Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-08-06
.SWEEPERS PLAN
TO REJECT SOP
Extra Hour, Instead of Nickel
Raise, Meets with
Disfavor.

Asking for bread and getting 4
stone describes the street cleaners
view of the action of the Board oil
| Works in meeting their demands fol-
a nickel-an-hour increase in wages
by giving them an extra hours work
each day.
The men do not object to the extra
hours work, but they do object to
the same starvation wages" and
their dependence upon fair weather
for any wages at all.
That the union will not look upon
| the extra hours work as a settlement
of the wage difficulty is the opinion
of the street laborers.
Union to Decide Problem.
They have been put to work fol
eight hours today. instead of sever
as heretofore, but it is up to the Els
sex Trades Council and the Street
Cleaners Union to decide whether
the matter is settled OF not.
1t is understood that the action OF
the Board will be discussed at the
regular meeting of the Trades Coun-
ell next Friday night, and a special
meeting of the Street Cleaners Union
will be called at 120 Bank street next
Saturday night.
Representatives of the Trades
Council and the ~Sweepers' Union have
already expressed themselves as dis
satisfied with the "extra-hour deci-
sion," which the street laborers call
a trick to fool them"
ut is pain said A. ]. Cozzolino,
president of the Essex Trades Coun-
Gil, that the commissioners are not
trying to treat the matter in a spirit
of fairness. They say the city can
not afford the 'nickel-an-hour' ex-
ira. but the men won't take that as
an answer. It's nonsensical to say
that a city like this can't afford to
pay it's employees a decent wage.
The board agreed to do something
for the men. but it would have been
better to do nothing than to resort
to such petty action as this"
Before the plan was adopted, and
when the commissioners were argu-
ing that there were no funds avail
able for the increase, President
O'Connell, of the board, said that
he was willing to devote the bal
ance of his years salary to the men,
If necessary. Commissioner Ryan
stated that he was willing to do
the same Il the others would follow
suit. But the others didn't follow.
Commissioner O'Connell wanted to
know why the men could not be given
at least a two-cent raise, and he was
told that this would cost the city
ST., 900. whereas it only had $7,400 to
spend.
Ten dollars a week fiat is little
enough for any laborer to receive"
said Commissioner Ryan; but the
men are not averaging more than half
that amount the year round"
The laborers tell a convicting story
of procrastination and unfulflled
promises on the part of the Board of
Works in the past three or four years.
Election Promises Broken.
The foremen. who are a sort of go
between for those higher up" have
carried to the men before election
and at other "opportune'' times many
bright messages of hope II promise
thai have always proved helpful to
those in Office, but only a delusion to
the laborers.
They want to cut down the work
ing force" say the street workers.
why don't they CUT down the num-
Der of foremen? We 1nly $ for a
nickel increase and the board pays
the men steadily who don't do the
work; yet they cant find any money
so they say-to let us live.
DIR. Kraemer fights for us work
ingmen. The Republican party is
good on election day and says vote
for us and we will increase your
wages, but after the election is over
they forget and try to shift the blame
on the Democratic party. The board
has tried to make fools out of us
street cleaners, but We are not ready
to admit that they have succeeded
yet"