My Sisters Telegraphic: Women in the Telegraph Office ... - Monoskop

THE CTUA AND THE STRIKE OF 1907 175
fervid exhortations. Once in a while she became hopping mad
when her words appeared to have no effect and spoke her thoughts
right out in meeting. Other girls did their best to aid her by loudly
calling out the full name of every man who had not signified his
intention to leave. 48
Women also joined the picket lines during the 1907 strike. A female
picket appeared on Lasalle Street in Chicago, where both Western Union
and Postal Telegraph headquarters were located; she was described by the
Tribune as a “demure little creature who presumed to guard the doors of
both companies from the unwelcome presence of feminine strike breakers.”
Giving her name only as “Miss Millner,” she told the press: “We women are
in the strike to win. . . . The men are doing a great deal for us when they insist
that we have equal pay with them and when they declare that they will
stay out until the companies grant that demand. It is little enough for us to
help them as much as we can.” 49
In other parts of the country as well, women entered leadership roles as
women’s issues came to the forefront. In St. Louis, Eva E. Tracey, who had
been pictured in the June issue of the Commercial Telegraphers’ Journal
clowning in a skit at the Grand Musical Entertainment and Dance held by
the St. Louis CTUA Local No. 3, appeared in a more somber role in the
September issue of the same journal as a member of the union’s Executive
Board. 50
Hilda Svenson became a leader of the Postal Telegraph strikers in New
York City. She was interviewed by the New York Journal, which referred to
her “command of 345 young lady pickets.” Nellie E. Pearl, her counterpart
for Western Union, was interviewed by the New York World, which featured
pictures of her and a description of a day on the picket line. 51
Media Coverage
Although the strike was enthusiastically covered by reporters for the Chicago
Tribune, its reporting was often superficial, focusing on “glamour shots” of
attractive women and “human interest” stories; there was little mention
initially of women’s strike issues. Tribune reporters frequently portrayed
women strikers as hysterical and inexperienced; an account of a union