The voice of labor. (Cumberland, Md.) 1938-1942, 1942-05-07
by JOHN DUNN
Federated Pres

terials are not ready when needed,
production Is not properly schedule
cd. working conditions are mEcr-
able. equipment is defective and
supervisors handle men in hight
handed manner
Each OF the innumcrablc losses
OF time aud effort may appear
small tn Itself but they add up to
enormous figures II IS estimated
that production could be Increased
III existing plants By IS IL IT.
efficiency were eliminated
Workers are demanding equal re-
Sponsibilliy with management for
efficiency TO speed tho day when
.ascism Is DESTROYED. Because man
agcmcnt and government concern
ifatcd too long on building new
plants. labor has had 10 take tie
initiative III demanding greater cf-
ac!cnct IN existing production ia
ciliiic Proper organization aud
planning can produce increase OF
from TO- to 50
EGicienct ALWAYS hd. been one
Of the instrument used b. manage
mcnt to get create. profits out OF
tie WORKERS toll. The iahuman
spcedup and Strctchoui have been
opposed by workers. and Justly so.
Picccwork rates are often set in
an arb!rai, manner and slashed
whenever The boss sees TT Time
studies are made secretly and work
CTS pushed 10 the polr; OF cxiauS-
ton
To-day. however. stronger than
il ever was in American history.
labor feels that scientific man
agcment can he usrd without
injuring the workers health or
morale. Labor i als0 willing
to work harder IN the interests
Of winning the war without
lining the employers pockets.
The attitude OF labor Is Summar-
.7cd by CLIO Pres. Philip Murray IN
Organized Labor and Production a
book which he wrote with Morris
Il Cooke Union and management
have an interest III methods tina,
Will eliminate waste J"
REGARDING time studies he said
II is generally conceded that a
wcll-haudlcd time study is waltz
able technique. capable OF rcSolyinG
issues OF long standing that have
caused grave intuEiiceS. preventing
rate cutting and demanding a high
Ell calibcr o! .oremanShip
More efficient production. how
eyer. does not necessarily NEAR
more Swca, from tine individual
worker Methods Of production
conirol may actually reduce in.
dlyidual Toll While increasing pro.
duC,ion A few recent examples:
In large steel foundry max
ing tank parts, production of
certain castings was brought
from 200 tons 10 1000 tons \
month while the number Of
man hours per ton was cut in
half This gain was brought
about by inSuring that molding
sand and patterns were ready
on time. that rods for mods
were ready made instead Of
making the men cut their
own. and by paving a bonus
for efficient work.
= An increase Of 30. was made
in the automatic screw machine
department of a brass factory
by adding men to supply ma
trrials. take away finished parts
and do either auxiliary jobs. In
this ease. the plan actually in
creased the number of jobs in
stead of decreasing them as the
traditional spccdup does.
In a biz ordnance plant.
steam hammers production Of
nickel ingotS was increased
from 65 TO so a day by time
study in which the workers
made many valuable SuggeS-
tiOnS.
IN all OF these cases. the earn
iYgS o! the workers were increase
b. bonus arrangements made be
: tween management and the union!
Industrial engineers and worker
agree there are countless such op
portunities in factories. mines an
. ShipyardS
Workers in position TO know
y Of time waste and other leaks"
can bring those TO the atten-
ton Of management through
labor management councils.
Among the measures proposed b
e War Production Chic! Donald N
Nelson aa part OF the campaign
70 increase wal production is tn
l setting up OF production quotas 10
each plant ana for each division o
factory with ScoreboardS Showin
: the records achieved
This means Of stimulating tn
interest Of workers in production
problems is an important step il
putting war Industries on an effic
lent basis.
Workers protected BY union con
= tracts and possessing the strength
Of organization TO see that fedora
wage and hour legislation is en-
forced need not fear the abuses tina
in the main have marked eTicienc
: plans.
In most plants where there ar
both union contracts and bonu
: systems, the workers are guarantee
| their base pay irrespective OF out
put. In cases OF machinery break
L downs and other delays for whic
the worker Is rot responsible. the
are also guaranteed an average pa
based on bonus earnings.
J. When production comes up to
certain goal specified bonus
: often paid. Rates and quotas al
sat ~. tt,,,a .t,,,.fa. ia ,,.l.t.t, a.