Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-02
BIG LABOR QUESTIONS
Discussed by Two Leaders of
National Unions.
HOURS AN D WAGES
q L
WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED
THROUGH ORGANIZATION.
Advantage Of a Shorter Working Day
Benefits for Strikers and
Victims.
HOU RS AND WAGES

bOtn are vice presidents OF the American
Federation of Labor, and each is the leader
of a national union of skilled workmen
whose members are to be found in every
business center. One Is James O'Connell,
the president of the International Associa-
ton of Machinists and the other James
Duncan, the secretary of the National
Union of Granite Cutters. Each of these
men had reached the top of the trade he
represents before he was elected as its lead
err Each knows how to work with his
hands. and has done for years at the
highest wages. Both are conservative, diplo-
matte and practical They understand
their business and can hold their own in
their meetings with the great capitalists
and representatives of trusts with whom
they daily come in contact to settle strikes
or lockouts, or to make trade agreements
which shall govern hours and wages for
one year or five, as the case may be.
I met President O'Connell at the head
quarters of the International Association of
Machinists here in Washington. They take
up the greater part of the second floor of
the McGill building, on G. street, not far
from the patent office; and their business is
managed as carefully as that of a bank or
great mercantile establishment. Two type
writers were clicking away in Mr. OCon-
nelPs office as entered, and they kept on
clicking while we talked. 1 first asked as
to just what the International Association
of Machinists was. Mr.. O'Connell replied:
Seventy Thousand Machinists.
1.-The International Association of Ma
chinists has more than 10000 members and
it embraces about half of all the men in the
trade. 1t has local unions scattered all over
this country Canada and Mexico, the larg-
est being in the chief manufacturing CEN
tiers. In Chicago there are about eighteen
different unions, each of which sends it's
delegates to a district union which acts
for that city. We have large number of
local unions in New York, Boston and
Pittsburg, and more or less in every manu-
featuring city of the south and west
What do you mean by nfashinsts?"
'The word machinist as applied to our
trade" said President O'Connell, repre-
sents the highest intelligence and the great
est skill among the men who deal with
machinery. In our sense, the machinist
is the man who makes, erects and repairs
all descriptions of machines and machine
tools. 1t is not the man who runs the
machine to produce another product after
they are made. Our men design and make
machines with the aid of drawings. They
operate machines to make machines and
machine tools ard they have to be able to
do all kinds of work and repairs on any
kind of machine from patterns, and that
within a reasonable time
Their work includes the making of the
finest and most delicate machinery, such as
the tools with which watch movements are
made, and it includes the making of the
heaviest and coarsest of machinery even
to the great athes which bore out the guns
for our men-of-war.- The machines for
making bicycles, automobiles, typewriters,
sewing machines, and. in fact, every
kind of machine and machine tool, is the
work of the machinst.N Such work re-
quires great intelligence and skill. The
man must be an inventor as well me-
with every job, and he has to use his judg-
ment in almost every bit of repairs which
comes before him.
How many such machinists are there in
the country" / asked
There are all told about 10000 in the
United States"
They Control the Trade
enty thousand members it practically con-
trolls the trade?'
Yes, it does" replied Mr.. OConnell.
ANY organized body is as strong as ten
times the same number unorganized. If
there are ten union men IN a shop where
a hundred men are employed they will do
more as to regulating the hours of work
and other matters than the ninety nom
union individuals. We find this the case
all over the country.
what has your association done for
your trader l asked.
1T has benefited it in many ways" re-
piled President OConnell I'VE have re-
duced our hours from ten to nine. Before
1900 the machinists the United states
of that year we notified the employers that
we should demand nine-and-one-h alf-hour
day at the end of six months and the nine
hour day beginning with January, 1901.
We carried our point. We have gotten the
nine-hour day not only for our trade, which,
including those not belonging to the union,
numbers 100 coo men, but also for allied
trades, which number 100000 more.
How about wages? Do you get the
same for nine hours that you did for ten?"
YES"
Does the association insist upon a mini
mum wager
different localities and is settled for each
locality ~ an agreement with the employ
ers there In New Yor- the lowest wage
is So per day. In some other places it is
So so and 81. Any employer can pay as
much more as he pleases, but he must pay
the minimum or our will not work for
him.
No Piece Work Wanted.
s.Then you are not paid by the piece?"
mo; our association is against piece
work. We believe 1t contrary to the inter-
ests of the workingman The employer
will say that such methods of payment
give a greater chance Tor the Individual
and that every man can make more working
by the piece than by the day, but it is not
true. The system keepssevery man up to a
high tension. 1t makes him strain every
nerve to produce afiarge, output, and when
ably reduces the rate per. piece, so that the
man finds he is working harder and receiv-
ing less than under eSold day rate This
is matter of experience.
But does your associa ton try to restrict
the output?'' HlrFs ~
mo, it does not, said, Mr.. OConnell.
But how about your rule that one man
shall operate one machine and no more?
That is certainly restriction of output
mot in work like that we do replied
Mr.. O'Connell Our machines are neces-
sarily fine and we have, to insist upon that
rule to protect Ourselves The employer
will say he is wiling TO stand the loss
of any work spoiled by having a man run
several machines, but we find that if the,
work is spoiled the man is discharged
sooner or later. = In some of our work
man does not need to touch his machine
for long time. as, for instance, in boring
out the barrels of great guns A machine
may be set and take twelve hours before
the boring is completed. We insist upon
having a man watch that machine, for
the least break or fault may ruin the
whole work, whereas if the man is there
he can remedy the defect the moment it
comes.''
"Our machines" Mr.. O'Connell went on
"are so fine that they need constant
watching and the mistake of hairs
hroadth cost thousapda of dollars