The union times. (New Haven, Conn.) 1941-1948, 1942-06-06
[ Remember
By
Richard E. CrOskey
Local 4O4
Cooks u Walters Union
LOTS OF WORK AND NO PAY

LOTS OF WORK AND NO PAY
That is what might be said OF
those of us who were entrusted with
organizing so years ago. Having
been elected to lead the cooks
walters and Mattresses to the six
day work week and the eight-houl
day, / started on my travels March
1, 1901. My first stop was at the
Pittsburgh of the west, Pueblo
Colo. / looked up the organizer OF
the C.L.U., Frank Richardson.
believe that our Movie Operators
will know him. He was an engineer
that drifted into their occupation
and is the author of a text book
that is considered a standard work
on that craft.
After telling Frank what wa:
there for, he threw up his hands anc
said, II have been trying to get those
people together for long time. Yot
are very welcome" I asked him where
I could get meeting hall, as there
was no Labor Temple in that towr
then. He was a live wire and rust1ec
me room over a saloon. There, or
March q, 1901, sitting around OF
empty beer kegs was organized unior
of 81 charter members that soon wen
to over 200. They went on strike fol
a six-day week. One of them wa
killed on the picket line and nearly
all of them were thrown into Jail, bu
they WON their six-day work week
That is what counts.
FIRST EICHT-HOUR CONTRACT
From there visited railroad towr
that was very lively in those days
being the main line junction for man!
branches that brought the ore, golt
and silver from the mines to the smell
tiers at Denver and Pueblo. 1t was al
a1l-night town, being as busy at mid
night as midday. It was also the nom
town of the noted engineer poet c,
Warman, who will be remembered a
the author of the popular song "Swee
Marie" He was later engaged by tn
Hearst publications and wrote column
stuff for those papers.
UNDER THE TREES
There under the trees on tn
banks of the Arkansas river wa
organized a union that wrote tn
first eight-hour day contract writer
and gained by a culinary workers
organization in America, if not il
the world. However, it was boon
town and did not last. When tn
mines closed SO did the raiIroa.
business and with it the restauran
business. But understand tn
town of Salida has come back AM
our craft has a charter there now
From there I went to what tn
townspeople liked to call the wicked
est city on earth," the mining town o
Leadvi1le, which is over a mile abov
sea level. I must say / failed to fin
anything very wicked about it; ii
fact, l found very friendly lot o
people.
It was no trouble to get our peopl
interested in unionism as the miner
were strongly organized, but before
could get them together my none.
ran out, so I had to make arrange
ments to go back and finish my work
which I did afterwards.
LUCKY TO GET EXPENSES
In practically organizing three
unions some hundreds of mile
apart the total cost was 500 and :
months work. My salary was 1
laugh. We organizers were lucky t.
get our expenses and the genera
president drew no salary. Oh, well
when look back to those days ant
compare it with today, / have :
feeling of satisfaction and pride
that while we had no money we die
our work well for the benefit O.
those that follow us. ] am glad i