The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-23

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the largest plants in the city, en-
ploying about 5000 workers. A num-
Der Of other plants employ from $50
TO 1000 workers.
Workers Never Organized
The bulk of the workers in the
steel and metal industries of Wor-
cester have never been organized, ex-
cept a few Of the highly skilled
workers here and there who belonged
to the A. F. of L. Every time q
serious attempt was made by the
workers to organize, it was merci-
lessly crushed by the powerful Metal
Trades Association, known here
amongst the workers as the most
notorious open shop outfit in the
country. The American Steel and
Wire Omitted States Steel Corpora
tom has one of those famous Com
pany Unions to which the workers
are compelled to belong and which
operates under the joint manage
ment plan, with the most thorough
going espionage system in operation.
Conditions In Shops
Before the N. R. A. came in, many
Of the workers in the steel mills were
able to make from S35 to $40 a week
by working long hours-from 10 TO
80 hours a week - but when the
N. R. A. came in and most of the
factories introduced the 8-hour shift
and 5-day week, the workers have
automatically suffered q wage cut
from rs per cent to so per cent. Gin
the Reed & Prince Machine &c Wood
Screws Manufacturing Co. the
workers have had their wages re-
duced since 1929 about 10 per cent?,
In return for this the workers were
allowed to have their shop commit
tees selected with the blessings of
the Blue Eagle. The workers were
told that the shop committees would
have right to represent them, and
adjust all complaints and grievances
Of the workers with the companies.
However, it did not take the work
ers very long to find out that their
shop committees were not able to
function in the interests Of the work
ers because the companies succeeded
in planting their agents on the COM
mittees and others were made help
less and useless in face of the tire
mendous economic intimidation the
companies are able to bring into
play.
We finally began building the
union around Sept. 20. Not with
trumpets or splash, but by per-
sistently building up groups Of the
union in some Of the shops, and
making new contacts in some other
shops. 1t was necessary to carry on
agitation within and around the
shops for the Steel Metal Workers
Industrial Union, distribute and sell
the Steel and Metal Worker (about
450 copies, sold and distributed this
MONTH, issue special literature to ex-
plain to the workers the difference
between our union and the A. F. Of
L., the role Of the A. F. Of L. lead
ership, etc.
In some Of the shops the workers
are still hesitant about joining cur
union. They are not yet convinced
that the s. NJ. w. I. U. Is the only
union that they can trust and depend
upon for honest, sincere and effec-
tive leadership. However, in some
other shops our agitation has already
borne fruit, and particularly In one
shop the workers are beginning to
consolidate the organization and
have succeeded in building up a
group of 40. They have already
formulated their demands for higher
wages and better conditions. An In
tensive campaign is now carried on
in the shop to get the support of all
the workers behind those demands,
and it is now a matter Of days or
weeks when this or perhaps another
shop will swing into action, which
will also be a signal for the workers
in other shops to start similar &C.
ton.