The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-01-10
DRIVE SICK men
BACK TO WORK.;
COMP ANY union
Fire Half the Crew and
Do More with Rest
BY NATHAN HONG.

Jersey plant in Bayonne, and the addi-
tional thousands employed at Stand
ard Oil plants in Jersey City and
Bayway. A never ending process of
squeezing the long suffering workers
to satisfy the gnawing. greed for gold
of Rockefeller will yet cause revolt
whose echoes will reverberate to every
corner of this nation where the many
slave that few may prosper.
A Big Plant.
5000 men work at the 100 acre
Standard Oil of N. j. works at Con-
stable Hook, Bayonne. Less than two
years ago the plant employed over
1000. In the past year 1000 workers
have been laid off, and lay offs, tenn
porary and permanent, continue stead
lily. Wages have been cut right and
left. Wages, according to informa-
ton supplied by workers, are as fol-
lows:
Laborers, forming the vast majority
in the plant-53c to SIC an hour.
Bricklayers, reduced year ago
from $1.10 to Coo an hour.
Painters, average wages about Toe
an hour.
Boilermakers, cut about year ago
from S1.25 to SOC an hour.
Boilermakers' helpers, 60Ac an
hour.
Carpenters, reduced in the past
year from $1.10 to 75c an hour.
Machinists, cut a year ago from
Sips to SOC an hour.
Firemen, average wages, 7Oc an
hour.
Stillmen. (refiners), Tic an hour.
Truck drivers, Tic an hour.
Coopers, from 60% to Sic an hour.
Pressers, Tic an hour.
Laborers have received from 53c to
SIC an hour for nearly 20 years. No
increase has been given any worker
for at least that period, but instead
many have received reductions, es-
pecially in the last year. Indeed, all
the men fear, and on good grounds,
thai great decrease will be their
portions in 1928.
The speed-up system is at a killing
rate. aQd every day sees the Oil
Trust glow greedier in the amount
of work it wishes to exc out of the
workers. Foremen are at the work.
ers' elbows constantly. There is one
foreman to every six men. Any boss,
any petty official from the office or
from any department may order the
men around. Foremen get from SIS
week up, the greater the speedup
they force on the men, the greater
their salaries. Old Standard Oil
workers, Standard Oil employees for
25 years or more, cannot stand the
terrific pace. Out they must go, says
Standard Oil. They are transferred
to harder, dirtier jobs, requiring still
greater efforts, beyond their ability.
They are forced to quit. The last
drop of strength pressed out of them
by Standard Oil, they are helpless
paupers in the end: A 65 year ola
employee, after 20 years service, is
supposed to be retired on a half-pay
pension. A few years before the time
for his retirement is at hand, Stand
ard Oil gets rid of him by the process
related above.
No Pay During Storms.
Practically all the work is done out
doors, where the tanks are located.
No work can be done during storms
or on rainy days; no pay of course
then. The workers freeze in the win
ter. No fires are allowed on account
of the inflammable products handled.
Tie men are not allowed second off
TO warm themselves in the boiler
room. Here are a few specimens of
Standard Oil rules:
A man caught eating anything on
the iob-fined days layoff.
Failure to call up when sick. Few
workers have phones, and their wives
cannot use them) fined days layoff:
One second late to work-fined a
half hours pay.
Workers are supposed to start
work at 1920 a. M; but they must get
their checks by 7:15. If a man has
not taken his check at 7:16--fine, a
half hours pay.
One half hour allowed for lunch
which must be eaten right on the job.
The quitting whistle blows at 4:30
D. m. If man works near the check
office and therefore turns in his
check too soon after the whistle
blows, mark is placed against his
name. Ten such marks result in 2
days layoff.
Workers must be examined every
year by the company doctor, no. for
the workers own benefit, but to de-
termine if he has enough strength
left TO give to Standard Oil.
A worker gets two weeks vacation
with Jay, after years service, but
wheh he returns he must take on an
otter mans job in addition to his own.
j several men are away, the other
men must do their work.
No talking is allowed on the job.
ITO Be Continued.)
WILMINGTON, Del, Jan. 9.-Miss