▁inaug ural ▁conference ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁was ▁Dick ▁Ste ad man . ▁ ▁The ▁National ▁Tele phone ▁Company ' s ▁Bright on ▁office ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁poor ▁working ▁conditions ▁and , ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁an ▁E T U ▁branch ▁was ▁formed ▁there , ▁led ▁by ▁Alfred ▁E wer . ▁ ▁After ▁failed ▁negoti ations , ▁the ▁union ▁began ▁a ▁strike , ▁but ▁this ▁col lapsed ▁after ▁five ▁weeks . ▁ ▁The ▁remaining ▁strik ers ▁were ▁s ack ed , ▁although ▁the ▁union ▁helped ▁them ▁find ▁them ▁work ▁elsewhere . ▁ ▁In ▁response , ▁the ▁union ▁decided ▁to ▁appoint ▁its ▁first ▁full - time ▁general ▁secretary ; ▁Arthur ▁Walker ▁was ▁elected ▁uno pp osed . ▁ ▁He ▁raised ▁concerns ▁that ▁the ▁union ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁meet ▁its ▁commit ments ▁to ▁out - of - work ▁benefits ▁to ▁members . ▁ ▁The ▁became ▁an ▁immediate ▁problem ▁with ▁a ▁dow nt urn ▁in ▁trade ▁the ▁following ▁year ; ▁union ▁membership ▁pe aked ▁at ▁ 1 , 1 8 3 ▁that ▁year ▁but ▁then ▁began ▁to ▁fall . ▁ ▁The ▁executive ▁decided ▁to ▁inst itute ▁a ▁le vy ▁of ▁three ▁p enn ies ▁per ▁member ▁per ▁week ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁make ▁up ▁a ▁short fall , ▁but ▁this ▁just ▁led ▁to ▁more ▁members ▁leaving , ▁and ▁membership ▁fell ▁to ▁only ▁ 4 0 2 ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 4 . ▁ ▁Walker ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁res ign ▁after ▁ste aling ▁union ▁funds , ▁and ▁Ste ad man ▁replaced