The Wilmington morning star., 1940-10-02
Fair Enough

The Star wishes its readers
to know that views and opin-
ions expressed in this article
are those of the author n
may not always harmonic
with its position.-The Editor.
NEW YORK, Oct. IL thought
I would give you a little cnapter
and verse on the relationship pe.
tween the humble working stiff
and the arrogant labor skate.
This one comes from San Fran
cisco:
Some young people know were
honeymoon at a non-union noun
honeymoon at a nonunlon noun
tain resort. They had struggled to
save for a meager honeymoon,
They had a long weekend, and on
returning the musicians MO
phoned them and demanded $l0o.
They had paid 500 each to join
this union and hold their jobs. They
had to borrow money for the fine
and the money they had saved for
a tiny apartment had to be PAID
to the union"
At the Fair
At the New York Worlds fair 10
ushers and similar employees,
drawing from SIT to $35 a week
for a season of about "a weeks,
had to join a subsidiary of the
George Scalise "acket at an lnltla-
ton fee of $11 each. No increase
in wages. No vote. They wanted
to refuse, but the racket threatened
to picket another attraction owned
by the same management Last
year the management paid half OF
the graft to the racket. AS to wheth-
er the management paid part OF
this years graft my informant
doesn't say.
Another from California reports
that P. A. Morrin, president of the
iron workers, governed by three
men in st. Louis, suspended the
annual convention and now calls
conventions every four years. This
is convention year, but Morrin re-
fuses to let the California local
hold a meeting, and appoint its
own delegates. Morrin picked them
so there is no chance for the Cal
ifornia local even to propose a new
president. Incidentally, Morrin ap-
pointed an admitted crook, a rene
gade Cincinnati cop named Jack
Dempsey, international treasurer,
for this union, although Dempsey
still owes a ST, 900 fine in the feder-
al court in Cincinnati for grating
from bootleggers when he was on
the police force. He was not elect
ed by the workers.. He was ap-
pointed by Morrin.
From New York
II am a retail mems clothing
salesman and manager. Ever since
1 was compelled to join the union
I have been unemployed. I was
taken off my last job, secured by
myself, with these words from the
union secretary: This job is not
yours. This job belongs to tn e
union. It is up to her to decide
who is to work there
81 was a member in good stand
ing, all paid up. Four dollars per
month. Ten dollars each year for
assessments and many times a tax
as high as SO per week extra. I
have receipts to show.
when forced to quit my job I
couldn't pay. I then got a letter:
You are summoned to the union
office Monday morning to place
yourself in good standing. Failure
will automatically suspend you."'
This, also, from New York:
IT am a union t" .Jenter. The
building BOSSES cannot hire tn e
men they want. They have to take
most of the ren from the delegate.
The delegate gives the jobs only
to those who pay graft. He admits
he gets $40 to $40 from carpenters
that made out good. Some Of the
men work most of the time on spe-
cially good jobs. Ninety-five per
cent of the men are out OF work
40 to 10 per en- of the time. The
delegate gets $500 a week pay from
the local union.
These are only samples. I have
hundreds as bad or worse. 2