Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-23
CAUSE OF THE STRIKE
'PooIing System" Responsible
for McKees Rocks Trouble.
PUTS LOSS ON THE MEN
Skilled Workers Suffer for Faults OF
the Less Expert.
COMPANY SAFE AGAINST LOSS
Cars Turned Out at Fixed Cost
Whether Individual Workers
Shirk Duty or Not.
PUTS LOSS ON THE MEN
OMPANY SAFE AGAINST LOSS

Car Comnany are discussed in a recent
number OF the Survey. by Paul [. kel-
logg.
He says the strike may mark deter
mined trend i'll industrial administra-
ton as we'll as being a 'clean-cut Illus
tration of the part which the Slavs may
play in the industrial life of this coun-
try
1T is a protest Of the half -assmilated.
the lf-Americanized, the half-skilled
against the very industrial policies which
have brought them here, Mr. kellogg
says land which, by the deploying of
fresh migrations, tends to keep them all
down to what the company calls ordinary
day labor 1t is a later chapter than
that OF the stand of the native born
against the foreigner. or even Of the
English speaking against those OF alien
tongues.
1T finds American workmen casting
their lot with the SlaNS. and 1t finds
public opinion in the Pennsylvania steel
district backing up their joint cause.
More important to Pittsburs than her
tonnage output is the making of good
out of all who labor here. He
is an optimist indeed who can see any
good at all in such economic conditions
as are barred in this strike and attend
ant rioting.
ION the other hand. the strike may
mark an equally dete mined trend in in
dustrial administrator. 1t was caused
by the rigorous logical extreme to which
the employing company carried out what
they conceive to be progressive policies
in multiple production.
Protest Against Pooling System.
my understanding is, Mr.. Kellogg
that during the period of
hard times they overhaued their equip
ment in such ways as to make them less
and less dependent upon trained men.
They established a track system, by
which even a crude working force prac-
tically drives itself into turning out cars
and a pooling system of payment which
keeps the labor cost per car within a
fixed charge to the company, and which
unloadS the hazards of lost time and
mistakes in construction largely upon the
men.
Apart from the vagrant charges of
graft and abuse by foremen, which have
been given more than their share of pub
licity, the strike has been over a sweep
ing reduction in wages which the men
laid up to this new system.
Mr.. Kellogg asserts that along with the
modern operating policies. the COM
pany 'ciings TO an infiexible assertion
of the most ancient property rights as
as basis for running its plant. 1t will
not tolerate petitions or meet with repre-
sentatives of the workmen, and it refuses
TO arbitrate.
THE company holds that as long as a
man accepts employ menr IN its works ne
must accept the terms the company
grants or quit; that so long as he can
quit work the man who thinks himself
lnderpaid has no grievance. and that
whether one man or a thousand quit
work is none of the pubic's business.
That is what the company pays taxes
for
The processes of making steel cars Mr..
kellogg explains. have reached a point
where very few skilled mechanics are de-
compared with quick operators
Of heavy machines The company claims
4 months training will turn an mmi-
grant into a riveter.
What Pooling" Means.
The piece rate pooling system, which is
said to be something brand-new. and to
he operations of which the workmen
nave entered their strenuous objection.
was installed early in the present year
the pooling system, the writer
says: "A track runs the length of the
erection aisle. The trucks are placed on
The track at one end, electric cranes pick
up the plates, piece by piece they are put
together and riveted and Il completed car
rolls off at the other end of the truck
There are perhaps twelve positions on
this track, and at each position a group
OF men who perform one step in the
process of completing car. Every no
siton is allowed, say, twenty minutes
If the gang at position is slow or has
difficult IS in getting out it's stunt il holds
up the whole procession, and every man
in the earlier positions loses time
If time wages were paid. and a car
erected in a stationary position all the
delays would fall on the company, and
only constant prodding from foreman
would keep loafer or a 'greener al
high speed. BY means of piece wages
and a track down the erection aisle one
gang drives another.
The installation of SUCH system. even
IN Few departments, was done at
Mckees Rocks, was bound to provoke
some friction at the start But pressing
and riveting steel plates of all
shapes is not so easy TO reduce to d
piece-rate standard as the tonnage which
runs through all departments of steel
mill. Therefore the piece-rate pooling
system was installed.
A Sample Account
To make the system clear, Mr.. Kellogg
account for a fortnight was given him
at the company's office. They performed
this work: 800 pieces at 10 cents each,
$50; 100 pieces at Il cents each SD: 200
pieces at 20 cents each $40 900 pieces at
10 cents each, $50. Total of pool. S1:J.
The pool piece-work earnings of each i.
man was apportioned in this way: If all
the men in the pool had been paid by
their hourly ratings they would have
earned "A total Of S101. But by handling
j 100 pieces during the fortnight at piece
rates the pool was entitled to $780, or
SIS excess Divide S135 by SlU7 and you
have 12617 for pool rate. with which
to multiply the day-rate earnings of each
man TO get his share of the excess. Thus,
John Doe, helper, in the sample pool, who
worked 100 hours and was rated at IL
cents, was entitled not only to 100 times
II cents. or SIT, but to 1.2617 times SIT or
81 .45-his pool piece work earnings for
the fortnight
From a managers standpoint the pool
piece-Work system has signal admins
tratiVe advantage in making the men
each others monitors i'll keeping up speed
and discipline. When the earnings of
an entire pool are dependent upon the
output of every man in il, it is claimed.
the men will get rid of the drones, and
develop spirit and team play.
THE charges brought by the men
against the way the Pressed Steel Car
applied the system are many
and definite. Since the strike the COM
pany has offered to look into and adjust
the cases of individual grievance brought
before ii, but has fatty refused To take
them up before an impartial board of
Complaint of the Men.
I'm the first place. the men claim they
have no way of checking up what is
coming to them. No piece rates are post
ed, as under the old system. They do
not know what the pool is going to get
per piece for any Of the work il does
nor the lump sum due it AT the end of
fortnight lait hon rIx