The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-11-07
SELLING JOBS
To COAL MINERS
Gets HARD KNOCK
Two Rank and Filers
Expose Conspiracy
BY E. B. HEWLETT.
Especial to the Daily Worker)


If miner wants a job in No. Orient
mine, he must have $4,000 or he ia
out of luck This was discovered
when Joe Klynas, employment agent
was exposed as Job seller" in ca
boots with the mine boss.
1t has been rumored for long time
that no one could get a job at No 2
Orient mine from a boss as at other
mines, but must see an agent and
pay him $4,000, who would then give
the applicant some sort of order to
take to the mine boss who would put
him to work.
Paid The Money.
On or about October 16, 1924, Will
Jam Shrader and Henry Savolick. who
had been to the mine many times to
get work and had been told that more
men could not possibly be put on, as
they had too many already, went there
again and heard the same story. So
they we're told by friend who to
see if they wanted a job They we're
introduced to Joe Klynas to whom
they paid $4,000 each.
William Schrader went up to min
ers sub-district office and told Lon
Fox, who is president of the sub-dis7
trict, that he would try and secure
evidence against the bosses and
agents, if the sub-district would fur
nish the $4,000 to buy the jobs. At
first Fox did not want to do II, shy
ing that he tried many times TO get
men to secure evidence against lob
sellers" but some of them never came
back and others did nothing. Schra-
der informed Fox that he had been a
member of a local union in West
Frankfort for six years and had prop
erty worth $4,000 which he would put
up as security.
The sub-district Office then gave
them the $4,000 which they paid to
Klynas and he told them to 20 to the
boss the next day and give the latter
an envelope with their miners papers,
and slip of paper with their names
on 1t to George Pollack. boss at the
Orient No. 2. When they had done
this job would be given them.
Investigated First.
When Schrader and Shvolick went
to the boss next day. they were in
formed there was no job but when he
was handed the envelope he told the
two miners to come back at 4 D. M
When they returned, the boss, took
the employment slips back, saying he
would have to investigate nrst Then
Schrader and Savolick went to the
agent and demanded their money
back. He took them into a private
room and advised them to return to
Pollock, the mine boss and go thru
the same performance they went thru
the day before. They would then get
their jobs. He was right. This time
the boss gave them an order for a
lamp, known as "bug light" and they
went to work.
After having worked for few days,
Schrhder, who was employed as a
loader, had no coal and asked the
boss for shift work. He was told there
was no work for him. The boss says,
"Schrader. guess I made mistake
when l hired you" Schrader replied:
81 guess you did, Mr. Pollock"
Schrader then exposed the whole
business and got seven other men to
confess to buying jobs. This kind Of
thing has been going on for a long
time.
Agent is Arrested.
The only man so far arrested was
the agent. The boss has not been
touched. The agent is free on a one
thousand dollar bond.
Now that the ice is broken, others
are opening up. Kero Kenny confess
es to buying job on February 5.
1923. The fee at that time was $4,000.
Frank Laukis, who confessed to buy
ing a job from Joe Poschkus. was
threatened with dqhth by the latter.
Poschkus pulled his gun on Laukis
and would have killed him had not
woman come between them.
Lon Fox, sub-district president, says
he will not allow this to drop until
the mine bosses and manager are dis
charged and their mine papers taken
away. It is expected that several
rnora will oonfaaa All fhoaa xvhn