Page:Robert W. Dunn - American Company Unions.djvu/25

 label, the general superintendent presides over all meetings of the General Plant Conference, the supreme "parliament" of the Armour plants. Imagine a worker—an ordinary hog-killer—filling such an important post. It would never do under the Armour brand of democracy! Note also that the other strategic and influential position—secretary of the Conference Board—is always occupied by a salaried company official, functioning from the "front office" and under the thumb of the superintendent. Under such strike-proof control what chance does a worker have who proposes a wage increase? Oh yes, a committee will be appointed "to look into the matter." The company will serve up the necessary figures to prove the impossibility of a wage advance. The hand-picked committee will be confused, and "impressed" with the company's figures. The wage move will be smothered. The worker who proposed it may be fired. To be sure, he can appeal to the General Superintendent!

Accompanying the packers' company unions are the other incentives to plant loyalty—bonus schemes, pensions, group insurance, safety devices, company magazines—all concentrated on one thing—to teach the worker the highly-prized "sound economics" which the company experts have invented. The worker is "made to see the problems of the company" and the frightful competition the company has to undergo—in a monopolistic industry! There are also the usual stool pigeons, spies, and undercover men invaluable to any company that would keep abreast of "what's on the workers' mind."

The most recent act of the company union in the Armour Plant has been to entertain suggestions from the company that the 12- and 14-hour day, and the 60-hour week schedule be restored. At present the plants are operating on a ten hour day