The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-23
What's Behind the
COnnery Bill?

THE N-RA has put an entirely different complexion
on the so-caued SO-Hor Connery Bill. The House
Committee on Labor is holding hearings on the Con-
merry Bill which provides for federal law establishing
= maximum 3O-hour week
William Green president Of the A. +. OF l.,
baIy at least is supporting the bill. His main reason
he says is in order to spread-the-work, or as the
Daily Worker Washington correspondent more accu-
rately describes it "to-spread-the-m isery"
In what manner has the NRA. changed the whole
nature OF the s0-hour Connery bill from it's original
form in the Black Bill? Under the N-R.A codes have
been established with hourly rates in some instances
as low as u cents an hour, and the average 40
cents an hour. William Green in proposing the 30
hour week. even with no reduction in pay, actually
is proposing wage cut for the American workers.
Here is how it would work An auto worker now
employed 40 hours week at 40 cents an hour would
earn s16 a week. Under the Connery Bill, with
reduction hours to 80, and with mo reduction in
pay" on the basis Of the NRA codes, the actual
weekly pay would be reduced to So a week.
This is what Green wants to toist on the workers
"a steep reduction in pay along with reduction in
hours, in order to make the employed workers share
their misery with the unemployed
Why at this particular time does the demand for
a 30-hour week arise? The NRA. is rapidly increas-
ing unemployment even with an increase in produc-
ton With the lowered hours some industries land
lower pay), the bosses have been able to speed up
production TO an extent where they are actually firing
workers. getting oft more production with less work
This fact is admitted by the New York Evening
Sun Of February Doth
The financial editor Of the Sun writes:
Factory employment in January dropped IL
per cent, according to the Department of Labor
actually 100000 workers lost their Jobs in january
Industrial production increase considerably with
out any increase, with little, in employment,
thanks to the growing of more efficient machin-
cry That turn is forced by the rising costs Of doing
business under the MA"
WITH the tremendous growth in unemployment under
the NR.A. William Green, to fight against I'M
employment insurance, advocates the passage Of the
Connery 3O-hour bill
We can see definitely that this is a yelled proposal
for wage cut, for the stagger plan in a new and
more vicious form.
Against the COnnery Bill proposal which in its
disguised form of a 3O-hOur week appeals to many
workers, must expose its real significance. Against
it we must put forward the demand Of the SO-hour
week, through action of the workers, without
reduction in the weekly pay, based on union wage
rates, with the right to raise the demand for in
creases to meet the rapidly rising cost of living
The very fact that General johnson said that the
N.Fs.A authorities would accept the proposal if it
were passed by the committee shows that the bosses
are not averse to hiring workers without ex-
pandng their payroll, because they would thereby be
able to squeeze more profits out Of the workers with
out having to pay them any more money
We should not make the mistake OF tagging be-
hind in attacking the full implications of the Connerv
3o-hour bill before all workers, rallying them for
struggle for shorter hours through struggles without
weekly pay reductions, and with increased wages to
meet the syrocketng prices Of the necessities of life