The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1919-09-06
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Of The People

Let US state clearly before going
further who is meant by Wee" That /
word represents the committees. which
were elected by the employees TO repre-
sent them on the various committees
working under this same plan. Some
question. do we really represent the en-
ployee? Let the question answer itself
Were we elected BY the employer? NO
Then we do not represent him. Were
we elected by the men in the plant?
YES. Therefore it must follow that
their interests are ours. How were We
elected? Mr.. LAWN states that this plan
had to be accepted by the men whether
they wanted il or not This is where he
is entirely mistaken. The first move
made along the lines of representation
were certainly made by the company on
February 14th. that is they gave the en-
ployees the opportunity of selecting by
popular ballot a representative commit
tee out of the workers ranks to look
over and study a proposed plan OF rep
resentation Considerable time was
spent by the committee debating the
various articles il contained. Finally
after certain alterations had been made.
which that body considered necessary 20
the welfare Of the employees as
whole. this body signed a proposed plan
and not the regular workmens repre-
sentative assembly, which is the name
under which the combined committees
function. This took place on March the
3rd Neither this committee or the
company's representatives consider this
instrument binding on either party at
that time that body having done what II
was elected to do passed out OF exist
ence. 1t then became necessary TO SUB
- E~r al
approval. This was done at an election
held throughout the plant on March IS.
At this election a ballot was prepared
and in bold type was the question. ARE
YOU IN FAVOR OF THIS PLAN? YES
OR NO If in favor write below at
least two nominees for each committee
ship"
We wish to state here that the ballot
was absolutely secret being left to the
workers choice. to either vote. yes or no
or even cast a blank ballot. No person
could possibly know for the ballot was
folded and placed in a sealed ballot box
hv the voter himself. Yet at that the
vote in favor of the plan was as follows;
ont Of a number of men eligible TO vote
sac were in favor Of the plan. against
no thirteen blank ballots being IN the
box. 1t is this ratification or the PA"
| which the company considers olnd'hs
| on the employees and not the sieninH OF
| The plan by the committee that helpeo
| "a draft II and we challenge anyone 10
| nrove that the acceptance was forceo on
| the employees. To be fair with the lot
eien speaking employees an Interpreter
| WAS used 20 explain in their own lang
uage what the plan really meant
we wish 10 call Mr.. LAWNS attention
"a a special election held on June 27th to
fill a vacancy on one of these commit
tees. that the employees were favorable
| at this late date to the plan. Out or
| total of is men employed In a black
| smith department 16 votes were cast
in favor. In the machine shop Is voteo
out Of a total of IS employed. These
results are looked upon as excellent
for almost all of the men in these de-
partments are good union men,
Very satisfactory results were OBJ
tanned through this plan on the various
matters that We're referred TO il for it's
mediation. as every employee of the
plant we'll knows what II might have
done or still can do il a matter of con-
lecture. that satisfactory results have
been achieved argues we'll that II given
a fair and impartial trial il could AMIGA
bly, settle all existing grievances. even
major wage disputes. We had on hand
at the time the strike took place plan
: whereby wages were to be adjusted 70
! various crafts, also to grade wages in
, those crafts. so that the skilled me-
chanic would be recognized ahead OF
others less skilled in that same depart
ment. This article has been written by
the committee on behalf of the men who
can see that given a fair trial the plan
is bound to result in a better under
standing between employee and en-