Evening star., 1940-01-28
Unions Lose Test Of Strength
With Benevolent Manufactures
Endicott. johnson Labor Bargaining Issue Decided
in Part by Personal Loyalty to 82.Year.
Old Corporation Head
BY Marquis ". Childs.

JOHNSON CITY, N. Y-The National
Labor Relations Board held an election
in the plants of the Endicott-J johnson
Corp. here the other day, the most re-
markable election in the history of COL
lective bargaining under the Wagner Act.
The company won, the unions lost, and
by ratio of five to one.
And after the victory it was not the
company that celebrated but the work.
ers. Thousands of them roared up and
down the streets of this shoe town with
every kind of noise-maker in an imita-
ton of New Year Eve and an old-fash-
toned Fourth of July
Behind this extraordinary celebration
Is unique experiment in beneficent
paternalism. When 1888 workers voted
for the company and only 1872 for the
A. F. L. and 1,079 for the c. l. O., it
was in no small part personal victory
for George F. johnson, 82-year- old head
OF the company, and the ideals for which
he stood. In part, too, it could be put
down to the split in labor's ranks, since
the A. F. L. and the C. I. o. seemed to
spend almost as much time attacking
each other as they did in attacking the
company.
George F., as he is known to everyone
In this region, believed in sharing the
rewards of industry with the workers
in his plant. Having started as worker
himself, he believed in high wages,
shorter hours bonuses out of profit, free
medical service decent housing, security
In the job. Even as his business grew to
its present great size, he personally
sought to make sure that his thousands
Of workers had all these things.
Forswore Great Wealth.
Holding 1t disgrace to die possessed
Of great wealth, he gave large sums out
Of his own income for hospitals, parks
and recreation areas, churches and COM
munity halls George F. became famous
as possibly the most generous large
scale employer in the country and he
was proud of his unique position.
Most of the Improvement in workers
hours, wages and working conditions
has come from the efforts of workers
unions" he is quoted as saying, "and
CllCy lldfC UCCll OllS lCSuU Vi Ildlo
struggles. We don't believe that men
should have to fight for decent treat
ment, and We have always tried to give
them that, with maybe something more"
Perhaps there would never have been
any conflict over the union issue, in spite
of the Wagner Act, if it had been pos
sible to sustain the ideals of the founder
Af kSah hvyri pttf Av~a
ployment has been slack. There have
been no profits to share with the work
ers. Employees have been assessed S per
cent for the cost of their medical care.
Moreover, changes have come about as
George F.. has inevitably slackened his
personal control over the company. For
years he represented court of appeal
over any foreman or executive. A worker
could walk into George F.'s Office and
present his case to the big boss. In re-
cent years this has been impossible. The
personal relationship that he built up
has more or less disappeared. George F.,
it is fairly obvious, had a genius for
handling men, combined with warm
heart.
Adopt Cautious Policy.
Just now the Johnsons, George W., son
of George F. and president of the COM
pany; Charles F., jr, a nephew and vice
president, are being exceedingly eau
tious. While the company won the elec-
ton, they recognize that this was only
one battle in what may prove contin-
uing warfare. The unions have just
filed formal protest with the Labor
Board, charging the company with I'M
fair, anti-union practices preceding the
election. The company is still under an
order from the Labor Board to cease
and desist from unfair" labor practices.
The Johnsons will not talk to any news
paper man.
The exact total distributed by the
company in profit-sharing bonuses
through the years is not known 1t has
been put at s15,00O,000 with the largest
bonus, $245.44, in 1925.
Wage comparisons are. of course, ex-
tremely difficult. The Johnsons have al
ways claimed a higher average than
anywhere else in the country. Some
times their figures have included the cost
Of medical service to the workers, some