Seward daily gateway., 1925-03-03
STEEL CORPORATIONS
 POLICY, SAYS REPORT,
 SETS INDUSTRYS PAY

NEW 1ORh, Mar. 2.-Ihe far reaching extent to which the labor policy of the United States Steel Cor poration determines the wage scale of steel workers turnout the indus try and thereby makes difficult the development of the employees rep reSentatiOn movement is shown in report issued today by the Indus trial Studies Department of Russel Sage Foundation. The report is the result of a five-year investigation of the industrial representation plan of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Compa- ny, one of the independent steel companies, Of which the Rockefeller family is principal owner
 The report declares that through the Rockefeller employees representa- ton plan. the men in the steel works ot the Colorado Fuel and Iron com pany were able to secure the actual eight-hour day five years before the Steel Corporation and the rest of the industry adopted it, but points out that because this company feels lmpelled to follow the wage scale Of it's competitors, chief among which is the Steel Corporation, it's workmen have no real share in the determin- ation of their wages This, the re- port says, limits seriously the scope |
  Of the employees representation plan 1 which in other respects has accom- plished much good
 ''In an industry so devoid of any tradition concerning representation | of the workers as the steel indus try is,' declared Mary Van Kleeck, Director of the Foundations Depart ment of Industrial Studies, "the in dustrial representation plan of the Colorado Fuel and Iron company marks distinct step in advance, for under the plan the men in the steel works of this company secured such hour day, an opportunity to partici- pate in revising wage scales, meth cd of presenting and discussing griev ances, and a greater degree of se curity in their jobs through the right to appeal to higher officials against the decisions of foremen and super men throughout the industry as a whole secure adequate and effective representation in determining wage standards, those employed in any one plant such as the Colorado Fuel and Iron company's steel works, are bound to be dissatisfied
 The lack of this representation in the determination of wage scales, ac- cording to the report, was one of the principal reasons why the steel workers of this company worked out practically in a body when the na- tional steel strike of 1919 was called.
 Ben B. Selekman who conducted the investigation for the Foundation and prepared the report, found that in the opinion of the workmen the most serious obstacle to the success of the plan is the minor local off cial, not the higher official. As long as the functions of hiring and fir ing are ill the hands of superin- tendents and fcremen, Mir. Selek- man says, dissatisfaction will exist | among the employees. Workmen re- peatedly accused foreman of favor itism and of being arbitrary. The l fact that the company did not pro- mote employees according to senori- ty was another common and deeply i felt grievance, which though not al- ways reported to the company was l responsible for much dissatisfaction | Mr. Selekman found the men were re- 1uctant to make complaints because it meant antagoniZing officials un- der whom they had to do their daily | work.
 "These grievances" says the re- port point to the fundamental need | of a personnel department with a specially trained staff to deal with l the problems of human relations and to leave the superintendents free for the tasks for which they are primarily ftted-that of directing production"
 Following the preliminary field work of the Foundations investiga | tors, a number of changes were made in the plan by the Colorado Fuel and l Iron Company. The report makes a | note of these changes, but shows that l the fundamental difficulties found in | the plan and in its administration, l both in the coal mines of the com nrtn tnh