The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-12-08
THE BONUS SCHEME.


On another page will be found a des-
cription of the tactics used by the Nat
ional Founders association to break
the strike of the union molders IN
Cleveland. They think they have
solved the problem OF how to overcome
4 combination OF union men striking for
lust treatment. Do the facts in the
case justify them in their opinion? IT
they think so, the Lancaster Labor
Leader believes they are easily salts
fed.
About six month ago four hundred
and ninety-six Cleveland molders
struck. Their demands were refused.
and an effort made to obtain non-unlon
men to take their places. The majority
Of molders in this country worthy of
the name, belong to the union, and the
employers discovered that to fill the
places Of four hundred and ninety-six
competent workmen they would have
to use more than ordinary measures.
They decided to- offer each molder who
would accept strikers place a bonus
Of two dollars above the regular wages.
They advertised this offer far and wide,
the advertisement appeared frequently
in daily papers all over the country. AS
a result, after six months efforts they
have been able to gather together about
three hundred alleged molders. Even
the liberal offer of from $4.75 to $500
per day did not bring the desired result.
There are several reasons for this. One
is that the best molders nearly. all be-
long to the union, and are faithful to it.
They also have intelligence enough to
know that as soon as the molders' un-
ion is broken UP the Cleveland employ
ers will stop paying the bonus, and will
cut wages sufficiently to enable them
to get back the amount they have paid
out to the poor dupes who have taken
the strikers places.
There are plenty OF molders scat
tered through the country who would
willingly take the vacant places, but
they are unfit to do SO. The three
hundred who have turned traitor to
themselves and their fellow workmen
are not able to do satisfactory work,
several foremen in the strike shops
2 have already resigned in justieey~tto
themselves. The quality of the work
turned out was so poor that they could
not afford to be responsible for it.; and
rather than lose their reputation as
competent foremen they stopped work.
There are other influences at work
that will deter would-be Judases from
going to Cleveland. An article in the
November issue Of the Iron Molders
Journal says:
"RumOrs reached our pickets of dis
satisfaction among the scabs in the
shops, who claim that the National
- Founders association is not paying
them all the bonus they promised them
1t appears that only one dollar of the
two dollars promised is paid each pay
day and the other is withheld for a.
specified period. This back money some
OF them say has not been forthcoming
1t is also learned that they have to
work Sundays and overtime at regular
rates. Others complain that their mail
Is opened before it reaches them. MANY
of them are such past masters in the
art Of lying that we are inclined to
doubt the latter statement No re-
putable firm would stoop to such petty
Espionage. But the funny part is that
several scabs have been discharged be-
cause they We're suspected of being un-
ion men,"
AS a consequence these nom union
workmen are dissatisfied and are leav-
ing about as fast as others can be Sc
cured. Consequently the employers
are not gaining any Roadway, and the
chances of victory for the strikers are
constantly growing brighter.
s 1t is no altogether clear why the men
who take strikers places should be dis
satisfied with such treatment. They
cannot haye any selfrespect and why
should they expect the men who use
them as tool and a convenience to
have any respect for them? They al
low themselves to be bought like trait
ors. They are false to themselves. their
families, and their fellow workmen. If
they do not know this their employers
do. Hence they get treatment no self
respecting man will endure