The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-05-23
DETROIT CAR
and BUSMEN
MAKE DEMANDS
City Workers Prepare
to Fight Open Shop
BY a Worker Correspondent


BY a Worker Correspondent
DETROIT, Mich, May 21.-street-
car employees Of the Detroit street Rail-
way (under municipal ownership are
demanding a wage increase and better
working conditions for all employees OF
tho system.
New wage demands and working
conditions were filed with the street
railway commission to cover all work
ers employed by the Detroit Street
Railway.
Demand Raise from City.
The union officials have asked for
a conference with the commission, to
meet as soon as possible, and present
ed contract calling for the new wage
schedules, to become effective in June
The demands for wage increases for
all platform employees are for maxi
mum from 70 cents per hour to 80
cents, the minimum from IS cents to
20 cents.
City Charter Open Shop.
The AmaIgamated Association Of
Street and Electric Railway Employees
Division &c, Detroit, is working under
Sopen shop" conditions, due to city
charter which forbids the city from
entering into any agreement with a
union, although It recognizes the right
of employees TO bargain with the city
in a collective manner.
In spite OF the charter and the at
tack on the union two years ago by
the employers association, through
their willing tool, Ross Schram, man
ager of the Detroit Street Railway
from 1921 till hast year, when he was
ousted by Mayor John Smith for gen
eral inability, the union has pulled
through and the system is SO per cent
organized.
Organize IndustriaIIy.
A A. of S. e. r. E. of A, Division
rs, is the first union affiliated with
the American Federation Of Labor
here to open its membership to all
employees Of the system and to change
the character of the union from a
craft to an Industrial union The re-
Spouse Of the workers was great.
The city operates about 200 one
man buses as feeders to the car lines,
The drivers are In the union 100 per
cent, and the street car and bus re-
pair men, car sweepers, switchmen
and all other employees are in the
union in large numbers and others are
joining every day.
All Crafts to Benefit.
The rates demanded are as follows:
Motormen and conductors: First
six months, 20 cents per hour; sec
ond six months, rs cents: thereafter,
so cents.
One-man car and motor coach opera
tors: SIS cents per hour; Owl car men,
So cents; overtime, 81. Overtime for
one-man car operators and coach op-
orators, $1.05 per hour; snow plow
service, 81. Minimum platform mems
wage, $50 per month.
For General Laborers.
The schedules for other employees
are as follows:
Construction car platform men, 80
cents per hour.
Laborers in construction yard, 81
cents per hour.
Switchmen, sweepers and carhouse
men, 62 cents per hour.
Pit men, 80 cents per hour.
Pit mems helpers, ~ cents per hour.
Controller men, 81 cents per hour.
General repair men, 50 cents per
hour.
Fare box men, $1S5 per month.
Pump men, s1s5 per month.
Janitors, 62 cents per hour.
Watchmen, 81 cents per hour.
Station cashiers, $105 per month.
Garage repair men, 81 cents per
hour.
Garage helpers, 80 cents per hour.
Coach cleaners, 81 cents per hour.
There are also clauses to take care
OF streetcar men in case a car line Is
abandoned for a bus line.