back on the line when they are through at noon and in the evening-this would protect these faucets. Mr. Kleinecke believes this is a good suggestion and we will give it attention.

Mr. Kovach will paint the windows in the tool room.

Service pins will be presented at a dinner meeting-same as those previously given. Our records will be completed within the next day or two. Mr. Kleinecke suggests that a committee be appointed to arrange the presenting of these pins.

Grothe. Mr. Grothe advised that the topic pertaining to the tool and die makers asking for more money was a perfectly fair topic to bring up at the shop committee meeting-that is what these meetings and committees are for.

Mr. Grothe believes that the rates, as a whole, throughout the plant are fair and equitable. One of the chief difficulties is our lack of being able to put in sufficient time, but, of course, this is due to business conditions. It has been the expressed desire of everyone in the plant, as a whole, that what work there is should be spread out; and the management itself is heartily in favor of this. We realize that this has put our company, and the people themselves, somewhat to a disadvantage compared to institutions that have a force where they can work about 40 hours per week. We would like to work 40 hours per week too, but we have not been able to get enough business. We do believe, in comparing our hourly rates as nearly as we are able to get information from other institutions, that we are in very favorable comparison-I mean the plant as a whole. I think that in the tool room itself, if you took the service bonus and the hourly rate, that we are about on an average with what you will find in other institutions.

In the first place, as I assured you before, our president is anxious at all times to do everything he possibly can for everyone. If anything, he leans backward to do it. He would be tickled if our business warranted more than we are doing.

We will come very close to breaking even for the year 1934, on a cash basis. Our losses will be just about the amount we set up for depreciation on building and equipment. Our operations from a cash standpoint, cash in and cash out, I will be about an even break-that is not bad.

We have a regular schedule and scale of classification for each job and its rates, and one is related to the other. We have accumulated data on this from all angles. We think we have a very fair, just, and equitable set-up of relations of jobs throughout our institution. You men are probably not familiar with the method in going about in setting those rates. I think you should be more familiar with it. We would very much like to see a committee appointed by the chairman of the shop committee, consisting of three to five people, to go over with two or three of the management who are familiar with the way those rates are arrived at, and analyze the situation. The records are all open and we will be thankful for any assistance or help or criticism which may come from anyone at any time.

If you are talking about this company putting out more money, increasing its costs in general, we might as well close down. I will tell you honestly now that I would not recommend it for you. I would not go to the directors of this company now and suggest a general increase today. I don't think this would be fair to the institution. They have come across with everything we have asked for so far. If you could show just cause, I would be glad to fight it for you, but I would have to sell myself on this point first.

We know if we run our costs up higher that it will mean loss volume; and in the final analysis we will have less hours to work and our pay envelop will not be larger but may be smaller. I desire to be very frank with you and I'm telling you just what the situation is. The company is paying everything it can bear at the present time.

Right now, Mr. Clyne is working on some figures for Sears. Their plan is to go into a considerably bigger volume. They are talking about 30,000 machines for this year. I think they are talking a whole lot more volume than they have any chance to reach. I believe their volume ran around 15,000 last year. But I assure you if we have to go back to them and increase their cost still more, it will not give us more volume. Thirty percent of our business last year went through Sears.

Don't get the wrong opinion that I am trying to give you arguments in connection with this request; but I'm just trying to put the facts before you. I am not adverse to wanting larger pays; I'm in favor of it when it is possible,

but I do not think today is the time when the company could, or should, even take it out of their treasury.

Mr. Grothe advised he would be glad to discuss at today's meeting, ideas, suggestions, and reasons why you think you should or should not have increases.

Joe Brown, stock.—Mr. Brown stated that he thought Mr. Grothe's suggestions were O. K. Suggests appointing a committee to see if the company can warrant an increase in wages. Mr. Forster, chairman, appointed Messrs. Joe Brown and Joe Gbur to serve on the committee with three employees of the tool room. A meeting will be held to discuss this item.

Forster, tool.-Department 541 needs a shop committee representative appointed as their representative was transferred to another department. Election will be held in this department this coming Thursday.

Oster, No. 162.-Stock on small parts coming up too slow. Mr. Heller will check with Mr. Clyne.

Knuff, No. 164.-Running too close on stock also. We have six or seven machines up there now and we cannot get parts for them. Mr. Heller will check with Mr. Clyne.

Due to the present method, one does not know the number of thread ends on the bobbins. Suggests that a special bobbin be fixed so a minimum amount of thread will always be on the bobbin, Mr. Grothe stated that this is a good suggestion. Mr. Knuff will submit this suggestion to the suggestion committee.

Brown, stock.-Elevator in varnish plant needs fixing.

Trucks that come from the receiving department should be sent up with 4 wheels instead of 3. Oiling would help a lot in pulling. Mr. Heller advised that we will have these trucks oiled.

Smith, No. 161.-Number 835 shuttles and no. 9306 needle plates have heavy scales. Believes they were burned. Mr. Heller will check.

Forster, tool.--Heater in the tool room needs connecting. This is in the southeast corner.

Floor in the engineering room needs cleaning.

Mildred Smerek.-Would like a candy machine in department 533 like the one in the general office, where one can see the variety of candy it contains. Groh, maintenance.-Suggests repairs and complaints be brought up with the foreman first.

The maintenance men oftentimes ask the foreman what the job is and they do not know anything about it.

Gbur, inspection.-Wall on the fifth floor toward the stairway, where they keep the varnish barrels, is breaking away. Mr. Gabrielson will check. Forster. Some of the operators sit on the steps outside of the dining room to smoke. Suggests a place be made in the dining room where they can sit and smoke. Mr. Kleinecke will follow this through.

Heller. We are making a drive on cutting down our scrap and repairs. It is our desire to get the best unit possible. We find that this is quite a factor in our costs. We made a little gain in the past through the cooperation of the foremen bringing up items at the foremen's meetings; and you boys can also help in the plant. We find that our cost per unit is running about $1.50 higher than we had anticipated. We generally set up our cost per B in November. We had a bad period in that quarter, which caused our cost to be quite high. Mr. Clyne found where our cost per unit could be reduced about 75 cents by eliminating some of our scrap and repairs and reducing the number of people below standard. A lot can be done by putting forth special effort.

Grothe. Those of you who were with the Theodor Kundtz Co. years ago know that they used to purchase standing timber and cut their own lumber. The reason for discontinuing that was that they could purchase lumber cheaper than what they could cut it, due to various conditions that came up. Then we used to make our flitches; this was discontinued because we could purchase our flitches for less money. The manufacture of veneers was also discontinued because they could be purchased cheaper. We were able to buy glue of an equal quality at less than our cost, so we stopped making our own glue. The same thing proved true with sandpaper. Right now we are on the fence as to whether we can purchase dimension stock cheaper than we can make it ourselves. When the time comes that we can buy it cheaper, we will go out and buy it because we must compete with other companies. There is a limit as to what every company can do in the way of costs. You people who are perform

ing operations are just as big a part of that as those in charge of the departments, or those at the head of the company. The reason we went out of the church and school business is because we could not compete. Our costs were too high. This is all a part of some of the management's worries.

Gabrielson. Mr. Gabrielson advised that he is working on new designs for some of Sears cabinets. Several of their models will be redesigned. This will mean watching of all operations to see that the proper gage and fixtures are used.

The operaters in the wood division have been very enthusiastic and helpful when new styles have gone through. They have been sincere in performing their operations.

Kleinecke.-Mr. Kleinecke advised if any operator has any difficulty with his work we want this brought up this all helps to bring down our scrap and repair items.

Relative to car parking; we have laid out lanes for that purpose. We will have to appeal to the shop committee men to watch that cars are parked properly. Suggest you tell the fellows in your departments to park in the lanes.

Relative to dates the departments are to take the trip through the plant, it was suggested that 1 week be skipped in order to bring the departments in proper order and according to the schedule.

Smith no. 561.-In going through the plant, one of the men nearly fell down the stairs. Suggests a shade be put on the light that is at the bottom of the stairway that leads into the shipping room. Light should also be put at the top of this same stairway.

Mr. Kleinecke advised that oftentimes it takes a long while before the suggestion committee has an opportunity to report on a suggestion that has been submitted to the committee. This is because some of the suggestions must be tried out.

Meeting adjourned at 4:30 p. m.

MILDRED SMEREK, Secretary. Mr. LESINSKI. Here is a leaflet entitled "Wake Up, Aluminum Workers."

WAKE UP! ALUMINUM WORKERS!

OCTOBER 23, 1934.

DEAR FELLOW WORKER: It is an established fact that today the workers of all large industrial plants have set up their own employee organizations which are managed by themselves and for the purpose of advancing their own interests. We aluminum workers have been asleep at the switch. We have stood by and let outside influences creep in and almost get a strangle hold on our rights and privileges as free American workers.

Surely we have had enough of the tactics of these outside agitators and their causing us to lose work and wages for no reason at all except to further their own selfish interests.

What do we aluminum workers want? Constant strife and trouble-never know when we are going to work or when we are going to loaf, just because some bird a thousand miles away decides to call a strike?

No. We want to work, we want fair wages, we want good working conditions, we want fair treatment from the company at all times, but above all we want peace and security not only for our jobs and ourselves but for our families and our community as well.

The record of the past year clearly proves we cannot obtain these ends if we continue to permit outside persons to manage or interfere with our local employment affairs.

If we aluminum workers want these very things we must wake up before it is too late. We must get together and organize ourselves and manage our own affairs. Surely we aluminum workers of this district have enough ability and common sense to know how to run our own business as workers.

Outsiders don't know what our local conditions are and don't care. Why in the name of common sense then, should we be suckers and let them take away thousands of dollars a month of our hard-earned wages and give us nothing but trouble in return.

Let us build up our own organization, use all our money for the benefit of ourselves, our families and our community, rather than to pay high salaries to selfish outside labor dictators.

We aluminum workers of the New Kensington district for the protection of our own interests must set up such an organization-and now.

That organization must be one of workers only, managed by the workers alone.

It must not be dominated in any way nor affiliated in any way with outside interests.

It must not be dominated by the company.

Its sole aim and only reason for existence must be for the express purpose of protecting and promoting the welfare of the workers themselves.

Such an organization is badly needed by us at this time.

With full realization of this fact we, your fellow employees, have given much time and study to the type of organization set-up we all need for those purposes. We have worked out a plan which, we believe, fully meets our requirements. Our suggestions are

That we aluminum workers set up our own protective organization.

That we ourselves draw up our own constitution and bylaws under which we will operate as an organization.

That we charter our organization under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, thus giving us legal status in the eyes of the laws and courts. That we nominate and elect workers from among our own fellow employees to be the officers of our organization.

That the workers of each department elect from among the fellow workers of their department, representatives to act for them.

That all representatives elected by all departments shall comprise a general committee.

That a relief fund to pay benefits to the members in case of sickness, accident, or death be established.

That all dues paid by the members be used solely to pay sick benefits to members and to defray the operating expenses of our organization.

That all money in the treasury at all times is the property of the organization and under the control of its members, and not under the control of outside interests.

That under our own set-up we ourselves through our own officers and our own elected representatives will deal direct with the management on all questions relating to our employment relations, either general or individual.

That when a dispute arises between ourselves and the management that cannot be settled to mutual satisfaction the dispute in question would then be referred to an arbitrator such as the Labor Relations Board, the United States Department of Labor, or some other satisfactory agency.

This procedure has for its aim the peaceful settlement of disputes but in no way prevents nor interferes with the workers right to strike.

That, should the organization be dissolved at some future time, all money in the treasury shall be paid back to the members in good standing on a pro rata share based on the years of continuous membership.

It's time we wake up and ask ourselves the following questions:

Shall the mismanagement of our affairs by outsiders continue or shall we begin to manage our own affairs?

Shall we aluminum workers continue to let outsiders interfere with our business?

Shall we continue to have strife and turmoil and be subject to strike calls, instead of peace and security?

Shall the disgraceful record of the past year be repeated?

Fellow workers, the answer to these questions lies entirely with you.

The issue is clear. We must not straddle the fence any longer.

Let's wake up before it is too late.

We must set up this organization for ourselves, to help us when sick and unable to work, to protect our rights, and to protect the peace and security of our homes and our community.

As a worker of this community, as a citizen of this community, you owe it to yourself, to your family and your community to get behind this movement with your whole-hearted cooperation and support.

Sign your card today.

Sincerely yours,

THE ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE.

P. S.-Amount of dues and amount of benefits payable will be determined by the members themselves after we get started.

Mr. LESINSKI. This is a copy of an application for employment in the Truscon Steel Co. division, presented by the employers.

APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT

The
Street

City

Company

The undersigned hereby applies for employment by you and for your information in considering this application respectfully represents the following information to be true and correct:

In accordance with the provisions of sections 5 and 7 (a) of the N. I. R. A., the applicable portions of which are printed on the reverse side hereof, it is the labor policy of the Company that every individual employee shall have the opportunity (1) to deal and contract directly with the company in regard to his wages and working conditions; or (2) to bargain collectively through any labor union representative selected by said employee and such other of the company's employees as may notify the company of their desire to be so represented; or (3) to bargain collectively through a committee of fellow employees representing him and other company employees.

7. If this application for employment is accepted, I now choose to deal with the Company for the term of 1 year in accordance with plan

no.

8. Do you now agree that if your application is accepted that you will work with other employees without regard to their method of dealing with this company Telephone:

(Address)

[Printed on back of application]

NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL RECOVERY ACT

SEC. 5. * * Nothing in this act, and no regulation thereunder, shall prevent an individual from pursuing the vocation of manual labor and selling or trading the products thereof.

* *

*

SEC. 7 (a) Every code of fair competition, agreement, and license approved, prescribed, or issued under this title shall contain the following conditions: (1) That employees shall have the right to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and shall be free from the interference, restraint, or coercion of employers of labor, or their agents, in the designation of such representatives or in self-organization or in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection; (2) that no employee and no one seeking employment shall be required as a condition of employment to join any company union or to refrain from joining, organizing, or assisting a labor organization of his own choosing *