The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-02-09
GRAND RAPIDS
UNEMPL OYMENT;
FLA. POVERTY
Describe N. Y. Slaught-
err House Conditions
(By a Worker Correspondent

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich, Feb. 8
-Supposing that many of the read
ers OF The DAILY WORKER are not
aware of the labor situation anc
steadily growing unemployment II
this town at the present, | am en-
deavoring to give brief description
of it.
The fact is that most of the work
ers in the numerous shops here are
dissatisfied with the prevailing work
ing conditions, because the same I'M
portant chances take place every day
here in the shops as in every indus
trial center all over this country
namely wage-cuts, increased speed OF
work, gradual lay-offs Of the workers,
etc.
The biggest furniture companies
here are: The Show Case Co., Berg
and Gay Furniture Co., The Ameri-
can Seating Co., and tens of smaller
companies. Those three big COM
panies employ several thousand men
each.
Slash Wages.
Last summer these three COM
panies, the show Case CO., the first,
cut the wages of all their employers
20 to 40 per cents and besides all the
day-work upon which basis most OF
these shops had been working up to
that tine), was cut out and all the
work on a piece work basis. The re-
suit was more speed required from
the men, in order to make up the
wage-cut on the new prices and so
they could make something like liv-
ing wage. The result of the wage
cuts and the increased speed of work
was, that thousands of men were laid
off, especially those workers who
were known by the bosses to be ac-
tive members of any kind of working
class organizations.
The Show Case Co. is engaged ex-
elusively in the manufacture of store
show cases and office furniture. The
best cabinet makers employed by this
company were able to make before
wage-cut about 80 cents per hour, but
after the cut, 65 cents was set as the
limit by the company and many of
the men were not able with their
best efforts to make more than
so cents per hours.
In some kinds of cabinet work
the prices were set so low, that
the men working on the job made
only 10 or $50, while working a full
week.
Furthermore the workers are sub
mitted to all kinds of errors in the
time-keeping, by which they always
are cheated, because they are no
longer allowed to record their earn
ings for every day as they used to
do before. The most effective spy
system is also organized by the COM
pany in every one of it's many plants.
Every man is forbidden to leave his
place of work or to go to any other
department to see his friends during
working hours, no matter how inn
portant business he may have. Any
body violating this rule is i'm
mediately discharged.
Thousands Jobless.
The working conditions are Just as
bad in the other furniture shops here.
All the smaller companies have fol
lowed the example Of those three
larger ones. The situation in the
furniture industry in this city has
been going from bed to worse since
last summer. At present the unem-
ployment is very acute. Up till now
men have been laid-off from almost
every shop by the hundreds every
week during the last 8 OF A months
And due to these continuous lay-offs
the number of the unemployed has
steadily been growing, so that now
it is estimated to be about 10000
which is an alarming number for q
town of this size. During the next
z or months there does not seem t.
be much relief in sight for the un.
employment situation.
THE Bunk
The annual furniture show has beer
in progress here about weeks, anc
the local capitalist papers herald
that this show is responsible for this
slack of work situation and say thai
after the show, work will pick up anc
a prosperous time will begin fol
everybody. This is naturally the
same kind of bunk talk" that Presi
dent Coolidge and his financial bosses
and supporters have been singing fol
the last half year.
Before concluding this, may stat,
that there is a union, the Furniture
Workers Union functioning here
among the furniture workers. 1t wa:
organized last year and it's doine
good work among the thousands OF
exploited workers. This union pub
fishes a small shop monthly paper
1.-THE Furniture Worker"
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