Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-01-09
Improvement In
Shoe Business
Looked for i'm Haverhill

Haverhill, Mass, Jan. 8-(AP)-
Improvement in the business of the
Haverhill shoe manufacturers has
become perceptible and Edwin New
dick, chairman of the Haverhill shoe
board of arbitration, is inclined to the
belief that in the months to come IT
will be more pronounced. He bases
his belief partly on the stabilization
of the labor situation through the re-
cent renewal Of the arrangement
whereby wages and working condi-
lions are controlled by the arbitra-
ton board.
The wage situation in the shoe In
dustry is exceedingly complicated.
Payment is almost entirely by the
piece rate and there Is separate
schedule for each OF several hundred
processes of manufacture. Changes
in shoe styles introduce new process
ses for which rates must be estab-
lished. Under the new agreement
there can be no change in the present
rates for year.
The "Haverhill peace plan" was
adopted two years ago at time
when the industry was in the throes
of post-w war deflation and wage rates
lacked scientific basis. The Haver-
/; hill Shoe Manufacturers Association
| and the Shoe Workers Protective
Union adopted an agreement whereby
an arbitration board was set UP to
settle differences as to wages, dis.
charges of employees and other condi-
tons. Each body named one member
of the board and Mr.. Newdick was
chosen as neutral member and chair
man. This agreement was for five
years with the privilege of annui-
ment at the end of two years.
The union desired some changes in
the terms of the pact and 1t was an
nulled last fall After lengthy
negotiations a new five-year agree
ment was ratified, with the privilege
of annulment after three years. Mr..
Newdick was reelected chairman. In
most respects the new agreement.fol-
lows the old one closely. 1t provides,
however. for Saturday morning work
nine months of the year instead of
six and stipulates that il it becomes
necessary to discipline worker this
shall not be done through temper
ary reduction in wages. a practice
permitted under the old agreement.
The discharge of employees gives
the arbitration board considerable
difficult work. Gases of this kind are
not appealed to the board unless the
agent of the union local concerned is
convinced that they have some merit
Mr.. Newdick says, that very few dis
charges which have come to the
board for action have been approved
although there has been an oc-
casional instance when a discharge
was found necessary because of long
continued poor work or bad conduct
The industry here is largely on a
personal basis. The manufac turers
are mostly former shoe workers or
, their sons, and their employees call
them by their first names. Although
there are about 10000 shoe workers
in the city. of whom perhaps one
third are women. the largest factory
employs only between 500 and 500.
| There is no absentee ownership. Mr..
Newdick finds that the personal con-
tact thus made possible contributes
, to a better understanding beween
manufacturers and workers.
Although few mems shoes and
slippers are made here the industry
is chiefly devoted to the making of
women's turn and Mckay shoes. 1t
. finds it's chief competition in other
New England shoe centres, mostly
not far from Haverhill. 1t does not
, compete directly with the great wo-
mems shoe factories of the ST. Louis
district because these specialize on
different grades of shoes
Until recently 1t was found that
when an improvement appeared in
the womens shoe industry as a whole
the percentage of improvement in