Montana labor news., 1933-09-14

1ReBAAS
son to the effect that the NRA is
more than a "share the work" plan,
it has amounted to nothing more in
so far as the Mountain States Tele-
phone Company is concerned in the
State of Montana. In applying a
Telephone code, to the state, that is
not approved by the Recovery Admin
istration, the Telephone Company has
not only cut hours and pay but has
done so in direct violation of stand
ing contracts with the Electrical
Workers council. The union contract
calls for a 44-hour week and a week.
ly wage scale of $3.50. The contract
calls for a weekly wage and not a
daily scale. Under a code, foisted up
on employees and in the name Of pa
triotism, the company has put into
effect a work week of 40 hours, in the
spirit of the NRA, but has also re-
duced wages in proportion, now pay
ing a weekly scale Of $500. The
unions were not consulted when the
weekly wage scale was reduced. In
consideration to the public the unions
have taken no direct action in the mat
ter, because a strike in the Telephone
industry might cost many lives and
work untold hardship upon an innocent
public. Instead, the unions are TAX
ing this means of informing the pub
lie as to conditions in this utility, ask
ing it to cooperate in securing JUS
tice for the workers who make your
phone service possible. Among the
electrical workers the establishment
of the 40-hour week means only five
new men employed in the entire state.
At the same time 20 mechanics re-
ceive a cut of II dollars per month.
With the mechanics, a cut was made
in wages and working hours among
j%anitors, operators, garagemen, etc.
In Butte, the %janitor and others out
side of the mechanics are forced to
do the same work in 40 hours that
they had been doing in A hours, no
new help having been employed.
Girl Operators Are Being Exploited.
The greatest bit of exploitation,
done in the name of patriotism, is
being done upon the girl operators.
The operators were the greatest suf-
ferers when the Phone Company made
you pay to be your WI operator by
installing the dial system. When the
dial system was installed in Butte,
80 girls were thrown out Of employ
ment. IL more were going to be fired
but the remaining girls, in the spirit
of friendliness agreed to share their
work and wages with these eleven,
working a 30-hour week for a 30
hour wage, thereby taking a substan-
tial cut in wages. This plan cost
the phone company nothing. 1t was
a case of girls working for a living,
sharing a misery imposed upon their
sister workers by a utility, greedy TO-
greater profits.
Now comes the NRA and the phone
company co-operates in case it costs
nothing to be patriotic. In fact, like
all appropriations this concern finds
it profitable to be patriotic. In Mis-
soula, the company cut IA girls $500
per week each by establishing the 40
hour week, thus making a saving Of
$4,000. They hired two new girls at
their proposed code minimum of $3.50
per week, paying $500 in new wages.
In other words the Phone Company
MAKES SEVENTEEN DOLLARS
PER WEEK, CLEAR PROFIT BY
BEING PATRIOTIC AND DOING
IT'S PART" In Helena, the Company
cut the wages of Al girls, approx
mately $500 each per week making a
saving of $123.00 by the introduction
of the 40-hour week. In turn they
hired 5 new girls at the proposed code
minimum, paying out $62.50 in new
wages making AN ADDED PROFIT
OF $60.50 A WEEK BY DOING IT'S
PART.
Butte Not Benefited in Changes.
In Butte the status of phone COM
pany employees has not been effected,
with the exception of one girl in the
traffic department who receives an
additional $500 per week. No new
help has been hired and the girls still
work their 30-hour week. The local
operators protested the changes made
by the company at the last State Fed
GRAFTON of Labor Convention, in Hell
ena. In returning to Butte they were
offered a "sop" of an increase in
wages of $3.50 per week for a 48-houi
week. Since they work but 80 hours
the increase has amounted to 95 cents
per week. In all fairness to the Phone