The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-03-03
UNION LEADERS
ARE SATISFIED
CONTINUED From Page -

NOOIlVAlueQ ETOH1 rage ~
relations between the etnploye anG
the employer"
Recruited 100000 Men
It was estimated unofficially that
the steel workers organizing com.
mittee, In Its 9-months drive to
unionize the vast industry, had re.
cruited approximately 100000 men
Of whom about 10000 were believed
employees OF Carnegie-Illinois.
Murray revealed that his union
would invite this week all other
steel companies to conferences look
ing toward duplicate agreements
He said that the contract with Car
negie-Illinois was the first legiti-
mate agreement" made by that
company with an independent trade
union.
Terms Of Contract
The contract provided in brief:
!. Recognition by the corporation
Of the Steel Workers organizing
committee as the collective bargain
Ing agency for employees who
are members OF the Amalgamated
Association Of Iron, Steel and Tin
Workers (the steel union Of the
committee for industrial organiza-
tion).
2. Effective March is, a wage in
crease OF ten cents an hour for COM
mon labor establishing the $5.a-day
basic wage. and equitable adjust
ment Of other classifications. (The
present hourly wage Is 50 Ia cents;
the increase makes 1t 50 ID cents)
3. Effective March 10, establish
ment Of the 40-hour week, with time
and q half pay for work over 40
hours weekly.
4. A Joint conference (SWOC and
Carnegie-Illinois) to be held not la
ter than March 10 to effect o writ
ten agreement OH working condi-
tons, application Of wage rates, etc
s. Enforcement Of the contract
for one year.
The negotiations were carried on
by Benjamin F. Fairless, president
for Carnegie-Ill and by Muir
ray and other union leaders for the
SWOC.
Recognition of Union
Recognition Of the union accom-
plished one OF the principal aims oil
the steel workers organizing COM
mittee, which started its drive tc
unionize steel last June II.
The wage increase included In the
contract was announced few hours
earlier by Carnegie-Ilinois to repre-
sentatives of Its company union
with whom 1t will continue to deal
Also 1t was similar to the pay raist
granted by most other steel COM
panies. Practically the entire In
dustry will be operating under gen.
orally higher pay and the 40-houi
week on and after March l6.
Final chapter to the union con-
tract will be written March 10, wher
O committee from the SWOC, repre-.
senting workers and officials, begir
conferences with the company K
work out a suitable application o.
rates on a basis Of equity"
The announcement Of pay raise!
and the 40-hour week by most o.
the country's producers, including
u. s. Steel, Bethlehem and Repub
lie, gave steel workers their high
est pay scales in history; boomet
stock market prices, ard indicated
increased employment in the indus
try, which already is employing
more persons than ever before.
10 Cents an Hour Raise
Since the steel worker is paid OF
an hourly basis, the contrast mean
q 10-cent an hour pay increase 10
every hour the common lahore
works within the 40-hour work weel
or eight-hour day period. Work u
excess Of 40 hours week or eigh
hours q. day viii be paid for ct tn
rate Of time and o half.
Most steel workers now are work
Ing II TO 43 hours week. although
mills generally are on a 48-h0u
week. Company officials pointed Oh
that under the present wage SEIZED
ule, q common iaborer would receiy
e2i.62 for II hours Of work ct tb
rate OF % Ia cents an hour. IN
der the new rates. he would sc
e2s.e3 Tor ~ hours on the basis o
60 Ia cents an hour for 20 hour
work and time and Q half for tn
hour overtime.
The amount OF weekly pay checI
Is 4 speculative matter dependin
On the rate OF operations Of 10
mills and amount Of overtime Eofk
Cd. nut anzsae companies said ~
40.h0ur week may 10 strictly I'd
hered 70, With little overtime, Hbel
3 sn5Ilclenl number e trained ne
have besn detained.