The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-08-24
Wickwre Strike Is
Still Solid; Super
RenigS on Promise
Listens to Demands
and Then Fails to
Give Reply
By BILL DUNE

strike at the Wickwire- Spencer Steel
Co., is still solid. Superintendent
johnson violated his promise to re-
ply to the demands by Monday. No
reply has yet been received.
The company heads met all day
yesterday with the NRA Committee
Two pickets we're arrested and were
bailed out by the International Labor
Defense. Authorities are threatening
to bring in state troopers.
The Unemployed Councils are help
ing on the picket lines. women's aux
iliaries hive organized relief to feed
the pickets.
Talk to Superintendent
The wage scale committee of the
Wickwire Spencer strikers met the
superintendent Monday coming into
the Office direct from the picket line.
The meeting lasted an our and q
half. General Superintendent John
son, accused yesterday in strike
leaflet of "underhand activities" and
false statements about the strikers,
promised the committee an official
replay to their demands today. Called
late this afternoon by phone John
son Indignantly denied any intention
Of stalling and said he YVES trying TO
get basis of settlement. Vice-Pres-
ident Macklin, whose personal letter
to each striker, urging him to come
back to work on the grounds that
Mr. Macklin had once been worker
himself, was not present at the meet
ing.
The negotiations were very inter-
esting, colorful and highly personal,
according to reports. The Wickwire
Spencer plant is a self contained
unit, carrying on all manufacturing
processes from furnace to the finished
product Of rods and wire. Its ma
chinery is highly specialized and all
the evil effects of the speedup are
apparent while at the same time,
employing no more than 400 men at
capacity production, certain per-
sonal relationship exists between the
management and the men. This was
reflected in the negotiations, II that
word can be used TO describe meet
ing in which Mr.. johnson wanted
to make his cirtues, or lack Of them,
the main issue.
1t appears that the strike has made
Mr.. Johnson very skeptical in regard
to gratitude from his" workers.
Having treated them for years with
that mixture of brusque tolerance
and inhuman brutality characteristic
OF coal mine and steel mill executives
in their dealings with workers, Mr..
Johnson seems to have concluded
that his workers are all too human.
After all he has done for them they
have tied up his plant.
Il know some Of you men think 1
am all right and believe what I say.
Some Of you think I am goddam
son of a bitch and don't believe
word say" said the prosecuted Mr..
Johnson to the strikers committee.
Take Blank there, now" continued
the aggrieved Mr.. Johnson, referring
to a Negro member of the committee
and one Of the outstanding leaders of
the strike, he don't believe word
say He's told me so. Isn't that
SO, Blank"
Blank shrugged his shoulders. Some
of the committee laughed.
That's what causes all this trouble.
You men don't have any confidence
in me-"
A committeeman spoke: mr.. john
son we didn't come hare TO talk about
you. We come here to see what you
got to say about them demands and
wage SCALE
But Mr.. johnson was sunk deep in
gloom. His crude little effort to di-
vide the committee into those who
thought him son Of bitch and
those who didn't had brought no re-
suits. No one had risen to his de-
tense and claimed that he was not a
son Of bitch
IF I haven't made you men feel
that 1 have your interest at heart,
If I haven't made you men feel that
you can have confidence in me and
that I mean what I say, I've failed,
that's ALL" said Mr.. johnson with a
rotarian sigh.
you didn't tell the truth about
our wages to the Riverside News,
Mr.. Johnson" said a committeeman.
you said we were getting 58la cents
an hour when we we're getting 3llz
cents an hour. That amt right, Mr..
Johnson"
Mr.. johnson made a gesture OF
despair. Can 1 help it If the news
papers get things wrong? I'll have
it corrected" The whole committe
laughed.
The committee finally pinned Mr.
Johnson down to the demands He
promised a reply this afternoon. 1t
was not given and now there are
more Wickwire workers who do not
believe q word Mr.. johnson says.