The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-08-21

BY LABOR RESEARCH ASSOCp N. \. U.
WJHEN handful of mechanics out of the $50
w laid off June i got back their jobs in the
Harmon Shops July 6, they walked into a stu
alton where the talk of speed-up and wage
cuts is in the air. All this is in preparation for
putting over actual wage cuts, the piece work
system, both. Under threat of being per-
manently laid off the men have already been
made to go over four locomotives instead of
three, as before. This should be recognized
as definite move to try out the possibility of
putting the entire shop on piece work basis.
What is behind this piece work move of the
N. Y. Central system? In the first place, piece
work rates are always adjusted with view to
getting the maximum speed out of every worker
The foreman may say the rate is made on the
basis of work actually turned out by certain
number of workers in the shop. But workers
should understand that production rates are
made under the very best conditions. New ma
terial and the fastest and most skilled workers
are used AS the weeks roll on, however, and re-
pair jobs come in with rusty bolts and rivets
to be burned out many workers will find them
selves unable to equal the production quota,
that is their old time pay checks. Then, the
majority of the workers will wake up to the fact
that the change from hourly to piece rates was
change to cut down payroll and speed up pro-
duction.
The worker who falls behind in production
and earns less can easily figure his loss But
the worker who manages to make the produc-
ton quota through sheer will power may not be
clear as to what the piece work system is doing
to him. He may be able to keep up for awhile
but sooner or later he will become exhausted and
he will be lucky If he does not break down. OF
course when that time comes nobody is going to
save his job for him. And the very fact that
production has been increased means that there
will be even fewer jobs. After the piece work
system has been gotten under way, the workers
in the Harmon Shops can expect another per-
manent lay-off
To make sure that the workers swallow the
piece work system the foremen are now using
open threats of wage-cut on the theory that
piece work will be the lesser of two evils 10
per cent wage cut is serious thing to men al
ready reduced to five day week. Many of the
men are the sole support of large families, the
other working members having already been laid
off either in the shops or In other industries be-
cause unemployment in the Harmon Shops is
just part Of the unemployment crisis facing
over 100000 workers in the United States
now and for some time to come.
In other WORDS this wage-cut talk may be just
threat to make piece work go down easier, or
it may be the opening wedge in an actual wage
cutting campaign on all railroads The papers
are full of talk Of the railroad companies going
bankrupt. The petition Of the railroads before
the Interstate Commerce Commission for is
per cent rise in freight rates tells of reduced
profits and threatens wage cut If the in
creased rates are not granted. There is little
chance Of the increased rates being granted.
Then what is to prevent the wage-cut offensive?
Only the organization of all railroad workers in
one union with fighting program and will
ingness to strike.
AS to the crisis in which railroad stockholders
find themselves, workers must look behind the
publicity campaigns of the companies There is
another side to the story and this side is also
very frankly told in the financial columns of the
capitalist press. In the N. Y. Times of June %,
appears an article on how the New York Gen.
trail bought the controlling interest in the Della
ware, Lackawanna 81 Western r. r. for s16,131,-
900. OF this huge sum Of money, $5337,Ooo was
paid during the last half of $780, when the rail-
road was weeping about its poverty. Where did
the New York Central get these millions2 They
got them out Of the pockets Of the workers Of
course. When worker is laid off for five or
six months in year. and through slave driv-