The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-11-29
HIGHER EARNINGS POSSIBLE
MiIlmen Also to Enjoy Eight Hour
Shift--kine Hours for Sur
face Men
PROVISION FOR COMPLAINTS

IN eisht-hour shift Tor underground
aud mill employees and a nine hour
work day for surface employees in the
mines of the copper country will be-
come effective December /. according
10 statements issued To-Day following "a
meeting Of mine managers last night
This announcement is the fulfilmeut
Of a promise made TO Governor Fer
ris and federal investigators early in
the strike when the operators stated
that the eight hour shift would be in
effect on or before January ! The
plans has long been contemplated and
impetus was given the movement dur
ing the iast session of the legislature
The Calumet congomerate mine is
the only exception 10 the plan as prac-
tically all mining is done under con-
tract. The new method. however, will
be tried out for one week to determine
the best manner to apply shorter
shift in this branch of the &. & H.
Owing TO varying conditions at the
mines he problem in making the
change has varied, though i'm general.
eight hours of actual work viii be re.
puired, and only two shifts will be utl-
izcd I'm general, most of the men will
leave surface at s:4j and VIII be back
on surface at 3:45, permitting thirty
minutes for dinner. The night shift.
at some of the mines. viii begin at &
o'clock and az others. 80 minutes later.
Announcement is also made that the
working day for surface forces viii
hcreaftc' be shortened 10 niuc hours
This likely will include shop Office and
surface forces.
MAY Earn More Pay.
With the adoption If the plan. min
FRS will he given an opportunity tu
cam ten per cent more pay by work
ing the Saturday night shift. For
many years, miners have been receiv-
ing pay for twcnty-six shafts when
they actually worked twenty -four. as
they were paid for six shifts per wecl,
when night shift and only five shifts
were operated on the night shift. I'm.
der the Now plan, miners may work
SATURDAY nights, thereby receiving tn
additional shift twice each month This
is not compulsory but Il is believed
that many will take advuutase of the
opportunitv
Features OF New Plan.
The salient features of the plan are
thus set forth i'm statement issued 10y
the Copper Range Consolidated
In agreeing To- adopt an eight-hop.
schcdul" we defined that 10 mean eight
hours or work There has been some
discussion i'm regard to the allowance
of time for going TO and from work,
and the custom in this regard differs
slightly in the different dist-i IT'S, as
far as ! have been able 10 lcatn. W.
propose offering a schedule which calls
for an interval of eight and thrcc-Grar.
ters hours from the time of starthry
from the surface TO the time of start
ing up. OF this interval one-haif nour
is To Ice taken for lunch and fifteen
minutes is taken as representing the
time for going down to work
Our impression is that the time for
starting the day shift that will mcci
with the most approval is G.i5 "a. NJ,
and if the first cage starts down at
that time. the first trip up would start
at $3.50 y. m. with i2.0O to - 30 al
lowed for dinner. For the night shift
it is proposed to start down at 500
- m, which would call for the urst
trip starting up at 4.45 a. m 1t was
thought that these hours for the nighr
shirt would bring men home at "A suit
able hour. 1t may he that starting at
S.li or $50 would he better
For Saturdays & is proposed to
have the same day shift as for every
other day in the week. but the night
shift is to start down as soon a. the
day shift is up, and TO start to come
up from the mine at l1.o0 a. m, max
ing the shift an hour or more shorter
than other night shifts ana putting
everybody up before midnight
Work Saturday Night
AS to miners working Saturday
night; this we believe will be objected
to 10y "A great many because of the
aversion to working Saturday nights
and also because IL has been customary
in this district for so many years for
miners not TO work Saturday nights.
Continued on 9Th Page, 3rd Column.