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Story
June 12, 1934
The Daily Worker
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
What is this article about?
A white worker in Fairfield, Ala., reports on the unwanted company union at Tennessee Coal and Iron Co.'s Westfield plant, which perpetuates racial division and unequal wages between Black and white workers. He advocates breaking race prejudice to build an independent union amid worsening conditions.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
Co. Union Keeps Negro and White Workers Divided
By a Worker Correspondent
FAIRFIELD, Ala.—In the Westfield plant of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Co. we have a company union, that we do not want at all. But this is the best that we can do at this time because the bosses of the Southern States have been able to keep the working class divided and this makes it hard to build an independent union here.
But we know that the company unions are not for the worker at all. We see now what has got to be done to build the union in the Southern States. The race prejudice must be broken down in the South. The T.C.I. is trying to save itself by a company union but this will not help at all when the workers' conditions are getting worse all the time. The wage cutting system is difficult at this time. We did not understand what the differential wage in the Southern States means. The foreman of the T.C.I. told me that the reason why the T.C.I. wants a company union is because they do not want to pay a Negro the same wage that they pay a white worker, but if I understand it, it means the same thing to the white workers. The Negro workers ought to get the same wage as white workers get.
I will tell you how I first got the Daily Worker. A Negro worker was reading it to himself and I saw the headline and asked him for a copy. He gave me two copies of the paper.
FROM A WHITE WORKER IN FAIRFIELD, ALA.
By a Worker Correspondent
FAIRFIELD, Ala.—In the Westfield plant of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Co. we have a company union, that we do not want at all. But this is the best that we can do at this time because the bosses of the Southern States have been able to keep the working class divided and this makes it hard to build an independent union here.
But we know that the company unions are not for the worker at all. We see now what has got to be done to build the union in the Southern States. The race prejudice must be broken down in the South. The T.C.I. is trying to save itself by a company union but this will not help at all when the workers' conditions are getting worse all the time. The wage cutting system is difficult at this time. We did not understand what the differential wage in the Southern States means. The foreman of the T.C.I. told me that the reason why the T.C.I. wants a company union is because they do not want to pay a Negro the same wage that they pay a white worker, but if I understand it, it means the same thing to the white workers. The Negro workers ought to get the same wage as white workers get.
I will tell you how I first got the Daily Worker. A Negro worker was reading it to himself and I saw the headline and asked him for a copy. He gave me two copies of the paper.
FROM A WHITE WORKER IN FAIRFIELD, ALA.
What sub-type of article is it?
Historical Event
Biography
What themes does it cover?
Justice
Social Manners
Misfortune
What keywords are associated?
Company Union
Race Prejudice
Wage Differential
Southern Labor
T.C.I. Plant
Worker Division
What entities or persons were involved?
White Worker Correspondent
Negro Worker
T.C.I. Foreman
Where did it happen?
Fairfield, Ala., Westfield Plant, Tennessee Coal And Iron Co.
Story Details
Key Persons
White Worker Correspondent
Negro Worker
T.C.I. Foreman
Location
Fairfield, Ala., Westfield Plant, Tennessee Coal And Iron Co.
Story Details
White worker describes company union at T.C.I. plant dividing Black and white workers, perpetuating race prejudice and wage differentials; foreman admits union avoids equal pay for Negroes; worker learns of Daily Worker from Negro colleague.