Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-28
TEXTZLECO-OPERATTVE
PROPOSITION MODIFIED
Men and Management Council Changes Plan to Meet
Objections of Workers, Who Claim Title
and Idea Are Subterfuges

the union. Either way some .. the EN-
ployes would be dissatisfied
| Before the plan was made public |.
/ in common with other textile workers.
waited eagerly for the announcement of
what we hoped would offer "A way otn of
( the difficulties between men and en-
rloyes. Now that the plan is public
| property. it appears to be so weak that
the workers are laughing at II. The
vote against the plan mas been heavy.
! know that 500 knitters voted against
1t: 800 members of the hosiery organi
cation voted no. Hundreds of unor-
ganized workers have gone on record
against the plan"
The letter sent out by the Men and
\ Arrangements Textile Council to the
workers in the ful-fashioned hosiery
| industry follows:
THE Men and Arrangements plan. a
! copy or which was recently sent you,
probably failed to express the ideas fully
| of the men who worked out the plan.
We want TO make it as clear Is possible
| Read this letter very carefully and think
! what 1t means to you:
FIRST. The plan. as submitted. has
been demanded by and adopted by prac-
tically every union in England and is
now being successfully carried out all
| over England. and. further has been
adopted and found satisfactory in every
way in a great many establshmentsan in
/ the nlted states, so that, realizing the
results have been beneficial to every one
concerned wherever the plan has been
.Tied' .hf' we concluded it would be desir-
able 10 institute the plan in the full
lashioned hosiery mills in this. city. In
q formulating the plan men working in the
mills were consulted. We are glad to-
DAY TO consult with YOU as to the work
ing out of the plan ard what changes
you may think would he proper II the
plan as submitted is not complete.
Certain representatives of the union
a fnI In to, Al.
derstanding what the plan was: in fact.
. they did this before we had the plan
ready to submit to any one. BY taking
this stand we were forced to continue
our work without their help and con-
sultation.
"You must understand that the real
purpose Of the plan is to create better
working conditions for YOU. spirit Of
! loyal cooperation between Men and
Arrangements. and finally n profit-shar-
ing plan, based on production. with the
result that differences arising over Ques-
tions of employment. wages, production.
sanitary conditions. etc. may be prop.
erly adjusted in a fair way by various
committees appointed for this purpose
Plan Is Explained
Remember, the plan does not inter-
iere with your membership In any union
or any other organization. The profit.
sharing fund will be under the joint
control of yourselves and the manage
ment and will amount to a large sum of
money. and you will have a share of
this big sum, which will be sent you
every six months. in addition to your
wages. and the share you will get should
be at least to 10 per cent of the wages
YOU have received in that six months
This Is not question of wages :
wages Will be taken UP and decided
upon by the JOINT council of representa-
tires elected by you and by the man
agements. This is a plan whereby you
will get profit depending upon the
production of the mills and has nothing
to do with wages.
ANY employc leaving the employ
ment of a mill will not lose his share of
the profit fund, because he leaves before
the six months period is up. but he viii
secure hts share at the time of distribu-
tion at the end of the six months pc
riod
The amount Of the dues is so small
that every one can afford to pay them.
The dues ARE simply to secure an in
terest in the plan so that each fellow
will work to make the plan successful.
and this added effort will make for you
more money than your dues amount to.
All the dues are returned at the end of
every six months' period with interest,
in addition to your share of the profts
and you can withdraw from member
ship any time you wish and receive at
once the return Of your dues paid in.
There are no initiation fees and no
fines attached to this plan.
I'm order to make the matter per-
fectly clear, there is to be no charge
against this fund for expenses of any
kind. 1t will be kept intact and paid
in full at the end OF each six months.
There are other features proposed
which. when the plan has been started
and worked out for time. can unques-
tionably be introduced. manly that or
providing life insurance in amounts say
up to $1,000, and perhaps more; prob
ably sick benefits. as well as n locker
for each individual employe SO his per
sonal effects may be kept under lock
and key. and, in fact, we nope eventual.
ly the plan will work out to such great
| advantage that your corporation VIII
result in securing many additional bene-
fits. ,,.,,is,, 10
fair and clean, and If necessary can be
changed later. Any matter that you 90
not understand will be answered If you
viii apply to the mill where you are
All of the full-fa shioned hosiery mills
will operate on this plan, and we VIII
be glad to consult with any of our EN-
ployss or a committee of employees to
| exnlain any matters to them Whlch may
y not have been made clear In our plan,
Mr.. Hurlbut, president of the council,
amplified this statement in an interview.
He said:
Objections Outlined
"Jn addition to the statements made in
the letter, wish to state that the follow
ing are virtually all the objections |
have heard to the plan:
First. That the ten cents dozen
should not be paid only for hosiery tirsts.
but for hosiery seconds In answer 10
this, no mill ever ships more than per
cent seconds, as there is a loss and no
profit on selling seconds: that every
mill strives to make perfect goods on
which a profit will be made. and that
no one would attempt to evade paying
ten cents "A dozen on firsts by callini
them seconds also the average percent
age of the seconds would soon disclose
any attempted unfairness on the part Of
the management.
"Second. That because the foremep
were represented on the mills committee.