The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-01-11
SAVAGE WAGE CUT
ON N. Y. BARGES
Down to 81 a Day in
Many Cases

NEW YORK-In the port of New
York there are about As barge COM
panies operating a fleet of 1900 barges
and scows. The larger and more
powerful of these companies, operat-
ing two and three hundred bargas,
have started an intensive drive of
competition for trade by slashing the
haulage prices, in an effort to squeeze
out the smaller companies operating
only ten to twenty barges.
The price of this war between the
small and big barge owners is, of
course. paid out of the wages of the
captains on these scoWs. In the past
year on the sand and gravel scows
tbs wage were cut so ana rs per
cent, in fact. In the still smaller
companies the Scow captains are
forced to work for absolutely nothing
when not towing. These are not cap
tains in the sense of those running
crew. They are ordinary barge men.
Most companies have tried to dis
guise these wage cuts in one way or
another. The Howard Co. has cut
wages from 500 per month to SIS.
Nor does slashing stop here. When
the barge is at market the wage is
automatically reduced to $50. When
the barge is light and not towing no
wages are paid. Some companies claim
they pay $50 a month when they
hired help, not mentioning that only
dollar a day is paid when not tow
ing-which is most of the time. GMany
scows ana barges lay alongside for
two and three months at time).
c.. Waldo pays the miserable sum
of so cents a day when not towing.
South River Sand Co., Moran Co.
and many others force their men to
work for nothing when alongside of
the dock at the stake boat Some
companies have no scale at all. The
men do not know what they will re-
ceive at the end of the month. In
such cases the amount depends on
how we'll the workers can kick for
what he has coming.
Not every company, however, thinks
it necessary to disguise its wage cut
ting. Some show their contempt for
the workers by refusing to make any
bones about the wage cuts, boldly and
openly slashing the wages so per cent
and more. OBrien has brought the
wage level down to 81 a day flat
loaded or light, towing or alongside.
Goodwin and Gallagher has gone even
frther-cutting mercilessly to $25
a month flat.
The difference in wages does not
mean that there is less or easier work
to be done when not towing. The
fact is that there is very often much
more and harder work to do when
alongside the dock-continuou shift
ing, pumping, etc. The truth is that
Only few days at the monthly rate
can be earned with this scheme in
effect.
With the help Of racketeer- unions
1he owners have been successful in
keeping the workers disunited. Muir
phys Tidewater Boatmen's Union and
his gangster delegates, who terror
iztd and beat the workers into joni
Ing their racketeer union, and then
Gal O41 Will 1ld0 NIGdbGO
distrust for unions and left the
bargemen unorganized for some time
This left the bargemen open to the
vicious attacks of the owners upon
their wages and conditions.
Thru the recent struggles against
worsening conditions and wage cuts
along the New York waterfront
organized and led by the Marine
Workers Industrial Union, and tAe
wide distribution of the Marine Work
ers Voice and I. s. H. papers in many
foreign languages, the distrust fol-
all organizations is rapidly being dis
PEELED. Already rank and file group
of barge captains is formed which is
in charge of organizing the other
workers, distribution of literature
publication and distribution OF
leaflets and the collection of funds fo1
them, etc.