The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-10-08
CARY STEEL Mill
SAFETY SYSTEM
CHAINS WORKERS
Meeting Proves Agents
Speeches Are Bunk
BY Worker Correspondent.

ny WOINoT COItCoPVU0C0ts
w. P. Gleason, general superintend-
emit Of the Gary works of the o. S.
Steel Corp is waging campaign to
decrease accidents from the hundreds
that happen yearly to none. This
campaign is being carried on not be-
cause Mr.. Gleason cares anything
about the thousands Of workers who
slave, but to cut down the compensa-
ton which the corporation must pay
all injured men.
Special agents Of the corporation
call safety meetings about every two
weeks which all workers must attend
and there swallow the bunk that the
agents give them. At these meetings
the workers are given the great
opportunity" as the agents call it. to
discuss the best way to prevent accid-
ents and turn out more profits for the
steel barons. After the workers are
given a chance to report on the con-
dittons, the agent takes the floor and
begins to speak.
Should be Glad to be Exploited.
The meeting which attended at the
plate mill, the agent, in his lengthy
speech did not mention one word Of
safety work for which he is supposed
to be hired and paid for. Instead he
began with bunk Of how much the
Gary corporation was doing for its
men, etc. He said, You men ought
to be glad that the Gary works of the
U. S. Steel Corp. gives you the oppor-
tunity of coming here to work and
and make a living for yourself and
your families. In other parts of the
country the mills are down, (he stamps
his foot as he repeats this word) but
we are running our mills here giving
you a chance to work and live, and
yet some of you are not thankful, you
go about your work carelessly."
Pink Slip for Injured.
Because a Negro worker cut his
arm very severely and was not able
to work the safety man put all the
blame on the worker. He said that If
the man had been careful he would
not have cut his arm with the sharp
piece of scrap as he did. But be-
cause he was careles the company
must pay him wages for coming here
and doing nothing
"All right men," he said, 1--WE will
let this man come to the mill and do
nothing, and get paid for it, but from
now on if any man is hurt and it is
his fault thru carelessness we will not
pay him for the time he loses and
we'll also give him the pink slip"
This means that he VIII be fired.
Men Laid off While Repairs are
Neglected.
A crane man reported that water
was leaking on the stairs to the crane,
and in the winter it froze and it was
impossible for man to go to the crane
without falling. This report was
made year ago and at the last meet
ing he reported that the stairs were
not fixed up yet
The excuse that the safety man
gave for this was that the boiler shop
was too busy and could not fix them
He also reported that $50 men were
no the pay roll in August, whereas
in normal times the mill employed
$4,000, meaning that one-third of the
men have been laid off, and yet the
safety work was not carried on.
This is all due to non-union condi-
tons in the steel mills. Had the work
ers been organized they could demand
safety devices and get them. But not
being organized if man makes a
complaint he is fired and someone
else takes his place.