PHONE STRIKE WILL START TUESDAY AM

The 8000 or more operators of the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company and the Providence Telephone and Telegraphy Company will strike at 7 am Tuesday.

More than 1000 members of the Boston Operator's Union voted unanimously to take this action at a meeting in Faneuil Hall last night. Orders were immediately issued by Miss Julia S. O'Conner, president of the operator's department of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, for all other locals in New England to walk out at the same time.

Attempts to block this action of the operators by representatives of the International Union were unsuccessful. It is expected that all members of the men's locals will also vote to strike when the New England Joint Council of Telephone Workers meets in this city today.

…If the strike is endorsed by the council today, enough men will walk out to bring the total number on strike close to 20,000.

Girls Cheer Strike Vote

The meeting was one of the most demonstrative that has been held by the Operator's Union. When it was declared that the vote to strike was unanimous, the cheers of the girls could be heard in Adams Square.

…One of the operators yelled, "It took the Yankee Division to lick the Kaiser. Now let the Yankee operators lick Burleson!"

This remark roused the operators beyond all restraint and from that moment it was only a question of putting the strike question to them, to have it unanimously approved.

Boston Globe, April 12, 1919, page 1