Evening star., 1944-11-23
Operators
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distance calls became too heavy fol
the limited staffs to handle, caller.
were told their calls could not be
completed unless they were of ar
emergency nature.
Inducements Offered.
Mrs. Cannon charged that COM
pany representatives were offering
the strikers many inducements te
return to their jobs. In Arlington
exchanges, and at some other places
she said, girls have been Offered
double time, raises and every other
promise in the world" if they woulo
leave the picket lines and take ur
their duties at the switchboard.
The union president said these
efforts had not been successful.
I'VE want it made clear" she said
that we are not striking for a
raise. We have a raise before the
board (WLB) now, and this has
nothing to do with it. All we want
is equality. We want them to send
these imported workers home OF
raise us to their pay level.
I'VE should have come out before
Ohio. This has been pending for q
long time. All we want is fairness
Report Denied.
A rumor that the telephone COM
pany was attempting to get WACS
and WAVES stationed in the Metro
politan Area to operate the switch
boards was denied by spokesmen
for the War and Navy Departments.
At the main office of the telephone
company, union spokesmen said, only
eight girls were at the switchboard
normally handled by A. At the main
office and the branch Offices, the
union officials said, women who Lad
been operators and had
since been elevated to secretarial
jobs, were being pressed back into
service.
r. A. Morgan, city commercial.
of Western Union, said the
telegraph company began to fee
the effects of the strike about the
of the morning when mes.
sages increased and many of then
carried the notation that the send
ers had been unable to put through
telephone calls.
Special Crew Handles Calls.
Emergency telephone calls of the
War and Navy Departments and the
White House were being put through
by special crew, the company said
Mrs. Cannon said last night tha
union officials had provided for such
a crew to handle emergency calls
A company spokesman denied this
however.
mo such arrangement was made
by the union before the employees
walked out" he said. The fact is
the company had to arrange for
such crew to handle this important
business. These people walked of
their jobs at 8 o'clock last night
without giving any notice whatso-
ever to the company"
A check made early today with the
War, Navy, Owl and Maritime Com
mission revealed that none of the
agencies had run into trouble with
long distance calls thus far. All
these agencies, however, have direct
lines between Washington and other
large cities, SO that in a large per-
centage of their calls they do not
come in contact with the regular
switchboards. Their own operators
are stationed at both ends of these
direct lines.
At union headquarters, 1889 Four
teenth street NV, Mrs. Cannon an
nounced that the operators would
remain out until something is
done"
Meeting in Two Sections.
Reminded that the spread of tht
strike to Washington and to othel
major cities might cause the Presi
dent to seize the Nations telephon,
system, Mrs. Cannon said:
Il would just as soon they tool
over right now"
Last nights meeting, which hat
to be held in two sections becaus
the hall was too small to accommo
date all of the operators at on
time, lasted for nearly three hours
When it was over, Mrs. Cannon trie,
to leave the hotel by fire escap
to avoid talking to reporters. Sh
finally announced:
THE people voted to strike, S,
we'll strike"
The union official, whose HUSBAND
is in the Signal Corps, said the vot'
to strike was unanimous. She salt