The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-07-24

: most part. overcrowded with
several families living in each
Shack, often a family Of five or
six confined to one room.
Most of the workers are foreign
born, chiefly of southeastern Europ-
can nationalities, Polish, South Slavs,
Italians, Russians, etc. This condi-
ton lends itself favorably to the COM
pany and its efficiency experts who
exploit the workers to the limit Of
endurance, always using one nation
atty against the other.
No Justice in Court.
There is little justice in capitalist
courts for the workers anywhere, but
in Hegewisch, the barons who own
the steel car shops do not even give
the workers the formality of a trial
During a recent strike at the West
ern Steel Car Foundry company
three strikers were arrested and
thrown in jail for six months with.
out hearing. Several times during
the frequent strikes the militant
strikers were arrested, taken to the
South Chicago Police Station with
out charge, held over night or for
a few days, relieved of $25 or $50
and threatened with deportation for a
second ofrense. All this takes place
without the victim knowing what the
charge against him is. He only knows
he was on strike, perhaps a little
| r1O o0ffua de- Cd,
and was therefore guilty of inter-
fering with the profit grinding effci-
ency Of the company.
! Accidents Often.
Accidents among car builders ARE
frequent and serious. At least TWEEN
ty per cent of the workers have lost
one or more fingers and bear nu-
merous heavy gashes on their arms.
These injuries result from the severe
slave-driving pace set by the com
pany plus the danger of handling the
heavy steel plates without the neces-
sary mechanical devices for shifting
these plates.
When one of these workers loses
finger he is given a small compen-
sation during the time he is in the
hospital. When the company doctor
pronounces him fit for work, he is
given a document to sign and due
to the fact that he is unable to read
English he signs away any further
claims on the company for his loss
without knowing what he is doing.
"On the job. if one of these foreign
ers is cheated on the number Of ri
vets he has driven and tries to get
what is coming to him by reporting
the matter to the STRAW boss" he is
told to learn to speak English and
if he is still persistent he is per-
haps fred" said one of the striking
heater boys, a young American.
Linked to McKees Rocks.
: Such are the conditions of the
workers in this non-union car shop.
The Pressed Steel company at Nc
KEGS Rocks, Pa, of which the West.
ern Steel Car Foundry at Hegewisch
lis branch, has a long and bloody
union smashing record. 1t was against
the slave-driving methods of this de-
partment of the steel trust that some
$4,000 workers struck in 1909 at Nc
KEGS Rocks, Pa. During that strike
some thirty workers were killed when
the Pennsylvania State Cossacks
fired on the defenseless workers. AT.
forwards, during this same strike
the workers acting on the theory OF
IAN eye for an eye and tooth for
a TOOTH" retaliated with equal eff.
fectiveness on the Cossacks. -
At the present time there is wide.
spread discomfort among the workers
in Hegewisch. But in their disorgan.
lied position they are powerless to
fight this great corporation. That
there is good union material among
them is very evident; the fact that
they strike against the company in
spite Of its black list anc Stool pige-
on system is proof of this.
1t is unfortunate that the union
organizations with jurisdiction over
this industry don't pay more attention
to the organizing Of these workers.
THE bosses treat us with contempt
because we are not organized. This
is one of the best conducted strikes
| we have had in years in Hegewisch, "
said one Of the strikers. an ex.coal
digger.