The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-08-31
By N. B. HARDY

thousands OF New Jersey carmen
and bus operators, the overwhelm-
ing majority of the Amalgamated
Association of Street and Electric
Railway Employees, have defeated
the efforts of their officials to sell
them out through arbitration or the
renewal of the old contract. The
men are standing by their demands
for the 25 per cent wage increase
and the eight-hour day. Because
the men completely defeated the
sell-out vote, by boycotting the polls
set up by the union officials, the
New Jersey capitalist press has
launched vicious anti-Red cam
paign which aims to divide the
ranks of the workers and to curb
their militant spirit. Every en-
ployee of the Public Service utility
trust who is not yellow" who
fights for his rights, is Immediately
dubbed "Red" by the P. S., by its
"kept" press and its kept" union
officials. Large numbers of trac-
ton workers will understand that
being "Red" in the present fight,
means fighting for the rank-and-
file d G m Is, means fighting
against betrayals, means being for
the workers against the exploiters.
Thousands of traction workers will
see that the Trade Union Education
al League has championed their de-
mands while their reactionary State
Conference Board has sold them out.
Conditions of Traction Workers.
A review of the present condi-
lions of the P. S. employees in New
Jersey will clearly show that the
demand for the 8 hour day and the
20 per cent wage increase is a cry
ing necessity for the workers. At
the present, in those places where
the union agreement is enforced,
bus and car operators get as low as
81 cents per hour for the first three
months and maximum of 65 cents
per hour after IL months of opera
ton. Switchmen, flagmen and car
cleaners get as low as 40 to As cents
per hour. Low wages is the rule for
the workers in the repair shops, car
houses and garage shops. Even the
skilled P. S. workers get low rela-
tive wage, as for example, rs cents
per hour for carpenters.
The following schedule of runs
shows the long hours of nerve
straining work prevailing for the
bus and car operators:
so per cent of the runs are in
10 hours;
20 per cent of the runs are 9 in
II hours;
20 per cent of the runs are 9 in
IL hours; tJ
10 per cent of the runs are 9 in
10 hours.
Besides the long runs the opera
tors are forced to put in extra time
without pay, such as, reporting be-
fore the run, while turning in re-
ceipts to the j, company, etc. The
workers realize that, only by putting
up asolid fighting front can these
poor conditions be changed. SIX
The Trinity Of Reaction.
The Public Service, the .Amalga-
mated officials and the capitalist
government are the united trinity
of reaction lined up against the
men. The New Jersey carmen are
bound to learn from the New Or
leans car strike where the workers
had to storm the City Hall as a
demonstration against capitalist
government which was breaking
their strike in the name of greater
profits for the company. The same
capitalist government in N. j. is
lined up with the P. S. and the un-
ion officials against the men. This
is clearly brought out in an editor
ial in the Sunday Ledger of New
ark, which declares:
Director Bremen is thor
ough.going trade uniOnist, in
hearty sympathy with every legit.