The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-07-24
Often LAY OFF
TO keep FROM
OR CANIzATI0N
Little Is Done by Union
to Help Men
(Bu a Worker Correspondent

by a Worker Correspondent
CHICAGO (By MaiD We who
live in Chicago are Mortified when
we read of conditions in the tex
tile centers of the East, the convict
camps of the South, the misery in
mining conditions, the depravity and
brutality in lumber and construc-
ton camps. But equally bad or
worse conditions exist almost under
our eyes, fostered by an institu-
ton with which we come in contact
every DAY. I refer to the Railway
Express Agency. This is nation
wide institution handling all the ex-
rress business of 95 per cent Of
the railroads of the United States.
Z took its present name March 1,
1929, prior to which time it was
known as the American Railway EX-
press Company, formed during the
war by the consolidation of four or
five express companies then in eX-
istence.
While the present company OPP
crates under one head, the business
Of each railroad in Chicago is hand
led at a separate shed. each shed
employing from rs to 400 men ev-
cry "a hours.
Employed on and Off.
These men have no chance to
better their condition or defend
themselves against their employer,
if for no other reason than on ac-
count of the fact that only about
thirty per cent of them are regu-
larly employed, about 10 per cent
being extras, who are employed dur
ing rush hours and for short pc
RODS only, They are paid in full
at the end of their work period and
have no assurance of being hired
again. Later in this article we will
deal with the extras at length.
There is another class of work
ers that are as detrimental to
proper organization among the ex-
press employees as the extras,
namely the 90 day men. They COM
prise about five per cent of the
employees.
They are assured employment for
90 days, receive their money on the
resgular pay day and get 62 cents
per hour, the regular scale for
platform men, while the extras are
paid 81 cents per hour for the
same work. The 80 day men are
not hired as such, but believe they
are receiving regular employment.
The fact that they are laid off at
the end of 90 days reveals another
plan Of the company to keep down
organization.
80 Day Employment.
There is union commonly known
as the Clerks" and affiliated with
the American Federation of Labor,
that has a limited membership
among the express employees; about
40 per cent of the regulars belong
to it. For some reason best known
to those higher up in the manage
ment, the company maintains a
working greement with this un-
ion. One of the rules of this agree
naent forbids the company discharg-
ing an employee without the sane
ton of a Joint Board which must
pass on the merits of his case. But
this is made to apply to those hav-
ing go days or more to their credit
So the company sees to it that
10 new employee remains that long
in its services. They invariably
lay off such men on the eve of
their seth day. In this way the
spread of organization is practically
prevented.
Regardless of lack of accomplish
ment on the part of the Union, it
must be said that the most wide
awake men, those most alive to the
needs of themselves and their fell
low workers, are members. And if
there is undue friendliness toward
the company on the part of the
Union officials, it is not the fault
of these men. Neither are they to
blame for lack of activity on the
part Of the Union. 1t must be re-
membered that these men repre-
sent very small per cent of the
employees of the company, also a
small per cent of the Union mem
bership, the majority being freight
house end steamship workers. Con-
sequently the express employees
have little voice in the choice of
union officials or policies. Be that
as it may, small minority of the
employees of one of the most pow
crful and Inscriptions companies in
the country, cannot be expected to
accomplish very much.
ITO be continued.)