Montana labor news., 1936-05-07
Kroehler Furniture On
Boycott List
KANKAKEE FEDERATION OF
LABOR
Kankakee, Illinois



April Il, 1886.
To All Central Bodies and Their Affi-
hates:
The Kroehler Manufacturing Com
pany, recognized as the largest manu-
facturer of living room furniture in
the world, has been sending letters to
Central Labor Bodies and some Of
their affiliates, advertising their fair
ness to their union employees. So that
Organized Labor, may not be mislead
by this propaganda, the Executive
Board OF the Kankakee Federation OF
Labor, in an investigation endorsed by
this body, and called for by the in
dignant union employees of the Kroeh-
Ter Manufacturing Company, makes
file following finding regarding the Ia
Dor record of this company.
l. We find that at various times this
company has discharged union Of
ficials for their union activities, It has
attempted to, and has organized COM
pany unions wherever possible at its va
rious plants. In some OF those plants
there were already established A. F..
OF L. organizations, and functioning as
such.
z. We find that P. F. Kroehler, the
president OF the company, who signed
some OF the literature sent out to or
gained labor bodies, often made
speeches and sent letters to his en-
ployees, ridiculing the attempts Of
their organization to collective bar
gain with the company, and making
Sarcastic wise cracks" at the expense
of bona fide labor organizers and their
attempts to adjust any injustice in the
plants OF the company, and always
pointing out to the employees how the
company had the interest OF the EN-
ployees at heart mor so than any
dues chasing outside a~gitators.'
Should any local union or central body
desire a %photostatic copy OF this type
OF letter with P. f. Kroehler's signature
on it, we shall be glad to send it to
you.
3. We find that the conveyor line
system Of producing furniture used by
this company, and which system the
company has been advising organized
labor as being 90 per cent satisfactory
to the employees, was actually forced
upon the employees against their will.
1t took three months Of starvation be-
fore the union employees OF the Kan
kakee plant OF this company were
forced to accept this type OF produc-
ton, and ever then it was only ac-
cepted under protest. This type Of
production, with fourteen men work.
ing on a line, destroys the skill of the
upholsterer, and from competent labor
authority and evidence produced at our
investigation, is considered a very
great threat to the security and well
being of the mechanic at the upholster-
ing bench. We find from competent
testimony, that the Kroehler Manu-
featuring Company, in forcing this
type Of speed-up production upon their
employees, without recognizing their
obligation to pay Their employees for
what they produce, is considered a
menace to decent employers, who want
TO keep up the standards Of skill in
the trade. The company in its letter
10 organized labor bodies has called
this type OF production team work
The union employees call it the
chain gang system"
Organized labor cannot go too far
within their legal bounds, to prevail
upon the company, TO either pay the
men for what they produce, or else
change their system of production to
permit their employees to use the skill
common to the trade, and work like
human beings. Under the terrific
speed-up system used by the company,
a large davenport, from the bare frame
TO the finished product, can be turned
out every eight and a half minutes on
a line, a record which as far as we
know is not equalled anywhere in the
world If every employer Of Up
holsterers in the United States fol-
lowed the example Of the Kroeh1er
Manufacturing Company, from one
third to one-half Of the upholsterers in
the United States would be out of
work, and on relief.
The statement made by the company
regarding the scale Of wages is mis-