The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-03-08

raj tiitSliG ottiSS VI lIlo ulS City
thousands of them are exploited
daily under the artificial lights o.
the Easements and other floors.
I have worked in the department
store system for several years anC
many of my experiences are worth
while mentioning. for they are the
experiences of other slaves.
Must Make Quota
The average salesgirl gets S14 g
week for the whole six days, in.
Guiding the miserable commission
Stores like GimbePs have a system
whereby each girl has to make 9
certain quota before she can gel
any commission. The hours are
from $40 till 6 o'clock-45 minutes
for lunch, end when there Is q
special sale in the department we
only get 20 minutes. The nights be-
fore the sale we have to stay in
sometimes as late as 9 and 10
o'clock. On such nights you are not
even given a supper.
It's only on inventory nights when
we have to stay in sometimes as
many as five nights week that
we get ham sandwich which is
left over from the fountain counter.
| nearly forgot that we also get
paid rs cents for five extra hours.
This twice year for inventory.
Prizes for Speed-up.
The speed-up system is well or
ganized. You make your commits
sion at the expense of your fellow
workers. If during the day you
don't grab sales from your fellow
worker, the buyer is after you.
Prizes are offered for the biggest
sales. The girls are afraid to go
off the floor for moment, because
they may lose some sales and hence
their job.
Why, they even hold all kinds of
either in the morning be-
fore you start fixing and busting
the counters, or in the evening. Here
the buyers tell us that we must
break our last year record, our last
months record, our last weeks rec
ord, etc. Their motto is sell, sell
even if YOU have to talk your lungs
cut. When the meetings are held
in the mornings, every employe has
70 sign a slip to the effect that she
must be in the store a half hour
earlier than usual. But if you are
late for some reason or other you
are lucky to be allowed to work that
day, and, of course, money is de-
Quoted even for Is minutes late
ness.
I remember one day when | was
sent home for coming in 10 minutes
late. When | told the manager that
the train was delayed, he said, $50
home and sleep and come back early
the next day."
In such respectable" places work
ers must wear respectable" clothes.
You are not allowed to wear color
full dresses, only black and navy
clothes, so that you form dark
background for the goods you sell.
You must smile to the customers.
You must be "civil." You know we
have a respectable and selected
clientele"
The House Organ.
The minds of the workers are
"well taken care of" They put out
a monthly magazine for which you
have to pay. You read how to be-
have to the bosses; how the bosses
spend their vacations; how to be a
success in your department by work
ing hard. They have dentists who
fix your teeth at reduced rates
but not saying how. They have
rest rooms and music. All this to
make you feel that they are taking
care Of you and have your interest
at heart.
Sto0l-Pigeons.
But their interests are always
first and foremost. They make sure
that they have an efficient spy sys-
tenn. The old faithful slaves are
given two dollars a week extra for
writing a little report each week
about their fellow-workers. Besides
these spies they have regular detec-
tives watching the girls. And when
YOU leave the store at night you
have to show an open pocketbook.
They take more of your pay than
they give you. By giving the en-
ployes 10 per cent discount they
induce them to buy things in the
store. There is also convenient
charge account if you have no cash
On hand. This means that ones
salary reduces itself sometimes as
low as SIS a week.
"When you go on the vacation,
Why go to strange place where you
can get different psychology. Join
our camp and enjoy the canned
products. 1t is cheaper, too, only
SIG a week. So they tell US.
In this way the store again gets
back the salary paid you. Because
you have not much time to eat, you
are compelled to eat at the stores
lunchroom. The food is rotten and
gravy is purposely made to cover
the color of the meat and potatoes.
There will be no change for you
slaves, unless you organize into one
Zig union to fight the damned
4 Al La ALo n,lxr xunrkars,