The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-07-21
CAN'T BREAK HEGEWISCH STRIKE

CAN'T BREAK HE
Continued from page ~
paid. making nine and three quarter
hours day.
Many Strikes.
Spasmotic strikes are quite frequent
in this shop. With each new contract,
the company uses al the time worn
methods to grind more profits out Of its
unorganized victims. 1t cuts the wages,
reducing the number of workers and
still demanding the former turnout.
The pace set by the company is TWEEN
ty-seven cars day for the men on
each line track. With the reduction
Of the force on each line the men find
it impossible to turn out that number
of cars, instead they turn out seven
teen or eighteen cars day. The COM
pany uses this as a whip with which to
speed up the workers. They are paid
on the basis of the twenty-seven car
a day production, therefore they are
compelled to work a part of the fol-
lowing day to turn out what the com.
pany calls a days work.
Strikers Are Determined.
At present there is no Organization
among the men. The company there
fore pays little attention to their
strikes. In the past when conditions
in the shop became unbearable the
particular group affected would walk
out. One time it might be the riveters,
another time the heaters, etc, and
return after few days. This strike,
however, is considered more serious.
On July 9th the heater boys went
out and the other mechanics men
toned above followed. Up to the end
of last week the company used every
method at its disposal to get the men
back to work by Saturday. In this
they failed. On Monday morning at
seven about forty heater boys were
standing near the gate on the picket
line as it had been reported that the
company was getting scabs to take
their places.
Shoot at Workers.
An automobile load Of detectives
from Chief of Police Collins Office
came and ordered them to leave
Some Of the heater boys, however
did not move as quickly as the dicks
wished them to. so they fired few
shots at the strikers. Joe Flint, a
heater boy, was shot near the ankle.
The Cadillac squad" that did the
shooting had visited the offices Of Mr.
F. Book, superintendent, Mr. C. c.
Corcherin, general manager, and Mr..
Buckley, the efficiency manager, and,
according to the strikers, were drunk
when they returned for their morn
ing target practice on the strikers.
Spy In Union.
During the steel strike in 1919 the
men in the Western Steel Car Foundry
Co. were organized almost 100 per cent
in the International Brotherhood Of
Railroad Carmen of America. They
maintained their organization several
months until their secretary, Steve
Yogovich, who formerly was employ
ment agent Of the company and evil
IDENTIFY one of the under cover men in
the union, ran OF with the union funds
amounting to $1,000.
There are approximately forty-fve
thousand workers in what is known as
the Calumet district The Pullman
company's car works employs at
present about 1900, the Illinois Car
1900, the Western Steel Car Foundry
Co. $500, General American Car 49,
900, Standard Steel 1000. Ryan Car
$500, and the Keath Car about 500.
These companies carry on a severe
and very effective black list system
against the men. Any worker not hav-
ing clean slate from one of these
companies cannot get work with the
others.
While the companies are well or
ganized the steel workers in this dis
trict are entirely at the mercy of
these powerful corporations due to the
lack of organization. Most Of the
shacks in which these workers live
are owned by the companies. In adj
dition to having their wages slashed
in half on the first of May they re-