Conditions at that branch of the company were worse than elsewhere, so Ewer wrote to Arthur Walker of the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) to ask for help.
[5] Walker attempted to negotiate with the National Telephone Company regarding conditions in Brighton, but could not make any progress, so the ETU called a strike.
Initially, it seemed the trade unionists had a strong position, but after five weeks, it fell apart, and Ewer was one of only six members still on strike; they were all dismissed.
[5] In 1900, Francis Sims, the general secretary of the ETU, resigned after having been caught embezzling funds, and was later sentenced to six months in prison.
[6] By 1907, Ewer was in conflict with the Manchester branch of the union, which won a vote to relocate the national office to their city.