The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-07-10

'y.sss greater effect In naming
$3.50 ~ discharge from the Ar
vi heing made necessary BY lack
49, iederation, In session Friday
.sst aleo voted to instruct dele
800 = the workmen's central
ssradI % withdraw.
a. Cook, president OF the fed
sSten. q . statement today charg-
" lk1t there is rank discrimina-
~ n he laying Of Of men.
~ charged that through having
III natrol over marking efficiency
ss1,ss, oficers at the arsenal are
position to arbitrarily mark
- eiiciency rates to allow for
scAarge Of men OF long service
M keep men Of comparatively
aeft service. ;.
IA asserted that the reason for
~ federation calling upon mem
- Of the workers council to
rtthdraw was thar it is no longer
\ "a Tor them to hold these posi-
fions charging that over half Of
A. - members have been dis
charged regardless of having long
service records.
History u Council
me council members were elect
"A Nv the workers after the chief
i ordnance asked for the system.
NJ, Cook said. Payson Irwin, ad-
yisor in the Office OF chief OF ord
nance general, c. G.. Williams, was
aid to have been father Of the
scheme. The purpose was to get
tho workers to name a council, the
members Of which would appoint
standing committees to look after
various interests Of the arsenal.
The council members were to
! investigate suggestions Of the
Scrkers in general for betterments
u Improvements of all kinds in
t&ting out work. They were to Of
IL such suggestions as were deem
a practical to a conference COM
nittee composed OF four members
Of the council and four members of
the arsenal management with the
commanding officer as the ninth
member Of the committee and its
chairman. Any criticism Of the OPP
Grafton Of any department, along
with suggestions to rectify condi-
tons was also the duty of the
council to present to the confer
enc6 committee.
Claim Council Ignored.
Mr.. Cook charged that the coun-
ell has practically been ignored
asserting that suggestions have
been made in large numbers and
that very few have been acted upon
IN . spirit Of giving them fail
test. In short. he claimed that on
account Of the necessity to make
criticism the council has been sal
~ Now that the members Of the
dncil are being discharged in ar
ALLEGED unfair WY the federation
has instructed the delegates te
withdraw. Mr.. Cook was careful tt
state that the federation does moi
order the disbandonment Of the
council, as 1t has not this power
for the reason that the council ii
really government organization
plan, but the federation claims thu
right to ask its delegates to with.
draw.
President Discharged.
Mr.. Cook was discharged from
the arsenal on July 2. He claiml
mat he and E. J. Aspengren, secre
iary Of the Machinists' union No
VI, were let out on the same day
while workers not naturalized citi
sens who have been employed a
Inc arsenal for as little as thre,
months were retained.
Mr.. Cook took up employment a
me arsenal In 1914 and Aspergrel
lM . service record Of 16 years
ar. Cook charged that both he ant
Aspergren were made the victims
W working the efficiency ratings
ne set forth that he worked il
AIne tool making department. wher'
re was listed as a first class work
man, and when transferred to tn
engineering department last Sep
!emoer he had an efficiency ratinl
A s75. In the engineering depart
ment he did no tool making work
y! his rating az tool maker wa
reduced to 94.5 while there. h
nd. On June 4 he was transfer
va back to the tool department
snu IN three weeks his rating wa
,,eouced three times. reaching tn
mw mark Of S9.5. He explaine,
saA IN discharg1ng men In variou
apartments where work is slack
ne men with the lowest ratings ar
=. 30. He claimed that men VIII
usse been on the workers counci
" lof other reasons have INQUIRE
me enmity Of the arsenal manage
men! have been discharged throug
.ne dropping down Of efficiency raj
nss even on top Of many year,
servlce while unnaturalized cit
sens retain their Jobs with only
'ew months service.
y
Hurts Retirement Men.
ne claimed that in thus bein
g out many men are seeing year
service swept away that woul
oon lead them to retirement. H
sag mat any man at the arsens
I. tne age Of rs can retire on
~ cent Of pay Of q rating take
y the last 10 years II he has hs
~ years service. For Is year
s srvf Is per cent Is allowed, Il
9 years, 40 per cent. and for ]
seais, 80 per cent. Clerks are pal
= me same ratio on retiring at Ii
sse OF 70 years. he said.
Aen who ara incapacitated ca
nw the same ratio Of pay regart
- OF their age. He asserted tn,
ae men pay these retiremant liza,