Montana labor news., 1934-06-14
Johnson and Union
Committee Disagree
On Steel Statement

ApIlING lON. -NCI J- GtuGid II
Johnson's enthusiasm for a steel set
Element similar to that in the auto in
dustry is not shared by local and dis
trict officials OF the Amalgamated As
ISOLATION OF Iron, Steel and Tin Work
ers who gathered in Washington June
5, they let it be known in a special
statement.
I'VE object to Johnson ranging more
dead cats on the president" says the
statement, signed by Duquesne, Pa,
and Weirton, w. Va, members OF the
rank and file committee of ten elect
ed at the unions convention. One
was the auto settlement which logged
in company unions to cut the threats
of honest unions. Another is this code
elections proviso, which names no date
nor place nor supervisor and doesn't
tell whether .Amalgamated Associa-
ton VS.. company unions will be on
the ballot or whether the end Of the
vote means any recognition"
In a press conference June 5 john
son reported that he had been discuss
ing with President William A. Irwin
Of the U. S. Steel Corporation the
possibility Of securing a steel settle
ment along similar lines to that
brought about by President Roose-
welt in the automobile industry.
Asked about his reference to the
auto settlement. Johnson said he had
verbal reports from Leo Woolman
Of the Auto Labor Board declaring
that he felt very encouraged by the
situation in that industry. Employers
and labor representatives are sitting
around the table talking and getting
along beautifully" according to john
SON. He said that what was happen
ing in the auto industry was AN ex-
ample to every other industry in the
country"
As to proportional representation
according to union or company union
strength, the principle set down in the
auto settlement, johnson said that
hadn't come up in connection with
the steel industry.
In explanation Of an earlier state
ment that the groundwork" had not
been laid in the steel situation for in
voking penal and %injunctive provisions
of the NRA, johnson said that unions
should first elect representatives in
those plants where they were strong
enough to do so, and then tender re-
presentation.
The union committee in Washing
ton included President VIM. J. Spang
Of Duquesne lodge Of the A~malgamat-
ed Association; Mel Moore, president
OF District 2, and Jake Entinger,
George Moore and Charles Greenwood,
local officers of Weirton, w. Va,
lodges. They recounted the unions ex-
perience in the Wierton case and their
failure to get a labor board election.
Mine months of this explains why
NRA has come to mean National Run
Around" they said. "The way to stop
it is to convene a presidential confer
ence now"
Some facts about actual steel wages
we're given by Spang. After dealing
with the code wage figures, furnished
SO obligingly by the Iron & Steel In
stitute," he gave some honest figures
given to the Duquesne steel workers
union by employees at the Carnegie
works there"
Speaking of the code figures, which
Suspicious as they look" show a
weekly average Of $21.84, Spang re-
ferred to General Johnson, looking
"fine and cool in his air-conditioned
office" and said: WED like to see
him walk up to an open hearth fur
mace and get his summer pants
scorched for $2l.46 a week"
The "honest figures" quoted by
Spang are actual workers earnings
taken from their yearly earning cards.
These show that "for the entire year
Of 1888, including six months of NRA,
the average earnings OF steel workers
reporting was $346.54. From this an
average deduction of $16.47 wa made
for relief boxes and insurance, leaving
a net annual income of $33007,"
Spang said.