Montana labor news., 1935-08-29
Fort Peck Conditions
Opposed by O'Byrne

VI AAA III us ANAAhA AAAR "
cation OF labor conditions in Glasgow,
Havre and Great Falls reported on his
return that among contractors on the
Fort Peck dam project there was a gen
eral inclination to disregard regula-
tons OF the Montana State Laws. He
took the subject up in a letter sent to
Miss Frances Perkins, Secretary OF
Labor, and directly with President
Roosevelt.
Secretary O'Byrne's formal complaint
has received prompt attention at Wash
ington. An Associated Press dispatch
sent from there Tuesday July 80 stat
es that Senators Wheeler and Muir
ray will take up Immediately with the
labor department and the war depart
ment the complaints filed by Commits
sioner O'Byrne. The Fort Peck work
is under the supervision Of the army
engineering department.
The dispatch quotes Senator Wheel
er as saying that he will ask for prompt
action. It quotes Senator Murray as
saying that complaints have been COM
ing in for sometime and that he is
convinced O'Byrne's statements are
correct and should be investigated.
One OF the subjects in particular that
was vigorously objected to by Com
missioner O'Byrne in his letter was the
regulation requiring a mar whose en-
ployment terminates or who is dischar-
ged to return to his home county and
~re-register at the bottom of the list
before he can obtain unemployment.
Commissioner O'Byrne is this week
making a further Investigation of la
Dor conditions in Butte, Missoula, Kali
ispell and Dillon. He has already re-
ceived from owners of large stores in
Great Fails and Havre assurances that
the laws regarding the employment
of women, and especially those requir-
ing the firms to provide seats for wo-
men employees for time when they are
not in actual service on duty, are be-
ing complied with.
Charles l.. Stevens,
Director of Publicity.
The letter follows:
July 20, 1885
Miss Frances Perkins,
Secretary of Labor,
Washington, D. c.
Madam Secretary:
| have just returned to this office
from a tour of inspection in the vicinity
Of the Fork Peck project of flood con
troll on the Missouri River in East
ern Montana.
According to all the reports l receiv-
ed while there, the labor conditions on
this Federal project are truly deplor-
able. The Employees who work for
contractors on the project do not seem
to be able to get any redress from the
wrongs that are imposed on them. The
NRA Adjuster, Mr.. L. L. Kelly, has
hundreds Of complaints on file, most of
which have been investigated and au-
thenticated, but about which, he has
been unable to do very much, because
of a set of circumstances entirely be
yond his control. For instance; a man
from a distant county makes a com
plant, his name appears on the record,
the contractor learns who he is, he is
Immediately discharged, he is without
funds, he has dependents at home, he
nor they cannot &c. relief until he re-
to his home county; and what
appears to be the most asinine ruling
of all, he cannot seek unemployment
through the u. S.. Unemployment SER
vice until he returns to his home county
and there re-registers for employment,
whereupon his name is placed at the
foot OF the eligible list, and the N. r.
A. Adjuster loses his witness. You
can readily see that when this sort of
treatment is melted out to a few Of
the more militant and less patient Of
the employees that the more timid
ones are likely to be inundated into
accepting any condition that may be
imposed upon them without making
protest.
| have a record OF several cases
at random from the NRA files
at Glasgow, Montana, which is the
nearest office to the Fort Peck pro-
ject:
Hale johnson, P. o. Box 1854, Glas-
gov, Montana, hired out as a carpen-
He had followed his occupation
for o. than 20 years. The scale
called for $1.20 per hour, he got paid
at the rate of zoe per hour.
Massman Construction Company paid
Plumer N. Moore 75c per hour for
carpenter work.
Maison Construction Company paid
Lawrence Montgomery zoe per hour
.or bridge carpentry.
Massman Construction Company paid
Bert Miller 75c per hour for bridge
,arpentry.
Massman Construction Company paid
Francis Norhall, 616 Elm St., Amazon
Ia, Montana, 60c and 75c per hour at
different times for bridge carpentry.
Wachler- O'Nei1l Construction Sub
contractors under Addison-Mill hir-
ID 0. N. Misfeldt, Box 1854, Glasgow,
Montana, as mechanic foreman at
$4,000 per month. He was working
| RJITTE CARRIAGE I