The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1910-05-27

qulre0 TO WORK as long as there ID any
work in sight-something that the
company is very careful to provide.
Sixteen, eighteen and even twenty
four hours work day is not uncorl-
mon for the men, but the driver who
works his horse more than ten hours
is liable to discharge. To date no
one ever heard of local agent being
fred, or even reprimanded, for corr
polling the employees to work over
time.
The tender solicitude of the hign-
er-up officials for the humber EN-
ployes is evidenced by an incident
that happened right here in Lincoln
a few months ago. An express mes
senger was caught in a wreck and had
an arm broken. Three days after the
accident he was called upon to make
hts run. He tried to explain, but the
manager insisted. Finally the mes
senger agreed to go out with another
man and help him by showing him
what to do. This he did-and not Oh
ly was he refused pay for the trip.
but he was compelled to allow the
other mans pay out Of his own mea-
gre stipend.
You have doubtless heard a LIT
about the hard work and poor pay Of
the postal clerks. Well, the postal
clerks have an easy time and draw
princely salaries compared with the
express messengers. The postal clerk
| can throw all the mail for station
| in one or two sacks, and dump the
sacks. The express messenger must
handle each package separately, have
bill for each one. and get receipt
for each one. If he is SO awfuiiy
rushed that he has to carry package
by, and it happens to be something
| perishable, the company kindly al
lows him to pay for it out Of a salary
that is far lower than the poor salar-
les paid the postal clerks.
A few months ago the employees
OF a local express company circulated
a petition asking for an increased
wage. The local superintendent got
wind of it, but took it for a move to.
organize union. He called one or
| two of the leaders before him and
| told them that it had to stop; that
the men would not be allowed 20
organize When told that the men
were simply asking for raise IN
wages he said that had to stop, as
such a move was calculated to cast
reflections on his management.
well, If you don't like your jops
quit EN-" says the man who does MT
understand industrial conditions.
That's SO easy to say, and so hard
to do. The man who has shaved away
the best part Of his life for an ex-
press, company, and at low wage,
and who has family on his hands,
knows it isn't SO ALFRED easy to quit
and begin all over again. Especially.
you know, if he happens to have
,stoop in his shoulders and some gray
hairs over his temples. Employers are
looking for fresh victims, not for old
victims.
Express messengers who handle
hundreds of thousands of dollars
worth of property every year, receive
less wage than the average mechanic
who has no responsibility. The mes
senger works from twelve to eighteen
hours and the mechanic eight. the
messenger works at most hazard
GUS occupation, the mechanic at
safe one. w..
The postal clerk with heavy and
long run works six days and lays on
six days, but an express messenger
with as long run and even harder
work must toll every day and for
less wage than the postal clerks re
ceives for six days on and six days
off.
clerks to handle the mail in a given
length of time, more are added. 1t
there are not enough express en-
ployes to do the work in a given time
well, they are given enough time
and allowed to do it without rest or
overtime pay.
Why not organize?
Good idea-but will you kindly ex-
plain how they may go about it? They
are in and out at all hours of the
day and night. They are worn out
when they come and have to rest till
they are dragged back to work. They
are scattered. They are watched like
hawks.
Perhaps the express companies