The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-09-24
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be forthcoming.
Company Attempts Coercion
The company is now attempting
to coerce the laborers within the plant
to operate the automatic stove polish.
err. The laborers are not willing to
do this in spite Of the inducements
the company offers them in the form
of higher wages and better jobs.
The Cribben and Sexton Co. has
done everything in its power to keep
out union men. This attempt of the
polishers to unionize the department
in which they work is a challenge to
the anti-union stand Of the corpora
ton.
Vice President Smith, who is also
the general manager Of the company,
in no uncertain terms told the men
that he refused to recognize the union
or any combination that the men
wanted to form.
Smash Workers Union
At one time the polishers and buff
fers in the plant were organized
They maintained an organization in
the plant for over twenty-seven years
During dull season three years ago
the general manager Of the plant
smashed the union by laying off and
firing active union men. During the
period of union control the piece
prices were so arranged that every
worker was able to make living
wage. Today, the company does not
tell the men what the piece rate is
on certain jobs. At the end of hard
grind the worker finds that he has
made but 81 or SIS for the days work
Not only are the workers kept in
ignorance of the piece prices, but
those on the day pay are forced to
speed up. The work is not easy. The
stowe castings are placed in chemical
solution. Then they are placed under
emery wheels revolving at about $500
revolutions a minute The dust from
the castings fills the air and the men
become covered with 1t and get 1t into
their lungs, for the blowers and fans
are not adequate.
After the emery wheel has taken
of the rough surface then the hand
polishers complete the job of polish
ing the dark surfaces The other parts
are taken to the electroplating bath
and a coating of nickel is placed on
the parts of the stove or range. The
parts are then again handled by hand
polishers.
The work of electroplating the parts
and polishing the surfaces so that
they shine is now being replaced by
a process called enameling.
Enameling is done by women. The
dressed stove parts are sent to the
enameling room and tn women place
the enamel on the parts. They re-
ceive high wage of about $25 The
company is sending more and more
Of the stove parts into the enameling
room as they are thus able to make
more profit per stove.
MoIders' Union Next (7)
The molders, who cast the stoves
the molders are tied down by a con-
tract and are not able to assist the
metal polishers on strike. If the COM
pany, is successful in beating the
polishers and buffers, will undoubted-
ly next smash the union of the mold.
ers in the shop.
The laborers do the heavy and I'M
skilled work in the shop. Their aver
age wage is about As cents an hour.
The semi-skilled workers are treat.
ed but little better than the laborers.
Their wages are about go cents an
hour. Most of the men in the shop
are married and have large families
The wages are far from being ade-
quate to clothe and house the workers
and their families properly.
Wages SIashed
The company at present is attempt
ing to cut the wages of the workers
in the plant and the strike of the