The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-09-24
CARRIE FURNACE
I CARRIES DEATH
FOR WORKERS
Capitalist H ellh o | e
Breeds Revolt
BY THOMAS, Worker Correspondent.


Carrie Furnace of Rankin, Pa, is a
part Of the United States Steel corpo-
ration in which Garyism is maintain
ed 100 per cent, long hours, speed up,
small pay and no organization per-
mitted Born a Welsh coal miner
even for me the strain was too much.
After two weeks had to quit.
The labor gang are suffering all the
abuses Of hard work. One man has to
carry cement and brick to keep three
bricklayers busy on certain days when
they are repairing the furnaces. On
other days they are wheeling waste
away from the furnaces under terrible
heat while the dust almost chokes
them. There is a straw boss for
every six men besides assistant fore
men and foremen.
If you stand up for moment to
stretch your back or take rest they
are all on your neck within two sec
onds, and if you give them any back
talk you will be fired right OF the
bat.
Carrying at the Carrie Furnace.
l spoke to a laborer who had been
employed there for about two years,
though few workers stay so long in
that place except those having a STAFF
job. He said conditions had been the
same ever since he started. He said,
"tfe name of this place is carry al
right, have been carrying ever
since two years ago. II 1t isn't one
thing it is another"
And for that work you are paid the
large sum of 44c an hour for 10-hour
day. The much boosted eight-hour
day does not exist in this plant. The
workers are beginning to realize that
an eight-hour day can be won only
thru an organized fight.
l have seen still worse examples
The men who work around the fur.
rnaces, cleaning gas tubes and clean
ing waste from the ore, receive the
royal sum of 45c an hour for risking
their lives in the cloud Of dust and
gas coming from the furnaces.
worked in that plant for two weeks
When 1t got too hot l beat it but
shall never forget what happened tc
dozen men during that period.
Workers Who Vanish.
One man who was sent up to re
pair a runway fell down about 15(
feet and was killed instantly. One
man fell down into the cumberdowI
I (red hot ashes from the furnace) hi
was burned to death Both of these
accidents were indisputably the faul
of the company for not supplying
safety belts.
A few days later gas tubes were tt
be cleaned out. Men were forced II
go into these tubes before the gas
was properly cleaned with the result
that seven men were gassed, some be
yond resurrection.
They were taken to the hospital and
nothing could be heard of them since
where they were, or whether dead OF
alive. All such accidents are being
hushed up by the officials of the com
pany.
1t is a sight to see the sick parade
when every other morning those who
have suffered injuries but are still
able to somehow crawl back to work
must do so. If they cannot walk they
are brot in ambulances. This is done
to keep the record of the list OF &C
cidents at the lowest possible mini
mum.
This company now boasts of thu
best record of this kind in the dis
trict. However, the cause OF the large
part of all accidents can be traced
back directly to the slave driving con
ditions under which the workers are
employed. driven to a point of com
plete exhaustion and the lack of safe
ty appliances.
Safety All in the Speeches.
Nothing is done to protect the lives
of the workers except safety speeches
in reality given for the purpose o.
boosting the company and praisins
the existing conditions. Only the
strongest men are accepted for jobs
in this plant. Plenty OF applications
but only the most husky are selected
the same as butcher picks his cattle
The growing line of unemployed
however, is beginning to teach the
workers another lesson that the
bosses have no interests in common
with the workers Of the mills; thai
their institutions, political and other
wise are created to help keep them In