The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-29
'CompanyUniOn Role
VA nH s,E
Barred at Meet with
WeSternUniOnHe Head
Agree That Demands
Should Be Denied to
Aid Co. in Crisis
BY C. LANDS

NEW YORK. - Whatever conf
dence the employees of the Western
Union might have retained in the
Association Of Western Unicn En-
ployees; as an organization interested
in their behalf, was completely wined
away by the shameful selI-out at the
last Company Association conference
held in New York in November. Of
ficials Of the AW.U.E. had dema-
logically passed the word along that
it was a foregone certainty that they
would bring back the bacon" in the
form Of the withdrawal of the last
10 per cent wage cut. Several Of the
officials even promised the full res
torat'on of vacation and holiday
pay. All the employees had to do was
to leave these problems In their hands
and they would prove worthy of the
trust. What actually happened?
When the problem came up at the
conference, President Franklin G.
Burton of the A.W.U.E., after point
ing out that the revenue of the West
ern Union had materially improved
in the last few months, merely adyo-
Gated the return of the wage reduc-
ton. Mr.. Gallaher, president of
the company then spoke for the
Western Union, saying that since the
business outlook for 1884 was uncer-
tain the company must keep on an
even keel and could net think Of re-
turning the 10 per cent wage cut.
Burton, white knight of the Asso-
citation, ventured to remark that the
cost OF living Is rising but that wages
are remaining the same. This called
for the trump card of the Western
Union Company. Mr.. Roy 3. White,
the president, spoke and showed the
trend OF thought of the company in
regard to the employees. And more it
showed the teeth of the boss capital
ist barred against the workers. White
said that the necessity for keeping
the company in good financial con-
dition falls on the workers, that they
must bear the burden of keeping the
Western Union runnin well because
in the final analysis it is to the inter-
eSts of the workers to keep it IN such
a manner. Why they are actually
doing the workers favor by keeping
the business running!
In his opinion, the only people who
can help the country out of the de-
preston are "the people on bottom, -
he said. Yes, Mr.. White, your class
have put the entire misery OF the
depression on "the people on bot
TOM" He spoke of his travels, his con-
facts with labor, ETC., and came to
the conclusion that the Western
Union Employees are considerably
well off. Oh, the return of the 10
per cent wage reduction? No, it is
impossible to grant it at this time.
Not another murmur came from the
representatives of the AW.U.E. on the
main problem of the workers. They
permitted this sell-out to be rail-
roaded through.
Our demand for full payment of
sickness benefits was also denied. The
company could not concede full
benefits at this time. 1t would only
give so per cent. Concerning the
hated denomination after six
months absence from service, 1t would
be considered. Concerning vacations,
employees could take vacations but
at rs per cent of their wages. Every
other problem was worked out in this
way to the disadvantage of the work
ers. The officials of the A.W.U.E.
were SO awed and impressed by the
proximity to the ''big shots" of the
company that their main concern
was to be entirely agreeable.
In their mouth-piece, the 'Tele-
graph World" these officials voice
their Impressions of the conference.
Vercellino, commercial department
conferee, finds 'the company confer
ence tending to make the experience