The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-03-30
Bill of Grievances.


just differences with the railway CON-
pany.
Bill of Grievances.
A committee of the employees of
the Duluth company this week pre-
pared a bill of grievances and a
statement of their working condi-
tions. 1t is a plain statement of facts
and is we'll worth reading. 1t in
part is as follows:
zone of the conditions precedent
to obtaining a position with the Du-
luth Street Railway company is a
deposit Of $500 for a badge costing
about so cents, which sum is retained
by the company so long as the work.
| man remains in its service. Assum-
ing that there are 200 employees the
| company then has continuously in it's
possession $1,000 of their. employees
| money. :.
When new man enters the SER
vice he must spend from eight to
| ten days of his time as a student be-
| fore he can be trusted with the oper-
| alton Of a street car. For this labor
| he receives no compensation, while
| in other cities such men are allowed
| 10 cents per hour as students time.
Filling extra Ldst."' ST.
| AT the completion of his student
period he is subjected to strict ex-
animation, and if satisfactorily
passed, he is given his place at the
foot of the extra list
! Extra men are required to remain
about the car barn at certain periods
| of the day to take the places Of reg
ular men who may be unable to take
| out their run or who for any cause
! are prevented from doing so. They
must report at 4:45 or $50 in the
morning. If there should be no
opening at these hours they are OBJ
liged to remain in waiting until eight
o'clock. If there is nothing then to
do they are excused until 1890 and
! must remain about the barn until
noon. If any extra man is still so
unfortunate as not to secure a run
at this time he is excused until 4:3O
in the afternoon.
Long Hours of Service.
| The best opportunity to get a pull
! OUT for an extra man is after 4:3O
| in the afternoon. Frequently, at this
time he is called upon to fill the
place of regular man who has been
excused or who has absented himself.
An extra man. who is called to take
such runs is usually employed until
two o'clock in the morning. When he
| arrives at the barn at this hour he
invariably finds himself booked to ap-
! pear there again at 4:45 or $3.50 on
the same morning, and thus he is
| permitted to have only two or three
hours sleep.
| "While working under such con-
ditlons the new employe is constant
ly being watched by men hired by
the company for that purpose, and
should he in any way become guilty
! OF an error in the performance of
his duties ne is promptly given what
Is commonly known as ''demerit."
Labor From Prisons.
! THE demerit system" was bor-
rowed by the employers Of labor who
do not want to have anything to do
with trade unions from those penal
institutions of our country where the
parole system is in vogue. Men are
sent to Jail for certain term of
years by court and under the rules
Of the prison authorities they may be
released on parole after they shall
have served half Of their time, pro-
vtded that they have not been given
a certain number Of dement's for in
fraction of the rules Of the prison.
| Employees Of the Duluth Street
Railway company are promoted to
better runs or reduced in the service
according to the number of merits
or dement's they may receive.
Every petty officer of the COM
pany possesses the right to give de-
merits to an employe under him
Everything depends with the en-
ploye upon his standing with the line
foreman. II his standing is good in
fractions of the rules are frequently
overlooked, but If it is not good he is
punished for the slightest error.
No Pay Day For Extra Men.
! The wages paid to all employees
for the first year are p cents per
f.o,,r. IN ST. Pa,ll ana Aiinnea po!il
ny