Evening star., 1940-01-28

times not. In March, 1887, they took
space in the Binghamton Sun, paper
which they control and in which they
buy daily workers page" to show
that the average weekly earnings OF Ell.
employees in 1886 was $23.4o, against SIS
for shoe workers in Illinois, SSH In
Massachusetts,, $l5.55 in New Hampshire.
During the past two years the average
has been considerably lower than that
for 1896 and the first months of '37
This was the situation as organizers
for the United Shoe Workers of America,
c. I. o. affiliate, began to gain men,
bers in the Endicott-Johnson plants.
Previously they had organized and OBJ
tanned closed shop contracts with three
small shoe companies in this region The
three organized plants, with about 1000
workers, served as a base from which to
attack E.-J. Later on, aggressive organ
izers from the Boot and Shoe Workers
Union, an A. F. L. affiliate, came in.
Unions Make Headway.
Union leaders say that despite the
extraordinary personal loyalty to one
individual they made some headway.
The C. l. o. claims to have started of
its drive with nearly 750 members picked
up as result of activity centering
around the organized shoe companies.
The A. F. of L. claimed several thou
sand-perhaps as many as 8,000-signed
authorization cards as their organizing
drive progressed.
With the start of the drive the COM
pany began its own efforts to prevent
unionization, contrary to the terms Of
the Wagner Act, according to the pro-
tests just filed by the unions with the
Labor Board. Not one but two workers
pages" in. the Binghamton Sun recited
the advantages enjoyed by Ell workers.
But the real instrument of the anti
union drive, according to union leaders,
was the Triple City Civic Workers Asso-
citation. This drew support from the
American Legion and other veterans
organizations, according to union
charges, all of them heavily endowed by
George F. The Endicott Board of Trade
and Town of Union District Business
Ito convince Endicott workers that the
welfare of the community as whole
will best be served by maintenance of
the status quo (open shop) in capital
labor relations"
High Profits Cited.
Through the Ell Union News of the
C. I. O. and the A. F. LIS Triple. Cities
Labor Herald. the union organizers re-
{ Piled. Even. skilled Ed workers found
it hard to make SIS check In week,
they said. This was true in 1898, the
Ell Union News said. when George F.
was getting salary of $35, ,025 and divi-
dends of s1l3,10O, citing figures con-
/ tanned in reports of the company to the
Securities and Exchange Commission.
Because Of the impending election
George F. postponed his annual trip to
Florida. About 10 days before the date
set for the voting the patriarch was
taken i'll with pneumonia. The leading
physicians of the community were in
consultation Bulletins on his condition
were issued at half hour intervals.
Then only few days before the elec-
ton, a group of workers in one of the
largest plants got up big prayer meet
ing for George F. Union leaders be-
lieve this was company INSPIRED, but
objective observers hold that this first
meeting at least was spontaneous. With
the success of the first prayer meeting,
others were held. The workers in the
Victory or the Pioneer plants would be
called out by aggressive leaders among
them. They would go to a church or
q community center and preacher
would pray for George F.'s recovery.
He might also remind them of their
loyalty to their benefactor who was
critically ill, although he would refrain
from any reference to the union issue.
The overwhelming majority for the
company seems to have been a surprise
to many people here, perhaps even to
the Johnsons themselves. Now, they
say, they want to get back to making
shoes.
Perhaps with skillful management 1t
will be possible to restore the old status
quo here at johnson City. Perhaps
the election did end the whole ques-
ton. But it does not seem probable.