From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for July 14, 1971:

All of the “occupational” telephone company employees in Lawrence were on strike or were honoring the picket lines this morning, according to Ed Carter, the regional manager for Southwestern Bell. The Bell System was affected by a nationwide strike which involved 500,000 workers. Phone companies across the country were able to keep service going, but they were prepared to halt repair service and installation. An official of the American Telephone & Telegraph Co. said that “people can expect to hear a lot of male voices when calling the operator” as supervisory personnel were called on to fill in for switchboard duty during the strike.