORK three at one time. Thirty
Moi are on strike at that p,ant'
'Ao Union preventative said a com
ma ee Of the strikers had been appoint
e. o confer with officials OF the Anal
gan ated Association of Street and Elec-
INC Railway Employees with view to
oot ming the support of the organiza-
ton in the strike
Text Of Reeves's Threat
u eeves's statement that the en-
ilo5 ees Of the Public Utilities Corpora
ton who arc members of the lnterna-
non al Electrical Workers, might be
VIII drawn follows:
>, Ne have decided that if the Public
Jti tiles companies or corporations,
IKE the Edison Company, the New
lori and Queens Electric Light. and
row er Company or the United Electric
A'gn and Power Company, attempt to
Senn any men 10 the assistance of the
D. r. l. company for work in the power
sal; ons, all the men working for these
uNif lies who are members of our union
VIII be summarily withdrawn"
w. Donnell, who was reluctant to ac-
qula see IN the business agents public
SaaN meAt, asked Reeves if he could
GO l."
w eve got them," replied Reeves.
y right" said O'Donnell, smiling.
Car Men Not to Strike
G. Ih' Amalgamated Association Of
S'Fea and Electrified Workers Will not
~ OF 1t IN sympathy with the striking
SSJJ"e mouse men, according to P. J.
"s.ea, the international vice-pre sident
" " % organization. who authorized
we mons headquarters in Brooklyn
m sesve rday TO issue the following state
;, W wish to notify the public that
@ .Ie employees of the B. r. T. system
s sno re members of the Amalgamated
,siDe pssiNs alton of Street and Electric
NV r.IraMa g Employees of America will
'ennasrt at work.
IN Me have instructed our delegates
in.tn .nt' various depots and terminals to
posts. ~ SUI" W 'ie'i
n.0.e we intend to live up to the agree
eyI; %S We have with the company, which
bof;se F.sa on August /, and we have
''''a II Mayor Hylan, the Police De-