The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-02

HStuSu' SUI c4.:r
1t is becom-
ing clearer that the main objective
of all the codes for big decisive
industries (steel, oil, coal, auto
mobile, etc., is to strengthen the
organization of the employers, and
to confuse, divide and disorganize
the workers in these industries.
The steel code furnishes glar-
ing example of what this means.
The Communist Party and the
leadership of the militant unions
of the Trade Union Unity League
have stated that the MIRA pro-
gram consists basically of the leg
alization of the hunger standard
of wages set by the "share-the-
work" plan sponsored by Walter
TeagIe, head of the Standard Oil
Company Of New Jersey, and en-
dorsed by President Green of the
American Federation of Labor.
ROOSEvELT'S ALTRUISM
For daring to question the al
truism of the Roosevelt admins
tration on this point, Communists
have been denounced roundly in
the press and held up to public
scorn by the socialist and liberal
camp followers of the Roosevelt
regime.
Facts, however, are stC<5orn
things. One quotation from the
text of the steel codes serves our
purpose excellently:
"Since the beginning of the pre-
sent depression and the conse-
quent reduction in the total num-
Der of hours of work available in
the industry, its members have
made every effort to distribute,
and with a remarkable degree of
success have distributed the num-
Der of hours of work available in
the plants so as to give employ
ment to the maximum number Of
employees. It is the intention Of
the industry to continue that pol
icy insofar as practicable
and that wor,. in the industry
shall, insofar as practicable, be
distributed so as to provide en-
ployment for the employees nor
mally attached to the industry"
EVEN highly literate person, one
u with a working knowledge Of legal
verbiage, is compelled to read this
passage two CT thrse times before he
can grasp the real meaning of this
Joint product of Donald Eichbe.g,
attorney for the Railway Brother
hoods; General johnson, the A. F.
of L. leadership and the Roosevelt
collection of pompous professors
misnaned "the brain trust"
1t is an outstanding example of the
use OF words to conceal thoughts.
After the second or third reading
it dcWns upon you thai in rc-nrd to
hours Of work per dIy Eoslllg kGs
been changed; that the steel b2-o-ls
have, as they always have had. t1e
sole right to determine the hours Of
work per day for their employees"
1C-HOUR DAY
In the Lackawanna plant of the
Bethlahem steel (Buffalo) they have
exercised this right already and have
fired the working time at 10 hours
per day, four days per week.
What about minimum wages under
the code?
We h&ve it on no less an authority
than those busy Merry Go Round
ers, Drew Pearson and Bob Allen,
that the steel companies "got away
with" minimum of 81 and % cents
an hcur. 1t is actually few cents
higher than that. But-end this .
q big but-sl,e minimum aDrlics -
wc,lge.s in steel plants in tSwns and
cities Of less than 100000 population.
The big steel plants are all--with
the exception of the Bonner plant
Of Republic Steel and the Jones and
Leughlin plant in pittsburgh-in
cities of less than 100000. The steel
companies, under the code, are re-
quired to pay only the absolute mini
mum. The whole procedure SHOWS
how, by elaborate technical language
and technical subterfuges, steel work
ers are to be fooled by the MIRA