Page:Robert W. Dunn - American Company Unions.djvu/27

 Gerard Swope, the President of the Company, to a deceased member of J. P. Morgan & Company, radio club news, "sound economics," illustrations, children's puzzle pictures, baby contest snap shots, a report of a speech by Owen D. Young, blurbs on the joint celebration of Roosevelt Day and Navy Day, bowling club scores, and other "human interest" material. (Incidentally, the importance of the company's employee magazine in cultivating the plans and the "plan spirit" should be carefully studied by those interested in the spread of company unions. The works journal is the most effective channel through which plans are put over—and kept over—among the workers).

At the G. E. C. works at Schenectady the representation plan is also in full boom. A report from a reliable informant at this plant in October, 1925, tells of a "representative" who lost his job "because he took his position seriously and actually tried to represent the wishes of his fellow-workers who had chosen him." It appears that he fought for the rights of his constituents and was fired for his pains. The regular trade unions have been almost completely extinguished in the Schenectady Works thanks to the deceitful company association. The electrical workers' union which formerly had nearly 2,000 members in the plant has now been reduced to "a number" not disclosed by the local business agents. The machinists were also quite active in the plant in wartime, but are now defeated and unrecognized. Patternmakers and plumbers are functioning to some extent. This situation illustrates the weakness of the out-of-date craft unions in the face of a plant management with a policy directed against organized labor, and using the "factory solidarity" argument to build up the company organization. No wonder the General Manager of the G. E. C. can be reported by the