The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937, 1915-10-09

kept track Of his liabilities and seen to
IT that he did not get altogether too
independent in the shops. For some
years they printed a monthly organ call
ed the Open Shop, and the columns of
that magazine were filled with articles
OF how the Cincinnati machine tool man
utacturers had their employees under
subjection. Efficiency was their slogan,
scheme was tloated TO get some eff
cheney engineers to this city to exploit
on a lot of undcrpaid men, arrogant
agents, with stop-watChes in their hands,
goaded the Cincinnati mechanics on to
the point OF extreme cXertiOn, bonuses
were paid on a task and that task was
an impOsSibility because the efficiency
engineers were paid a bonus i'll the mat
ter in setting a task that no human being
could accomplish. In the meantime the
general employment office of the Gin
cinnati Metal Trades association was
maintaining and exploiting through the
gulsc of an employment bureau a scicnti-
llc blacklist until Cincinnati machnists
were Obliged to change their names as
often as they changed their shirts if
they were unfortunate enough to get
laid off IN one factory and desired en-
ploymcnt III another, for ii was a policy,
and is yet Of the Cincinnati Metal
rades association not TO hire any local
people. Strangers were given the pre-
ference III order TO starve people with
home responsibilities here into a condi-
ton Of servilc submission.
For years this programme has been go
ing on in this city; but at last another
dav has dawncd and unexnectcdlv we
have come into our own. The Cincinnati
employers, knowing full well that they
were i'm a community that was nro-Grr-
man and not taking auv too kindly, to
the m1rdcrous business that all mochin
lists are engaged in at prescnt-that Of
making directly or Indirectly war mimi
tions TO murder their brothcrs in some
other part of the world-do NOT seen, to
have the business tact of meeting the
condition of a shorter work week for
their mechanics, "A matter OF four hours
reduction per week at a maximum cost
Of 1.3j per man per week and the alb
solutc assurance that it will not increase
the weekly pay roll because if is a re-
duction in hours and not an increase in
cost. Now, how do our Cincinnati Me
tai Trades association employers meet
this demand2 They have meeting
and decide the machinists don't know
what they want, so they DECIDE for
them. and agree that a 10 per cent bon
us would be the thing. SO they immcd-
lately put in force an increased cost of
$l1j per week per man. where SI.35
would have done the same work and a
contcntod body Of men been the result.
Now what has been the result Of the
bonus? IT HAS BEEN LIKE A RED
RAG TO A RAGING BULL; il has cx-
cited the curiosity of every machinist in
Cincinnati who believed that what the
organizers Of the machinists said was
true-that war orders had been placed
at abnormal prices and we were not
getting our share Of the prosperity and
have not had it for some time back. In
Mr. Manlcy's letter we are told TO be
good BOYS" and suck our stick of candy,
/ which is his bonus. until we get over
this war business: but strange to say. the
Cincinnati machinist will refuse TO wait
We know what your association ha,
done in the past and what they will dc
again if they ever get the chance
We ask no quarter from Won ar vour
association i'm this campaipn We full,
understand before measuring steel witt
you the tactics pursued by your assoc
iation in the past, and intend to shir
from Cincinnati the men as fast as they
strike and are willing to so, and have