Toledo union journal. [volume] (Toledo, Ohio) 1942-current, 1943-10-22

- Jones Com
pany is an old
- - a blished
Du" a. " . " firm in To-
ledo. The plant is engaged in
the manufacture of oil well
equipment, and employees APP
proximately IS men, most of
whom have about 20 years or
more of seniority.
Last December the manage
ment agreed to grant certain ad-
justments which averaged about
a nickel per hour to each en-
ployee, and these adjustments
were retroactive to September
20, 1912, the date of our first
negotiations meeting. So what
happened:
The thing has been kicked
around ever since last Christmas,
the Company having sent in the
required government form with
out the signature of the union
representatives and without a
worthwhile brief to accompany
it, so that an explanation could
be offered, telling why the ad-
justments should be approved.
(You know, now you have to con-
vince the government that you
are unquestionably entitled to a
raise, or you just don't get it,
TURNED DOWN
We were turned down because
of insufficient infor nation,
thanks to the Company having
sent it in without our knowledge.
And so we appealed it. Then
when the new application was
filed, the WLB took its sweet
time in answering, and it took
a plant-wide petition to bring an
answer. And what an answer, at
that! Half of the adjustments
were denied, after the men wait
ed patiently for year.
Did you ever hear of hand
screw machine operators working
for 92l2c? The War Labor Board
thinks that's fair rate for them.
And automatic operators whose
rate is only $110 were turned
down flat when they asked for a
five cent raise, while men doing
similar work in other plants are
earning $l.50 per hour.
S. NJ. Jones has six machin-
lists, three of whom are really
machinists, the others tool and
die makers. But they were de-
MED their increase also, which
means that $1.30 is too much for
tool and die men in this shop,
while they are paying $l.65 and
$1.75 in other plants.
The machinists operate plan
ers, lathes, shapers, milling ma
chimes and drill presses, and all
for the wondrous wage of Sl.05,
because the WLB says that $1.15
is too much"
WHAT A DECISION
But here's the pipl War Labor
Board practice is that workers
with one years seniority should
receive one weeks pay, based on
straight-time pay for the num-
ber of hours worked in the week,
and employees with five years
or more seniority should receive
two weeks pay on the same
basis. And so what does the
WLB decide in the s. M. Jones
case? They decide that three
and one-third hours pay for each
month during which the men
worked forty hours would be too
much for the men, or maybe they
were trying to prevent initiation
when they turned down this plan,
which is less than half of what
WLB practice allows!
| believe that the time has
come when we should tell the
War Labor Board that we are
tired of its reactionary tommy
rot, and ask the President of the
United States to put stop to
legalized slavery. When men
with 40 years seniority have to
work for 75c an hour after they
have given their life's blood to
build a business, just because
someone who got his job through
politics says they're making
enough money, it's high time that
we got wise to ourselves and did
something about it. For my part,
they can disbanA the whole
damned thing any time they want
10, and good ridance.