Montana labor news., 1934-08-30

MONTANA STATE FEDERATION
OF LABOR

MONTANA STATE FEDERATION
OF LABOR
August 10th, 1884
To All Central Councils and Affiliated
Unions
Greetings
Your attention is called to the dread
full state of affairs at Fort Peck, and
the need for a thorough Congressional
investigation of the same.
The Building Trades Code, which re-
gulates the wages at Fort Peck, pro-
vides for a minimum wage of fifty $50
cents an hour for common labor (pick
and shovel work., and a minimum Of
$1.D an hour for mechanics. There
is no scale OF wages set by the code
for helpers and semi-skilled workers
this wage is to be set in each locality
according to existing local conditions,
rules and usages.
The wages for helpers and semi-skill-
ed workers at Fort Peck has been
agreed upon by the army engineering
officers and the contractors, and, APP
parently, after the contract has been
awarded. 1t is a graduated scale of
wages running from fifty $50 to ninety
(90) cents an hour.
The contractors, with the consent
and knowledge Of the contracting Of
ficers in charge of the Fort Peck pro-
ject, are using semi-skilled workers at
semi-skilled workers wages to do the
work of skilled workers. Mechanics
are hired to do the work Of mechanics
at wages below the scale Of $1.20 an
hour fixed by the contract. Mechanics
being paid Sl.20 an hour by contractors
are discharged, and when so discharg-
er are informed by representatives OF
the contractors that if they wish to
work as helpers at eighty 800 cen an
hour, they can go back on the job
again. This can be substantiated by
affidavits.
Some Of the contractors have secured
80 per cent OF the skilled work for a
wage Of 80 cents an hour and less. In
other words, some OF the contractors
have underpaid so per cent of their
. skilled workers from 40 to 90 cents an
n hour. All this with the consent OF the
contracting officers. 1t is estimated
\ that the contractors have chiseled from
\ $4,000 to 100000 a week from the pay
envelopes of the workers.
On July % and "a the Board Of
I Labor Review held a hearing at Fort
/ Peck, but no decisions have been rem
| dered as yet; however, time must be
4 given the Board for a consideration Of
1 the evidence. At the hearing Lieut..
\ c. H. Chorpening, attached to the army
engineering office, acted in such a man
4 ner as would indicate that he was the
\ attorney for the contractors he show
/ ed no sympathy for the workers and
i defended the contractors in every pos
\ sible way.
Labor complains that it can not get
any relief from the contracting officers
in charge OF the project at Fort Peck.
In fact, the conduct Of the officers
leads us to assume that there is an I'M
\ Outstanding and cooperation between
the officers and contractors in the VIC
lation of the contract and the spirit
4 VI lHC l. lNolhSlt PlO6 III " wal
on unemployment,
Your organization is requested to ap-
N point a committee to interview the de-
legates to the Democratic and Repub-
1ican state conventions, which will con
\ vene in Helena after Labor Day, and
urge these delegates to work to have
1 their party convention insert a plank
Z in their state platforms in favor of a
Congressional investigation of the adm
inistration on the Fort Peck dam pro-
I ject, and further to pledge their con
gressional candidates to see that the
investigation is made. The more COM
d mittees that call on the delegates to
the Democratic and Republican state
Z conventions the better.
The committee should also call on
d all candidates for the legislature in
4 their counties, asking each candidate,
y if elected, whether or not he or she will
: vote for a Memorial to Congress from
: the Legislature Of Montana asking that
Congress investigate the %administra-
Fraternally submitted,
JAMES d. GRAHAM,
. President, Montana State Federation
of Labor.