The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1917-04-13
WORK IN FEDERAL PLANTS


Loyalty by Letting Down Barriers
Against Nonunion Workers-To Mo-
bilize All Artisans.
For the first time in the history of
union labor in this country, officers of
the internationals in Philadelphia say,
the barriers between union and non
union labor have been torn down in an
effort to mobilize the skilled artisans
for work at the navy yards and federal
arsenals. While the union men have
charge OF this work, directed from the
ton In Washington, the nonuniOn arti-
sans are obtained as speedily as possi-
BILE and sent TO the federal plants.
Plans for the labor mobilization have
been worked out by Assistant Secre-
tary OF the Navy Roosevelt, Secretary
of War Baker and Albert J. Berres,
secretary of the metal trades depart
ment of the American Federation OF
Labor at Washington.
Charles e. Scott, international deputy
organizer of the Boilermakers, Iron
Shipbuilders and Helpers, and William
A. Kelton, business agent of the ma
chinists of the Philadelphia district, ex-
planned the mobilization.
There is no union and nonunion
labor as far as our labors are concern
ed" Scott said, and If the newspapers
would only publish this mobilization
plan any nonunion man who wants
work would know where to come. We
have forty recruiting officers all over
the country getting boilermakers, ship
builders and men for navy yard work.
"And 1t is a hard job. There are SO
many private plants which pay higher
wages than the government, that while
the labor men are patriotic they also
have to take into consideration the
high cost of living. But the govern
ment, through agreement with the
labor leaders, suspended the eight hour
law. SO man can work ten or fifteen
hours now If he wants to and gets
time and half for all overtime In
that way he really makes more money
If he only knew it. than under the con
tract system.
This mobilization was UP to US, and
it Is the first time we tore down the
barriers against nonunion labor. We
believe that working with union men
they will become unionized, though,
and that this crisis only means a
strengthening Of our forces. We fought
the bin to permit the government to
commanders labor and when the teeth
were taken out Of the bill it was up to
us to make good And that is what we
are doing. We keep a census of the
men we feel that we can get, and
when Secretary Berres sent us word
we got to the front and got busy
bringing In the skilled men. We are
Just as much recruiting officers as any
body getting men for the army and
navy
Under the mobilization plan all union
men are asked to submit their names
addresses. classification of the service
and if they viii accept federal employ
ment These are sent in duplicate to
international Headquarters at Kansas
City, from where they are forwarded
to the army and navy departments
When there is shortage OF men the
bureau heads at Washington send word
to Berres. The civil service examiner
for the district in which the navy yard
or arsenal is situated is given a list OF
men, and he personally visits the can
didates at their homes. If they pass
they are given transportation to the
navy yards or arsenals.
Whenever the supply of labor is in
adequate the international officers 50
about the country seeking nonunio1
men willing TO accept government EN-
ployment They present their name:
to the civil service examiner, and ht
visits them and obtains their qualifica
tions.
Scott said he would not seek AM
war machinists," as he termed thC
munitions workers who had fiocked t.
those plants and had had no training
as machinists in peace times.
Business Agent Kelton of the Ma
chinists' union said he had made ever
easier arrangements to handle his en'
at Philadelphia He said all interna
tional officers had made arrangement
with the civil service examiners t
have them telephone whenever ther
was an emergency force required.
Kelton has had all the machinists Il
this section card indexed, togethe
with the number of nonunion men VIII
might be available. As soon as he re
ceives the word KeltOn will have tn
local officers busy rounding up men
union and nonunion, to be sent to tn
Parkway building. where they will b
first examined by Kelton and other
and if found efficient will be sent t
the Federal building for civil servic
examination
II have put a hundred men in Leagu
island alone" said Kelton land W
make no distinction. We figure tina
these men will join the union anywa
after they have been working In th
navy yards for a time. We get pos
ers. too, from the Civil Service Boar
showing the number of men require
at the various federal plants. and
there are too many for governmen
purposes here we see that they hay
their fares paid to OF er places wheI
they can be used"