Evening star., 1920-01-02
BY RAY STANNARD BAKER.

In this article / wish to show how
one great section Of American indus
try looks from below. to the workers,
taking the specific situation at Gary.
Ind, as the explanatory example. 1t
is only as one tries to understand
how the worker feels and thinks
his own actual point of view-that
we can get at the problem. In my
previous article l have tried to ex-
plain how industry looks from above
to the employer.
When l went to Gary to make in
Quiries about the steel strike | had
in mind the twelve demands made by
the national leaders when the men
walked out on September %; but |
heard only two discussed with any
emphasis either by the workers or
the management.
First. the twelve-hour day.
Second, the right to organize and to
bargain collectively with the en-
ployer.
The twelve hour day is very real
thing in the life of Gary. and | tried in
number of specific cases to lind
out what it means. Here is the exact
daily schedule of a skilled American
day during one week and thirteen
hours a night during the next. He
has his Sunday free. though many
men in the steel industry still have
the Seven-day week; nor does he do
the ''long-tu turn of twenty-four hours
continuous service when the change
from day to night work takes place
"a practice still persisting in some
centers of the steel industry. In or
der to get cheap rent-for there is
great shortage of housing in Gary
this man lives four miles out from the
mill. He must, therefore, In order to
be on time, get up early.
Days Schedule.
4:3O am. he arises and gets break
fast
$40 he leaves home.
5:55 he reaches the mill.
he begins work.
He is on duty steadily until 5
o'clock IN the afternoon. There is no
stoppage for the luncheon hour, but
he has time. during waiting periods,
to get something to eat. He arrives
home at O'Clock; soon after he fin
ishes supper he must go to bed. for
at 4:3O in the morning he must be
up again.
During the night shift he gets up
soon after 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
starts work at 3 o'clock, works
ing. is home at and in bed before
s. Including the time it takes to go
and come from the mill. this man
time is really commanded for some
fourteen hours every day.
He has been at th.s work all MS
life; he now makes s7.S7 day.
Il don't live" he said. Il just exist
work and sleep. l don't get any
time to see my family. | can't go to
any entertainments without taking
II out of my sleep; and l am too tired
to go to church on Sunday. or to 90
anything else but lie around.
How 1t Strikes a Pole.
Another striker Pole. said to me
in broken English:
American. When we get time;
Twelve hours a day. What the hell
they want
Remember. l am trying to show just
how it looks. from below.
According to Judge Garys test
there are 692S4 men in the United
states Steel Corporation now work
ing the twelve-hour day-and there
are many thousands more in the IN
companies. A great pro
portion of these twelve-hour men are
foreigners, of some 1orty-tWo na.,oii
,lities at Gary alone. speaking
babel of tongues. and hitherto unor-
r9-.,ad and unorganizaole.
When / remarked to group OF
workers that Judge Gary had told the
Senate committee that employees OF
the United States Steel Corporation
desired a twelve hour day, and even
a seven-day week, in order to make
more money. | was greeted with
shout of laughter.
want it," said one of them. we
can't help ourselves. The mills run
on the tWo-shift basis and ITS eitner
twelve hours or quit. Besides, at the
r.te of wages per hour paid by the
company most Of the men could not
live unless they worked the long
hours"
So much for the twelve-hour day
The Senate committee, in the recent
conclusions after investigation; said;
."That the laborers in the steel mliis
had lust complaint relative to the
long hours of service on the part Oh
some of them and the right 10 nave
that complaint heard by the coihpdh5'
1--WE believe where continuous opera
ton is absolutely necessary the men
should at least be allowed one I'd!
rest in each week.
The Demand, to Organize.
The other great complaint. the de-
mand to organize and bargain coiiec-
lively. is more complicated. goes down
deeper into the roots of the contro-
yersv. For, if the workers were
granted the eight-hour day and the
six-da week. this other demand
would not only persist but ptooapiy
be strengthened. I met one steel en-
ployer. who said to me: III you give
an inch: if you let them discover that
agitation and organization gets them
anything. you're gone. Garys right.
He spoke of Rockefellers introduc-
ton Of the eight-hour day and shop
committees in his Colorado plants.
Did it stop the strike? ne i.,K"".
NO. they're out with all the others.
60 are the Cambria Mills. wher" theN
have company unions. Gary's right
There is one independent mill that
was scarcely touched by the strike,
1t has been looked upon with some
envy in the steel industry. Its super