The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-05-17

the union. At present the union is i
It nationally effective will be made la
May % in Bryant Hall to boost the
organization Of amateur photo finish
ers.
Hours of Labor Extremely Long.
The summer season is the busiest
work period for amateur photo finish
ers while the work of professional
Photographic workers goes on all the
year round. Some of the amateur
finishers, the men who make the
prints of our snapshots, say that they
are forced to work continuously for
up to SO hours, during these busy
months.
The union is demanding a 44-hour
week for all Photographic workers
with $45 minimum wage for skilled
workers and $50 weekly for assist
ants. Ten holidays including May 1,
are sought and time and a half pay
for overtime; double time for work
on days off.
lnsanitary Dark-Rooms Breed 7. 3.
In addition the union is demanding
improvement of sanitary conditions in
Photographic laboratories. Many of
the darkroom where developing and
finishing are done are needlessly in
easements and are damp and poorly
drained. Few of them have adequate
ventilation and they are seldom prop
erly aired between work periods.
Electric fans are needed, the union
says, especially for work in summer.
Because of the bad conditions photo
graphic workers tend to develop con-
sumption. Eye strain, particularly
among retouchers, is common. These
workers seldom are able to work
more than 10 year at the trade. Metol
poisoning is another serious hazard
Of the industry. Handling deadly
chemicals is part Of the work.
Child Labor Real Menace.
The abolition of all child labor in
Photographic laboratories is demand
ed by the union. In the busy summer
the larger studios hire high school
boys and girls for as little as 81 a
day to do the simpler operations.
Child workers are used to replace
older skilled men and to beat down
wages to $40 or even SIS, as adver-
tisements in New York classified ad
columns testify.
Boss Wanted Payl
Since most Photographic studios
are still independently owned, no
Photographic trust-outside of East
mans in the manufacturing end-yet
existing, the introduction Of improved
machines is not rapid. Machines that
carry the Aim thru the whole process
from development to print are used
in large studios and laboratories, how
ever.
In these shops such a close check
is kept upon the workers productivity
that when one Of the men recently
asked for a raise in wages his en-
ployer counted up from charts the
amount of time the worker was sup
posed to have lost on the job and an
nounced that the worker owed the
firm money!
Various Bad Work Rules.
Hiring and firing at the within Of
the employer is another evil which
the union is endeavoring to overcome,
Ending of piece work for retouchers
is sought in order to give the workers
decent wage instead Of having them
employed by the week and then given
too little work to enable them to make
wages. Louis Baum, organizer, claims
that there are comparatively few re-
touchers and most Of them have come
from Europe.
He is making special effort to get
them into the union because Of their
strategic importance in the industry.
Over 200 members are already in the
union, which is only a few months
old, and thru meetings of all kinds,
including educational demonstrations
pertaining to the industry, more and
more members are being attracted.
They are of all nationalities.
Zar.feIrv Aoa;r HaoJe