The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-02-01
co. is TO BLAME
FOR KILLING OFF
OF OLD SLAVES
$50 Do 10 Times as
Much as 1900
(By a Worker Correspondent

4ong before Jhelr time.
/ started to work for this railroad
in 1898, which is 81 years ago. The
speed-up then was not nearly so
great as it is today. There were
then over $4,000 workers in the en-
rloy of the Metropolitan Street
Railroad Co., but, due to layoffs,
there are only about $500 working
for the corporation now The lay
offs continue, and the number of
workers for this corporation gets
less every month,
Wage Cuts, Lay Offs.
When / started to work there in
1898 there were over 1900 men
working in the shop; now there are
only $50, and the number is getting
less each month.
The president of this railway COM
pany is out to make as much profit
as he can from US slaves. Our
wages were cut 10 per cent last
March II and we were laid off
half day each week on account of
the speed-up. We formerly worked
81 days week, but now only 5.
Of course the wages for the half
day we don't work is not paid US.
Five to Ten Mems Work for l Man.
From 1898 to 1911 the men in
the shop had only two street cars
20 strip and build a week. We
worked II hours day then, includ-
pr Sunday. But at present, we are
ced to do 10 cars week in a g.
week of 9 hours day. With
ing of only $50 men in the shop,
is impossible, as any railroad
9sker knows.
The men in the shop are being
4 forced to do car a day now, which
is doing one days work in an hour
and one weeks work in a day and
/ + months work in a week. Every
4 man is forced to do the work of
1 10 10 men. The speed-up is killing
4 them before they are 60 years old.
It affects their hearts.
All Over so.
about 100 men have died since
he speed-up has become so great,
since the end of the war. Over go
per cent of the men working for the
company today have been there 25
to so years, and if they quit or are
dismissed they cannot find any
other work, because they are all
ever 80 and 100000 are out of
work in this country.
On account Of their age, most of
The men would be afraid to go out
on strike. They stick to the COM
pany. union, and they are helpless
even if the company cuts their
wages TO nickel a day. They
would still be forced to slave for the
company, after giving their lives to
make it rich. We get no vacation,
summer or winter.
The men here are the victims of
the company union and that other
scheme of the bosses to keep the
men down, group insurance.
No Pay for Overtime.
The men are forced to work over
time for nothing. Our hours of
work are from Z a. m. to 1870 a.
III. and from II noon to 4;30 p. m.
This is the 9-hour day, 45-hour
week; but we only get paid for 5
days; that is, although we had the
7-day week once the company re-
duced the wages when they made it.
5-day week.
When we used to have the a-hour
day, from Sept. 6, 1916, to March
10, 1928, and six hours on Satur-
day, with no Sunday work, we got
paid for 81 hours a week.
Work Ali Night Overtime
Every man must keep up with the
ether man, like they are forced to
do in the Ford automobile slave
shops. If they don't keep up they
get the gate. The foreman don't
care if you hurt yourself; you have
to keep your fellow-slave supplied
with material to keep your job.
About 25 per cent of the men have
to work overtime every day, some
times all night, to keep other men
busy the next day.
The foreman don't tell the men to
work overtime, because we have a
book of rules on this railroad which
says no overtime is paid for unless
the worker was told by the fore
man to work overtime, and they
don't tell you. But you have to do
50 without being told, or you get
fired. But they only give you pay
for Q hours, even if you slave "a
hours day.
$50 Hours Slavery; 40 Hours Pay.
One man worked $50 hours last
week and got paid for only 40 hours.
II man works Saturday or Sun
day now he works for nothing.
say to Mr.. Sheeran, the presi-
dent Of the corporation: Give us the
hard-earned money which you steal
from the men by making them work
overtime for nothing. Every man
khould go home at 4:30 p. m. every
york day. They lay men off to save
money and make big profits for the
company.
n L Every slave working in the COM
many over 80 years should get
sjensicn. The slaves of the New
York Railway Corporation are half
t~~A Scr account Of the speed-up
4 ~.