The New York herald., 1922-05-04
UNTERMYER ASSAILS
JEWISH BAKERY MEN
Employers in Tears as They
Tell of Oppressive Rules
by Unions.
HIGH WAGES RUINOUS'
Short Hours, Fines and Loss
of Production Help
Keep Up Price.
ONE MAN ASSESSED 1899
Gompers Expected to Testify
To-day to Answer Attacks
on Labor.
ONE MAN ASSESSED 1898

regulation OF IdDOr unions, SdiluS
Cntermyer called a dozen or more
master bakers yesterday at the CON-
mittee hearing to tell of oppressive
tactics. Some with tears in their eyes
worked eighteen and twenty hours p
day and had been forced into virtual
bankruptcy by the regulations of the
Bakers and Confectionery Workers
International.
Max Freund of 1878 Holland avenue
The Bronx. a member of the executive
board of the union controlling New
York and New Jersey. signed waiver
OF immunity and admitted that many
things about tie union and its rules
should he corrected.
He acknowledged that the "arbitra-
tion" whereby disputes were settled
by the executive committee was no
arbitration at all, and that some of
the other regulations were out
rageous" and "autocratic."
1t had been expected that Samuel
Gompers. whose attempt ten days ago
to defend some of the practices of or
ganzed labor. particularly in the
building trades. failed to convince the
committee. would be a witness. He
is expected to take the stand to-day.
Pay From $6e to 500 Week.
The terms of what the committee re-
earded as an extremely vicious con-
tract forced on master bakers by the
Jewish bakers unions were attacked
during most OF the day They are in
marked contrast to the terms OF general
organizations. Employing Jewish bak-
ers are forced to pay a bonus and sign
this contract without receiving a copy
or an opportunity of reading IT, They
cannot go to the other unions and are
compelled to pay wage scale that
varies from s66 to $50 a week as against
one of s37 to $45 In the others
Instances were cited where employ
ers were fined as much as S999 and
practically put out of business David
Lehrman. master baker OF Browns
vile. told tearfully of having to force
his wife to work In order to make a
living and how he had injured his own
and his wifes health by reason of the
drastic regulations.
Nothing revealed in the plasterers'
bricklayers' or other building trades
union equals In its autocratic severity
the impostions practiced by the Jewish
bakers. II was asserted The direct
result has been to keep production
down and the price up
Meyer Herhst owner OF large balx
cry at 52S To 52S East 10th street. said
that he lad been losing money since
the arr''sti"e. He does a business Of
about s5o.ooo a year. baking about 5oc
barrels Of -four week He added:
NV consumption OF flour has been
reduced from 1000 to 500 barrels week.
if could raw my help like the ether
unions could have doubled my out
put instead of reducing It,"
Hours Of Work Shortened.
IN addition to the wage situation g.,
the Jewish unions. there Is marked d,,.
ference in the hours OF employment as
compared to other unions The avera ge
number OF hours In days work in the
Jewish unions Is ~ on rye bread az
on white and u on rolls No class ~
work. II was testified. Is more arduous
than the other. but the short hours are
allotted where employers had installed
machinery. The effect Is TO keen his
production at what It would otherwise
William Pechter treasurer Of the
Pechter Baking Company In Cherry
street whose annual turnover IS about
s3.OOO.0O0 and whose weekly consumn-
tion Of flour Is between $500 and 1000
barrels. testified that in his opinion he
concern could cut bread about two cents
pound N II were possible to get labor
AZ non-union scales. The Perhter Bak-
ing Company employs about 900 men 4
an average wage of s75 week for n
day that averages about five hours. Mr..
rechter said:
III the situation continues Il means
the ultimate extinction of the Jewish
bakers. We are simply hoping against
hope"
Lost an Hour ON Each Man.
David Miller. owner OF shop in East
12lst street, who used to do a business
OF about s150,000 a year, was treasurer
OF what has become "A somewhat mori-
bund organization of employers Be-
cause he was active in the employers
Interests. he told the committee. he was
forced 60 sign contract calling for one
hour day less work than any other
master baker in Harlem
Morse M Frankel. 9ss Hoe avenue.
The Bronx. editor OF the Mediator. a
bakers trade paper. said that in 1914
there were more than 700 Jewish master
bakers in the city. but that the number
had dwindied until now there we're onlv
800 employing union labor and perhaps
10 or so operating open shops This
despite the fact that the commercial
bakers are now making so per cent. OF
the bread consumed in New York. as
against 35 per cent. In 1914
His explanation Of the situation wa
that II was In the nature Of a reprisal
for other days. There was a time he
said, when bakers worked eirhtee ,
hours a day for s12 week and were
constantly at the beck and call of the
employers.
Other complains we're against fines on
employers for working In their own shops
for a longer time than the union rules
allowed. One witness. Aaron Borwitz
Of The Bronx. testified that he was fineo
$500 because he once addressed meet
ing OF employers and the fact was
recorded in the Mediator. He had onl,,
800 so n union employee lent the
balance to him and he paid II back 81
81 week with 81 interest.
Senator Charles G. Lockwood, char.
man OF the committee. is ill and will not
be fbc 70 attend the sessions for abou'
two weeks. The illness is not serious.