Denver labor bulletin., 1915-11-06
Some Euils of the Jones-Detroit
Non Union Cigar Combine
(By SAMUEL GoMPERs.)


The Understanding. oppressive. 3nhu-
man conditions that are maintained by
the American Cigar and Tobacco Trust
a. well a. other cheap. nonunion cigar
factories in Detroit. were brought TO the
attention Of the Philadelphia Convention
OF the American Federation OF Labor.
The conditions prevailing in these cigar
making shops are abhorrent to enlight
ened consciences and union standards.
The convention referred to the subject
matter of the resolution to the Execu-
tive Council of the American Federation
OF Labor to make an investigation and
give publicity to the findings OF such
investigation. Inasmuch a. it was
thought that the widest publicity
could be secured thru the Federal Com.
mission ON Industrial Relations. II was
suggested that the Executive Council
concent to have the commission make
the investigation and pat back OF its
findings the authority and the wide
scope OF influence of an action by fed:
eral agency At the January session of
the Executive Council this matter ives
referred to ue TO take up with Presi-
dent Perkins to the end that the di-
rcctions of the resolution might be car
ried out I wrote to Chairman Walsh of
the Industrial Relations Commission and
placed the matter hefore him. One OF
the organizers OF the A. y. of l.. was
instructed 10 90 TO Detroit to devote all
OF his time to making this investigation
and then Ia make . complete report to
me. Organizer T. H. Flynn was assigned
To this work After making very
thorough investigation he reported to
me. The main points in the findings Of
his report are these:
The cigar companies in question of
Detroit. several years ago. entered into
an agreement to pay as little rs posi-
BILE for the work done by it, employees
One OF the methods by which they
thought to bring about this result was
through school for girl workers in
which they would be taugh; only part
OF the cigar making trade
This idea Of specialization was intro
duced with the hope Of making the
workers more submissive because more
dependent upon one particular job. The
older employees would also he more
submissive because they knew OF girls in
training who could take their places.
This school was named the Detroit
Ideal Cigar Company for the purpose
of making il self supporting. The girls
who work or study" there are com
PEELED to sign an agreement that they
want to learn n designated part Of the
cigar trade and agree To work 30 days
without pay and in addition TO pay the
company $500 in advance for self in
struction. These student workers fur
nish their own tools. Ii they cannot
pay $500 in advance. they are given the
privilege" of paying 5000 in install.
ments. AT the end of 30 days the stu.
dent workers are given certificates de-
claring them to be practical bunch max.
crs, cigar rollers or packers, etc No
student is ever allowed to learn the
whole trade. After receiving these GER.
tificatcs they are given employment in
the factories under the control of the
combine. For their work in the factor,
les they are paid MS follows:
For bunch making. cigar rolling or
packing, they work six months for n
certificate of 81 90 per week. each week
receiving certificate of Sl.0O PAYABLE
at the expiration of six months, on con.
dition that the cmploye should have
worked steadily 0 months ir the factory
II the cmployc, ON account of illness or
other inapplication, worked only five
months and % days. the company would
refuse the sl.0O certificates. The result,
the employc would receive absolutely no
pay for the time put in.