The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-26
Railroad Shop
Workers Defeat
Company UniOr

BY Railroad Worker Correspondent
r I G HMOND, L. I.-Charles
(Snooper) Rob, machinist, former A.
F. Of L. misleader and former walk
ing delegate of the Morris Park
Shops (of the Penn. r. R. Coz COM
pany union, went down to defeat this
past week in trying to save a good
ole Kangaroo railroad shop whip"
union of Richmond, L. I.
Rob, the tool of Davis, chairman
OF this company union, was hard at
work on petition circulated for the
purpose Of securing signatures and
contributions to justify the continue
ance of this type Of union. They
were to Use contributions to defray
expenses Of trip to Washington for
a conference with Co-ordinator
Eastman and plead with him to per-
NIT the signers Of the petition to
continue the union of their own
choice" The men openly refused to
sign or contribute, for the union Of
ticials were well paid tools of the
company.
A Kangaroo Committee was con-
stantly in action against the work
ers and would inflict unjust penal
ties upon all who did not know how
to fight them, for minor attractions
of "so-called safety rules" For ex-
emple: An order issued by this COM
mittee, which was styled Safety
Committee" read mo employee
shall use tools without the protection
Of goggles"
Employees are watched carefully for
infraction Of this rule and when
making fine, accurate tool adjust
ments without goggles, which does
not endanger their eyes and must be
made with precision, they invariably
are Immediately charged with care
lessness and called upon the carpet.
Every week foremen are compelled
to issue no less than five "layoff"
tickets per week charging men with
care5eSsness. Every offense under
this charge means loss to the men
in their pay envelopes Of between So
and SIS per month and a saving to
the company Of that amount, since
the same work is carried on with so
much less help. This is an organized
move on the part of the railroad
officials to reduce payrolls each
month.
The railroad does not live up to
the safety rules of the Interstate
Commerce Commission and the state.
They violate their own rules as well
as those of legal bodies, compelling
workers to jack up cars having rot
ten flooring, endangering the lives of
the men doing such work. Poor
equipment and tools are kept In
service, against the protest of work.
ers who must use such rotten equip
ment. When a worker is hurt due to
violation Of rule and carelessness Of
the company, no medical report is
made. The object is to cover up and
shield railroad officials responsible
for this neglect of tool replacement
and protect the company against fu-
ture payment OF compensation. Men
who are hurt and not covered by a
medical or accident report of the
company's carelessness are denied
any redress, in the event of an infec-
ton setting in, and the injured
worker sacrifices all right emitting
him to compensation under the laws
Of the state. The Railroad Brother
hood Unity Movement has issued a
leafiet, calling on these shop work
ers TO organize into this movement
to fight for better conditions, and
for militant policies on the part Of
the Brotherhood and A. F. Of L.
Union covering this shop.