Montana labor news., 1936-06-11
BUTTE ELECTRICIAN
MEETS WATERLOO
AT FORT PECK

DIobntTlOOu OF Electrical Oh
long standing one OF the many victims
Of the National Unemployment Serv-
ice and the Fort Peck job, desires to
give an account of his experiences and
observations OF that particular job. On
or about May 18th | received a call
from the local N. R. S. office asking
me to call at their office if | were in
terested in going to Fort Peck. Upon
calling at the local N. r. S. office |
was informed that there was an open
ing for a combination lineman and
| electrician on government work at Fort
Peck. | took the call and reported
June lst at the N. r. S. office at
Glasgow, where | was given a card
to report to the Spillway Builders. l
went out TO Fort Peck. (the stage fare
from Glasgow TO Fort Peck is Soc
Upon reporting to the Spillway Build
ers, Inc, | found that this outfit was
a chiseling contracting firm from Kan
sas City, Mo. | reported to the per-
sonel office OF this concern. was
given a card for a physical examina-
ton at the Smith clinic. This clinic
was about a mile away from the Spill
way Builders, Inc. office, After pass
ing the doctors at the Smith clinic |
| reported back to the Spillway Build
ers, Inc. and was assigned a number
and quartered in barracks No. 5ll3,
bed No. u. wa also handed a copy
OF the rules and regulations govern
ing these barracks, which in part reads
as follows. Quote
Property Blocks 81 and 81 are
government property. In event Of
any damage to this property by an
employee OF Spillway Builders, Inc, the
offender is subject to immediate dis
missai.
Upon checking into camp, each mar
is allotted a specified amount of bed
ding. Each individual is responsible
for these articles that have been is
sued him and if he fails to return all
upon leaving camp he is charged for
shortages. These charges will be as
follows. Blankets, $500; sheets, Soc;
towels, 2sc; pillows, 75c and pillow
cases, Csc.
Charges: The board rate is $5.77 per
week, or for q meals. This rate is
the same for all boarders.
The rate on quarters varies, accord
ing to the earnings OF the individuals,
as follows
Hourly Wage Rate
Soc = 69c 60c = oSc 98c - $1.30
Weekly Quarters Rate:
$2.31 $40 $685.
Hourly Wage Rate $l.30 = $173
Weekly Quarters Rate S5H
Board charges commence with the
first meal served after checking in and
ends with the last meal served before
leaving. Board is on a three meal per
day. A charge for each extra will be
assessed. Any meals missed in any one
day cannot be made up on any sub
sequent days.
Checkouts Checkouts will be limited
to one day or three meals per week.
This means a credit OF 83c will be al
lowed and applies only to days on
which there is no work. end Of
Quotation.)
The daily routine and working con-
ditions are as follows: The day shift
has breakfast at ZOO a. m. The over
crowded busses leave for the time Of
flee. near the works, at 7:30 a. m.
Upon arrival at the time office (Which
IS without delays about 7 so a. M each
man has to check in and then go to a
nearby cafeteria and get his lunch,
which is put up in a paper bag. The
men who are working in the cut where
the spillway is being built have to take
this lunch down to the cut and secret
his lunch so it can be found again at
lunch time, There is no shelter for the
men in the cut.) The working hours
for the men in the cut are from $3.50
a. m. to 4:30 p. m. The company al
lows them IS minutes in which to eat
their lurch. The electricians have a
shop and work from 800 a. n. to II
noon and from 1890 p. m. to 4:3O
p. m. Upon making inquiries as to
why the electricians did not work the
same hours as the men in the cut
was informed that the electricians
wanted more time in which to eat their
lunch and elected to work the hours
mentioned. l found only one care
man on this particular job; if there
were any others l did not contact
them.
In the beginning Of this article
referred to the Spillway Builders
Inc. as chiselers. Now lets refer back
to the rules and regulations relative tC
blocks No. 81 and 81 which are gov
eminent property, The rental fol-
quarters per man ranges from $2.3l &c
$685. per week. There were no $5.7l
per week men in No. 5ll3.) This will
average $3.08 per week, per man, and
as there were 20 Of US in this particu-
lar building the rental would be $S0.0S
per week and the u. S. government
owns the building. Who gets this
money? Again speaking OF chiselinG
the Spillway Builders, Inc. compel
their electricians to work 8 hours on
the job; all other concerns in the
state that employ union electricians
work their men s hours, four way:
from shop to shop, or camp to camp
Steps should be taken to stop this
practice as l am sure it is not the in
tent OF the present federal administra-
ton to tear down existing working
rules and conditions. A great many Of
the men that | contacted all seemed
to be ready for most anything thai
would relieve their condition. Most o.
them were unorganized, but seemed
ready TO accept some form OF an or.
ganization and here is a field for The
Ia. f. of l.. to do some good work.