The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-06-11
.s12 4 WEEK IS
WAGE IN SURPASS
LEATHER PLANT
Tannery Slaves Work
Amidst Poison
(By q Worker CORRESPONDENT

The Surpass Leather Company, at
Tenth and Allegheny Ave-, special
ICES in the turning out of glazed
kid.
Whether or not the glazed kid
really lives up to the trademark,
"Surpass," is moot question. Like
as not, the kid glazed here is about
the same as elsewhere. And, as for
the other leather tanned at this tan
merry, which employs 800 men and
women workers, the products of this
plant, too, are probably no better
nor any worse than the products Of
other leather tanneries in Phila-
delphia.
But it is not for nothing that all
around the blocks of buildings the
word "Surpass" stands out on the
signs, as it does on top of the tanks
Ct the factory.
No, indeed. Fer when it comes
to exploiting the 800 workers here,
the Surpass Leather Company GER
tainly surpasses.
Pay S12 Week.
But the Surpass Leather Com
pany gets much of theirs for $12
and awaits eagerly the opportunity
to inflict even lower wages upon
these hard-pressed leather workers.
Recently young woman secured a
sob" at the Surpass. They refused
to tell her how much she would get
a week, but since she had previously
worked at other tanneries for SIS
per week, assumed it would be the
same. Besides, she needed work
badly, having been unemployed for
many weeks.
At the end of the week her pay
envelope was handed her, $12. She
Immediately raised a rumpus, so
that the foreman came out to pla-
cate her. He took her aside, told
her to abe good" and he'd see to it
that she received s13, not s12. She
refused to be assuaged, threatening
the foreman with exposure.
Other workers had gathered
around, and the foreman, fearing
these workers would be "contamin-
ated" with the discomfort of this
militant worker, rushed out of the
room for the help of the superin-
tendent of that department.
Fake Promises.
These two "worthies" soon re-
turned and again made an effort to
"placate" the aroused worker.
"Look," said the superintendent, 81
will see that you get SD per week
to start. Maybe, later, you'll get
SIS, and even SIG"
"But, when?" said the worker
"Well, after a number of weeks and
providing you don't tell the other
workers here"
The worker thought that nothing
could be done. So she took the $14
and quit the job, but not before she
had spoken to all the other work
ers in her department and told the
foreman where he got off at before
all Of the assembled workers. The
workers were much pleased with the
militancy of this worker, and told
her that if they had a few like her
they could start a strike. "But l
can't stay here for $14 a week, when
I have children depending on me,
she said. "You should organize
yourselves, as none of you get more
than s12. I was the first TO get
more by fighting for it."
Hard Slavery.
The work done by these workers
is very hard. At 1880 they must be
at work and quitting time is $50,
with only 30 minutes for lunch.
The work consists of lifting heavy
skins out of vat of black chem
icals, carrying the skins to a cor
traption similar to carroussel,
placing and stretching the skins on
the carroussel, then turning the car
roussel around and around until the
skins are dried. This continues end
lessly all day long.
Filthy Shop.
The conditions at the Surpass
Leather Factory are very bad. The
toilets are indescribably vile and
against all health regulations, full
of insects and vermin.
The "ladies' rooms" where the
women workers are compelled to eat
their lunches have large reaches
running up and down the walls. IT
is impossible to eat in these rooms,
for the appetite, hearty as it may
be after a forenoon's hard work, is
spoiled by the filth and bugs.
This job once paid $35. Then the
Surpass Co. got men to do it for
s25. And now they are getting
women to do it for only $12 week.
Even the skilled cutters and trim
mcrs, whom the Surpass Co. find
indispensable, get only $28 week
for long hour week. But these
s2s Jobs are few. Most of the
workers here get s12. $l3 and $14