t - International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers

The Journal of ELECTRICAL WORKERS and Operators
It should work for laihr. Shorter hours have
PrVovia satisfaetory in every major industry
NNOW who is wilingil to take up the
loiln an d fare tie farts of thii labring
group? Are our high ranking orcers with
their Iice fat salaeies qullifled, or are
thry j iit p.oiitiklng alon g with small fish?
Whynot start so methiig gigantic?
Gearremont Ihe llahor lovenlent of today
is imowh i at a ainil'. pace ,omnpared to all
the niahhiniery now set up to help labor.
NWe are jest playiln with chickn feed. I
melii by that, this: Ae hare business
a-'ents runuin liale anll there il city,
oumnty, statte, glrl,,i,, jusl anything that
coliesn lohin, \Vh.ii we a re the greatest
opirganled labor riot Ion ,of the world, we can
di,nland of this country I Nix-hour day for
everylody and everbody be put to work.
Are you seared to ask for it, or do you
lie to read ulIerap1oya d signs
TslE SENTINtL.
to carry or, the fight n i i ly pilered by
the older mne bers of eiLr orrani:latIlo.
Ileing a young mechanic and a comparatively
new member of the 1. B, E, W., it i,
'litl riiatitude that I recall the way in which
Ith lio npiriers of our organization have re
ccelvi Ire ont equal terlns alli givend in the
binefit of their vast experienee.
It liii, ieen my good fortune to lie srIited
to Insist on some cnnirnitrtees in the post and
I look fiar:rI with keen aiticilatio n toI
further activiies within our local,
EmlW{ Fe S"lla,
Lo.cal Union No. 654 will elilentrt its first
bithdayl on February i- ' tin'11 nre in the
hallsb o ift Icomminittee ineicpsd of Brothers
WVholp-r Am ersei. Smi e, Il-et-r, Cuekt, opp
ii d arilner for a hul hei t o t held
inll honor of this event.
We expect iall our niembers to nttend this
affair. Brnthiur Piere evienllty Iojoys attire
job n aongside of the A. F. of L, building
raft. Why -has never been satisfacoflily
explained.
Tiis l ft LIre d.o open for other owners
ani contmrotors, one of whom immediately
tonk aivant. ge of the situation by letting the
eletltre and sleet metal contracts unfair.
I'ik Iet .ias were sanctioned and estnblished
hy the Hl, IT. C. nilly to Ie broken daily by
ther craifts who by their irresponsible acts
have caisedl illdi strife.
Unaioa m n bust ie trnie to their obligations
if ver ii i l.i.e.ure of lucress is to be gained
for theliv theom ho bear the buhrden of
their hause. Nn o nieslg must be left on iny
job vherehi unfair contractors can be thrust
into the hieach, thereby driving a wedge betweei
tihe trit 'lile crafts ,must inointain
a 100 pTer e I,,t united frot, failuire to do so
will Ilean thile o Id order of working conditions,
liuring which we had the union trades worklg
witih th, ilrfiir.
L. U. NO. 654, CHIESTER, PA.
BIditor:
IN our filr-st letter of i940 we wish to thank
Brother James IR. Baliker. of Local Union No.
1-3, New York City, for remembering our
previous contributions in favor of the sixhour
(l ay .- hour week
The writer i only toI lanl to give whatover
supliort he can for sueh a worthliy c us .
It is our opinion that every orrrespondent to
the JOhiRNL shoild get behinmd L. [. No. B-3
anrh lead their efforts illn irastn tl bringing
the matter before our reader melbers.
If this is dlone, I'st Ils.ir... interest will
develop into desir. ll nd when the desire becomies
powerful noirpurh in the minds of the
nmajority of our nemnhera action will take
plae throughout thile lrothrhood that will
eventually bring about that which Local
Iio[{ No. B-S has so coirnalously- sponsored
andl won for themselves.
Rteliiing that what hbs been done in New
York City can be done throughout the
I. B E. W., 1. U. No. B-3 is offering every
form If advice an..d sbtoeIe to all local
nioens nhich wish t join illn this crusade.
Local scribes, let is ail promise to keep
the six-hour day, 0-hoaur week issue alive by
iving space in our iletter to the JOURNAL
fr suh a w"orthy raise.
Nothing has beer, gained by organized labor
without a fight against great blodds. We must
continue fighting for improved working and
living conditions if we are to show progress.
L.et I all show that we believe in the prin
iple of the six hour day, 30-hour week, and
thle day will arrive when all the local unions
within the Brotherhood will incorporate this
clause in all contracts.
At this time your eorrespondent takes
pleasure in introdlucing Brother Edwin Sibre
tI the JOURNAL readers. Brother Sibre, while
one of our younger members, has the qualifications
necessary for development in an organisation
such as ours.
Thip being my first contribution to the
JOURNAL, I will endeavor briefly to state
some of the things which the I. B. E. W.
means to InC.
My membership in the . B. E. W. is vauable
to Ime as it i lily aldmilssion ticket to
better working conitions and higher wages.
Pl.us the privilege of cias association with
the highest type men icirs in our craft. It
aIso entitles me to enjoy the benefits of the
hard work done by my prerecessors in the
lield of organirid labor.
Firmly believing that, "'Tt ha which is worth
having is worth workilng for," I anl glad to
houlder the burdens a iinid responsibilities
which my membership in the I. . E. W.
entails, and fully ralile thit it is the duty
ef .very member, especiallv young members,
{nrlrtepatiotl in union ffairs and] what
powerful coffee he makes!
It Is aglln n a pleasure to report the progress
of our aplIpritice schaol. The anddlitio of
Brother Coppola as truaIt officer has booeted
the attendiinice. Brother Ca pla says we
must have 200 per cent attendance or else.
Or else what, Tony?
We again thnk the members for their
generous support to the house cnntunittee and
wih t, didse, that the sthopl Ila,..I .ri. d is
now in use annld taking anl lafa bheating by
irothers Lesetring, Riley and Miller.
J. A, DOUItETY.
L. U. NO. 665, LANSING, MICI{.
Editor:
"let us speak plain; there is niee for-c in
nlmeS tha, most men dream of Anid a lie
may keep its throne a whole age longer if it
skulk behind the shield of sone fnir-seeming
naine." Lowell.
We note that Thurman ArntId dreams of
acquiring the name of beinl a great crusader
Like the vivisectionist he deslir, o take the
buildnlg trade unions of the A. F, of I,. apart
piece by piece Rlegardless of the fact that
the Clayton laws were enacted Lo prohibit
labor uniions from being proecuted as labor
trusts Mr. Arnolid seemns to take the hstod.
that as in assistant A. 0. he is the law and
judge thereof.
Joe S.talin over in Russia takes the salie
stand. lie is the law and thler s n peal
froml Joe' derision, but that is Rlusinpn taw.
socalled. This is the United Staties nld the
Supreme Court thereof wili decide the inte,tion
of the law, not Mr. Arnold. Sine the
days of Iayes' administration eapital has
lIce,," onrgrti g by cosoirlilation of business
interests into large coriorations or trusts.
This form of consolidation wai declared illegal
in the eighties, but we have not to late
heard of nuch being dlone about it. In IfSO
organnIpd labor was facing organied capital
with the conscl.iousness of its interests as a
class.
President Lincoln in one of his iessagrs
to Congress stated that the rights of labor
were prior to those of capital.
Men of orgonized labor hae suffllered much
for their cause.
Men have died for it.
Men have suffeered imprisonment for it.
Now an assistant A. G. would destroy what
little protrction the labor il"ions have built
1I'p through years of effort annl augerilg. The
foes of the A. F. of L. huilig trades are
deHrlyinng much satisfactino from these persevihtieri*.
Locally we have our own problem-
,hildrn.
We slpoke i, a prelvioun letter of the
C"hristian Labor A ssointipin.. entering our
jurisdiction. This misrinae i oulit was tol-
.rated to ontl.nn e In h-oaipletirHn If the
If Mr. Arnll, seeks, only the welfare of his
country in proa. citing the truFst he can win
fame by statll"n with the iargest of them all,
tIhe A. I. iil iT.. for aording to the reports
the nIeinn t repnt p $1,500,000 diuring a
period If tl wiy.ears invesbigating the telephone
inlusiry
The i iformnation collected is public property
yet i. re..aIns iaacees'ile in the files of the
F. C. C. Why? Is it too hot to handle? 1. it
ton .iuc.h an open ¥iolatin of the Shermnn
Act that it miust not be published to the
country?
The A. {. office dopsnit seem to want any
[art ill pro-ecuting this one. No, too large'
Let's jUmlrp Olaor l unions. they eanr always
hie made the scape goat. Bock in the
days of 1776II the I13 colonies formed a union
andi frod theiiselves front oppression. A we
,ecall our history there was iaso a man
nanmed Arn,,old inl those days, Ilenleidt Arnold.
In thie groat , eretbed ,00luel on the battle
feli of Saratoga thile niche that huld eonniin
Arrnldd staotue is left vacant. EXery
reader of Araerican history knows why. So
union mlin nhi st becme "'inaute men" as
lnen did in thI day, of -7, They nlust be
,ever .,i Leh, :ell fur there a enemies re whi,
worhld desro y the rights of union alen As
rich Yes, even ill tile iale of justiee.
j. T. WILLiAM. .ON,
L. U. NO. 11-713. CHICAGO, ILL
Edit-or
We are nmailing under separate cover .
picture of the elected officers and business
repreentitoive s opf Local Union No. B-713
far 1939-4O.
Most of oiar oueers have been on the job
for niany years. President Cox, 14 years;
Recordin g Siertaory Doerr, 1 years: Tralrier
Altschuler, 12 years; Chairman of the
Executive Board N .essern. 10 years, and
1Bsiness Mlltaget Senhilt. 26 years. Brother
Sehil] hs servedl as business nmanager for 24
continuois years and is the oldest busilness
IanLg'r in pioint of continuous service in
Chieago, thit r ., Ilr as the electrical workmsg
aire e-n cenrvd.
Local Union No. B-713 has more than,
ildubled its me .bilership in the past two years
and we are pronl to say that we have approximantely
],0 members and, 450 penrn its
worknill "'ut of OLtr orranihLation at the present
tnle. lirother Schilt is botl lilnancial Neretary
and blus i rss manager of the local hut
nmch cledit for our progress must he given
to Assistant Bsritlas Managers A. J. Pusatrti
an l Willianll Taylor.
WNe iLv- a laiJiiitl ucodition cunee,,idll tir
natiJnnlity it a oiur icers. We have a regular
el tini f nit which was brought about thr.ough
pure are ident, r rather through regular proedure.
All of thOuii ire to bo sure, Anierrioitn