Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-15

DAY: but that issue was not decided
in the present award of the board.
one would infer from the dis
patches, too. that the decision of the
board was generally against bonuses
Tor piecework, granted to stimulate
production. This is not true. The
ponus system involved in the Beth
lenem case was complicated one.
TO a number of members of the
board 1t seemed that the bonuses al
lowed for the first eight hours were
merged in the additional compensa-
tton allowed for overtime, so that If
men worked ten hours and got over
time pay they lost the benefit of the
bonus they had earned in the first
eight hours. The whole board. in
view of its lack of simplicity and
possible injustice, deemed 1t wise to
have this bonus system revised so
| that its effect could be made just
| and at the same time clear to the
workers. An examiner was directed
10 make further report to the board
for this purpose.
Again. the decision of the board
that the workers in Bethlehem have
a right to organize and be represent
ed by committees in dealing with the
| company is heralded as, new and
radical announcement effecting a
change in many important indus
tries. 1t is unwarranted to give such
color to the decision. The Bethlehem
| Company processes to run an open
shop; that is. a shop from which
| union men are not excluded and
in which union and nonunion men
work together. The boards "consti-
tution," so to speak, provides the
! following:
THE right of workers to organize
in trades union and to bargain col
lectively through chosen representa-
tives is recognized and permitted
abridged or interfered with by th'
employers in any manner whatso
ever.
In establishments where unioI
and nonunion men and women nov
| work together, and the employe
meets only with employees or repre-
sentatives engaged in the said es
adjustments. the continuance o
such conditions shall not be deeme,
a grievance. This declaration, how
ever. is not intended in any manne
to deny the right or discourage tn,
practice of the formation of labo
unions or the joining of the sam,
by the workers in said establish
! above quoted"
The manager at Bethlehem receiv
ed any individual who complained
ABOUT his own case, but did not re
| celVe Joint complaints by commit
| tees representing a group of work
ingmen. In this he departed from
the Constitution" of the board. The
| board directs it's examiner to hole
the election of committees, with q
provision for minority representa-.
ton, at a schoolhouse or some pub.
| lie building in the neighborhood.
These rulings do not, as has beer
| reported, unionize Bethlehem. i
does not change Bethlehem to q
! attempt made by the union men il
| either shop to exclude from employ,
ment nonunion men, the board woulc
| promptly decide against such action
or course, If an employer processes
TO have an open shop and to make nc
| distinction between union and non.
| union men, and yet in practice ex
! cludes union men or nonunion men
| or If he processes to receive commit.
| tees from their men and does no
| see them in fact. this decision of the
board condemns such practices, as il
ought to.
| WcIc OIileT matters QeClQeC
in the Bethlehem case as to piece
rates and n minimum hourly wage
for each class of service upon which
to calculate overtime; but. like the
bonus, they grew out of a complicat
ed condition at Bethlehem and dc
not have general application. The
general principles decided have beer
! given above. The plan of detailins
an examiner of the board to helr
the solution of difficulties arisine
with ultimate appeal to the board i
is thought will be useful
The Bethlehem plant is one whose
maximum production is of the ut.
most Importance to the government
in this war. The government intend:
to have the capacity of the plant AM
the number of men employed largely
increased. The attention of tn,
board was urgently called to tn,
threatening unrest among the work
ers there. Indeed, there had at on,
time been a strike of some 5000
| men, which was ended on the faitf
| of a fair settlement by the war la
Dor board. The turnover" /. e., tn,
| change in. personnel of the worker,
each month, had reached a disturb
| ing percentage, indicating dissatis
faction. Some remedy was certainly
| needed.