The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-07
LUMBER BARONS
TOY WITH CLASS
COLLABORATION
Walk-out Tied Up Saw
mill
OBJ q Worker Correspondentl

the employers are therefore able to
put over all sorts of class-coIlabora-
ton schemes on the exploited lumber
workers in order to keep them unor-
gained. A glance through the
periodicals published by the lumber
companies on the Pacific Coast, "The
Timberman" and "The West Coast
Lumberman," reveals some interest
ing information on some of these
schemes.
Employers Satisfied.
The Timberman magazine "offers"
for consideration to accident proven
ton ideas, direct contribution by the
workers. In Oregon, where this plan
of workers contribution is in force
it was found satisfactory Ito the en-
ployers, Of course), giving workers
a direct interest in compensation. Ir
Oregon, a total of 100000 has been
contributed by workers during the
past IA years. Thus the employers
are able to place the burden of acct
dent insurance upon the workers
themselves, without penny out Of
the pockets Of the companies.
An attorney of the California
Industrial Accident Commission
also favors the idea as follows:
money thus collected becomes
trust fund in the hands of the en-
ployer to be disbursed by him as a
trustee for the sole CD benefit of
the employees" Not only, then, do
the workers themselves pay the
costs Of accident insurance, such
as it is, but the fund is placed in
the hands of the employee to do
with as he sees fit, for the sole
benefit of the employees" of course.
This is the type of social legisla-
ton" advocated by reformists and
trade union bureaucrats.
A form of company union is seen
in the announcement in The Timber
man" that "in order to Systematically
care for workers appeals in time of
sickness, the Westwood California
Benevolent Association was formed
by the Red River Lumber Company
The association viii administer all re.
lief to needy families food, clothing
cash, medical attention.. In order to
finance this, each employee is asked
to contribute 4 hourS of his labor
time each year. Of icers were elect
ed, and a board of directors consist
ing Of representatives of each fra
ternal and civic organization This
is another attempt to place the bur
den Of health and accident insurance
upon the lumber workers themselves.
in a somewhat different form. The
fund is controlled by company-con-
trolled board of directors. Any one
familiar with q company town, (par-
ticularly the lumber company towns
on the Pacific COAST, knows that the
"fraternal and civic organizations
are financed and controlled by the
lumber barons.
Tied Up Mill.
Green's scheme Of worker-manage
ment cooperation seems to be taken
seriously by the lumber companies
as evidenced in the announcement
from the "West Coast Lumberman'
Of strike in which the green chain
gang of the J. Neils Lumber Com
pany of Libby, Montana, walked off
the job recently for an increase in
wages, followed by a complete tie-ur
of the sawmill, when other workers
Of the mill and ards walked out ir
sympathy. A general meeting Of
workers and management called of
the strike and made an agreement
that some Of the workers get 215
cents an hour increase. Here we see
the makings of a strikebreaking
company union again.
In another article in the same
magazine, the employers are urged
by experts to let down in production
during the next few months, so thai
Fmarket conditions could improve
materially" Evidently, unemploy
ment and over production are begin
ming to hit the lumber industry, too
when the employers have to take sucl
measures. We have reports that un
employment is becoming more acut,
IN and around Eureka. lumber cen
ter in Northern California. Con
struction work on bridges is urgec
by the employers, and campaigns t.
use more wood in building work, poin
to the derrcssed conditions in tn
lumber industry.
Another significant item IS the pro
posal that all lumber interests mus
ret together in one national associa
ion. The lumber workers shout
follow suit, and organize themselve
into a national Lumber Worker:
Union.
W. SCHNEIDERMAN.