The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-10-22

j Last week you published an ar
ticle by worker correspondent in
which she disclosed her experiences
in attempting to get job at Macy's.
She mentioned the fact that altho
many hundreds of workers applied
for work, only a few were "fortu-
nate" enough to even be permitted
to remain for further cross-examin-
alton and indexing. Lest there be
any illusions as to the character of
this good fortune" III take up
where she left off and relate the
rest of the story.
l, too, waited for four hours, was
duly questioned, given a mental
test, inspected and finally sent for
physical examination. Surely,
thought I, this must be the first
sign of Macy's concern over its en-
ployes. Why else would one get
physical examination but to learn Of
ones condition and take steps to re-
/ tain ones health. I felt somewhat
encouraged; well these bosses have
one or two good qualities. Thought
fully l glanced at the card in my
hand when what was my surprise
to see no information of a medical
nature, no notes as to my health
simply lines which read, good risk,
poor risk, and fair risk, and the
doctor had checked me as fair
risk. Apparently they thought my
health would hold out long enough
for them to exploit me thru the pre-
Christmas rush.
Workers Pay Spies.
was told to report the next day
for work. In spite of the fact that
I had spent the whole day at Macy's
being hired, received no pay for
it, since my employment officially
started the next day. Upon my ar
rival in the morning l was assigned
to my section and placed under the
supervision of an older employee,
who acted in the capacity of train
er. These trainers are favorites who
are permitted all sorts of privileges
which ordinary employees do not re-
ceive, not the least of which is get
ting the commissions on all sales
made by the new clerks (who do
not receive their salesbooks for
four days.. I sold sixty dollars
worth of merchandise in the first
two hours. 1 was obliged to turn
these sales over to my trainer, since
l had not yet received my sales
book, and she received the commits
sion. You can readily see that altho
the rate of commission is only one
half per cent still a trainer with
five or six clerks under her aver
ages a considerable additional in
come. This practice obviously is a
direct bride to make the trainer act
as a spy for the bosses against the
other workers. In view of the fact
that clerk receives only $15 week
ly she could use even this miser-
able commission of one half per cent
very nicely, but such is the way of
bosses they make US pay for the
services of the very spies who be-
tray us.
Palm Beach" Insurance.
Mays has system of employees
sickness insurance. We are taxed
with a portion of our miserable sal
aries to make up this fund, and yet
we cannot benefit from this insur-
ance unless we have been employed
at Macy's for at least twenty weeks.
Close to half of us are fired at the
end of twelve weeks of employment.
Hence, although we all pay for this
insurance from the day we are hired,
most of us are not kept there long
enough to ever be able to claim
even this dubious benefit. In addi-
ton if you are one of the few Macy
employees who average $50 per week