The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-02
Pressmen's Officials
"Solve" the Unen,,
Demonstration
By r. KETTLE.


AT special meeting OF International Printing
n and Assistants Union, No. 81, the officials
railroaded proposition which was given them
by the bosses
The proposition Is Of considerable interest, not
only to pressmen but also to all workers, and
particularly A. F. Of l.. members, who must fight
every day against the agents of the bosses within
the union. To the workers knowledge, no SIM
liar proposition has even been submitted to a
labor union, and we expect such solution" and
propositions in many other A. F. Of L. unions
The unemployment situation in the union is
quite serious. Out of 3400 members (about 400
not working at trade, being supply men, super
intendents, employers, etc. only about 500 work
full time, the majority of the latter being work
ing forenen. About TOO members are totally UNI
employed, and about 300 work part time. Little
has been done by the officials towards helping
the unemployed and the benefit handed out is
SO per week, from which the unemployed worker
has to return 50 as unemployment assessment.
On January l, 1882 the bosses as per contract,
were to give dollar a week raise, but their
committee appeared before a union meeting and
pleaded poverty, and asked that the dollar raise
be waived. The union officials went into con-
ference with the bosses and finally Matched out
the following scheme for helping the unemployed.
Each boss is to deduct every week IS per cent
from the wages Of those employed, and keep it
in a special fund. and when he has enough
money in the fund he is to hire an extra press
man, who is to be paid at the rate of So per
day. (The union rate will be 5000 after Jan.
1st). These extras are not to do any productive
work, but be at the disposal of the cooperation"
of the bosses, extras shall not receive SOC extra
per day as at present, the 81 raise due on Jan.
1st 1882 shall be waived, and the union further
agrees that on April 1, 1882 1t will reopen the
existing contract. to run until Sept, 1892.
The existing contract on the matter of wages
expires and the union will then negotiate with
the League Wage adjustments in line with con-
ditions existing on that date
The officials attempted to put over this bosses
scheme at the union meeting and did not &C
cept any counter propositions but did not dare to
vote upon 1t at the meeting by referendum, for
which everything was already prepared at that
meeting Instead they railroaded through mo-
ton that this proposition go to a referendum
Of the entire membership on day to be de-
ternnined by the officials They hoped by means
of those practices which are common among
the bureaucrats to put 1t over. They hope to
set the unemployed, but in this they were I'M
cussessful, and are now compelled to withdraw
the proposition on account of the workers in
dgnation both among the employed and I'M
employed.
The acceptance of this scheme by the Off
Gals of No. 81 was a rank sell-out and was
most likely accompanied by an actual cash pay
ment
What this scheme Is in essence That GER
tain amount of work would be done, but at Is
per cent less wages. No more work would be
created, and as the leaflet issued by the rank
and file committee of Pressmens Union No. ST.
correctly pointed out "can you imagine an extra
being given job for three days at SO day
and told not to produce--just stick around and
be good fellow and get paid for it2 The extra
would, of course, have done productive work
and here is where the scheming bosses and their
agents wanted TO kill two birds with one stone.
The whole tendency in the pressroom is to-
wards mechanizaton and speed-up and the en-
ployers want that the feeders handle more press
es The previous officials of Local 20 (tlle feed
ers locaD which gives the right to the bosses
to reopen the whole question about more press
es per man. The feeders vigorously objected to
being eliminated and to being speeded-up more
than now.
But the officials Of No. 81 saw In this "unenl-
ployment solution. proposition an opportunity to
help the employers, and so the extras would
actually have been used TO watch presses and