The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-09-08
SPEEDED AND
THEIR WAGES CUT
PASSAIC WORKERS
Hours Longer; Many
Drop at Machines

PASSA1C, N. j., Aug. 25.-keeplng
abreast with the wage-slashing cam
paign of the steel bosses, the barons
of the textile industry have come
out with every step possible that
leads to further lowering of wages,
Three months ago the Botany Wors-
ted. Mills, worlds largest, installed
the automatic six loom system
throughout the entire mill and the
workers were switched from the two
to six loom automatic system. Even
at that time, the workers understood
the meaning of this and at any mo-
ment huge lay-offs were expected.
The layoffs were temporarily de-
layed when the Passaic city govern
ment reduced the taxes of Botany
property by Si,7oO,o0O However, the
bosses were determined that the tex
tile workers carry the burden of their
losses" and last week a wage cut
was attempted on the weavers. The
cut was stopped only by the timely
distribution OF leaflets by the Ma
tional Textile Workers Union, 80
Monroe St., and by the talk between
the workers as result of the leaf
let's.
Monday morning the weavers went
into the 12-hour day forced upon
them by the bosses and their hours
are now from to day shift and 6
to 6 night shift, whereas, before there
were three shifts. The terrific speed
up Of the six loom system for II
hours a day will mean the breaking
Of many workers if they do nothing
to stop it. and the new system will
mean layoffs of many more workers
The IL hour day also means that the
10 cents an hour wage scale will come
down as a certainty, and perhaps
within a week. If the weavers ac-
cept the cut, it will be an invitation
to the bosses to extend the slash to
all the other departments and will be
the signal for a general cut in the
standard Of living Of all textile work
ers in and around Passaic.
The general conditions of work in
the Botany are very bad and, in gen.
eral, the conditions in the Passaic
mills are worse than before the Pas
sale strike Of 1862. In many de-
partments the workers are made to
eat their. sandwiches Qunch) while
the machines are going. This is true
OF the spinning department where
mostly women work. and also Of the
finishing department.
The speed-up in every mill is
fierce. A worker dropped dead in the
Botany 2 month ago; another work
er died at his machine in the United
Piece Dye Works in Lodi; women
night workers in the New Jersey
Spinning actually cry from the strain
and countless cases of women faint
ing are known Of.
In the Furstmann- Hoffman mill,
Garfield, the entire night shift which
consisted mostly of young workers,
has been laid off. Thousands of
workers in the F and H and the Bot
any will be laid off within the next
two months, mainly due to the H.
hour day and partly due to the COM
pletion of the army cloth order in
the Botany and the special order in
the F 81 H.
Leaflets calling upon the workers
Of the Botany to organize department
committees and fight the 12-hour
day have been issued by the National
Textile Workers Union. Despite the
great terror imposed upon the work.
ers of Passaic, determination to re-
sist the attacks of the bosses upon
their living standards is fast sweep
ing through the workers and any
worsening of conditions this winter
will find a strong and organized fight
to do away with them.
In the Forstmann- Hoffman in
Garfield in addition to laying off the
whole night shift of over 100 young
workers, doublers now work five
hours day; spinners work a half
day only; out Of 300 twisters, there
are only between so to 100 on the
% 10 shift left. Twisters on the 7:2c
% 5 shift have been staggered SO
hat, in two sets, each works three
lays week.
More layoffs are expected as wei
; wage slashes. Only two month
20 at IL per cent cut was put across