The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-08-06
Steel Workers in Conference Prepare for
Struggle Against Hunger

union. Everyone IN my mill is against tbs con-
ditions and agrees with organization as the only
way out" said q, YorkVille worker.
Most of the mills in this section belong to
the Wheeling Steel Corporation Cuts on ton
mage rates amount to about IS per cent over
the period of the last two years. In one OF the
plants at Wheeling, West Virginia, only out
OF IL mills are operating. Here the men were
told that they must put out $50 pair a day or
quit. About 1000 were employed there NOR
nally"-that is in the old days. when the mill
was running full blast and before the cutting
of every man not absolutely indispensable began.
Today about 500 are working. In another mill
300 are working out Of 400. But new machin-
cry is being introduced which will enable 200
to put out more tonnage than the 400 did be-
fore. In Martins Ferry the men are getting %
days week-those that work But many
haven't worked at all In long time, and may
never work again
A delegate from Yorkyille told OF the auto
matte feeder which displaced men who used to
feed by hand; as result one man now pulls
plates from n1achines-Soo boxes Of tin plate
every day. From 1916 to 1920 man on that
job, doing much less work, averaged $40 to $12
a turn Today he gets a. On the open floor"
they used to have laborers working 10 hours
at As cents an hour. 1t worse than
slavery" But today the laborers company
men," have been done away with. Their work
Is done as extra work. without pay, by the other
men working on a tonnage basis But II you
tell the boss that it isn't your job he'll tell you,
There's the door Go when you want"
II talked to SO men this week. Every one was
in favor. but only one joined The others said,
After a while They are afraid to lose their
jobs" one delegate reported. So, OF necessity,
the conference dealt with methods OF combat
ting the terror-smal, semi-secret meetings,
meeting places changed frequently; small
groups, connected together through specially
trusted workers; use of different names in the
union Carefully planned work as opposed to
loose and noisy propaganda and recruiting.
IT worked in the tube mill at Steubenville
years. Every day now there are fewer men put
ting out more tonnage" said another delegate.
He told me how, in the winter, they used to take
off the spell men, replacing them In the hot
seasons when workers become more quickly ex-
hausted.
Nov it's>h and they have taken them of
altogether" He told OF the white-shirted EFF
ficiency men" who stand by with watches, pencils
and pads, looking for every wasted" notion for
every idle" minute
Last month there was walkout-Sort Of a
strike. But the men were not organized and the
neXU Gay IlOSC OIL LIleUl CAME DdCA 70 WOIk-Iuc
strike was broken. Three Of the men are black
listed" Even the small bosses are afraid of the
efficiency men,. When they come around the
bosses hustle and yell, and yell at their slaves
Get busy therep They are building restaurant
inside the gates Of the Wheeling Steel Company
at Steubenville and every worker knows what
that means No. they're not worrying about our
stomachs."
An Amalgamated Association member from the
Follansbee mill at Toronto told Of good scale
he gets ABBOTT $l2 turn when he works-but
It's only about 3 days month, and he has a.
large family. Wen have to get something
started In the company's other mill at Follans
bee", said another. In Follansb<e the mill works
one week, and then is down for one to two weeks
The men there can be organized now.
Hear the report from Martins Ferry: Three
days pay automatic doubler In the hot
mill ;. fired all day men In the open floor
department /. work 3 high -. tin house cut
some men cold rolls SO percent Of men fired.
same production maintained knealing floor
laid Off rs per cent Of the men 4. i. tin house
used TO work about 300 men, now so Used
to be 50 on the shipping floor, now to g." :.
striking miner who present told OF sell
ling Daily Workers among the steel workers He
had the names OF two American steel workers
who wanted to learn about the new union. Ar
engagements were made to visit them
The tin mills at Steubenvi1e are working
stesdy-S days week But its AL the time