United Automobile Worker

Gear and Axle Council Aims To Standardize Wage Rates

The UAW-CIO competitive shop department and its wage-hour councils mean the difference between the starvation wages paid in unorganized shops throughout the country and the standard wages paid in UAW-CIO shops. writes Sec. Carmen Stancato of the UAW-CIO gear axle and transmission council. He adds:

The purpose of this council is to organize the unorganized shops to give them the annual living wage they are entitled to.

An illustration of wages paid in unorganized shops is 45c per hour for unskilled labor, 55c for semi-skilled labor-and believe it or not for the skilled mechanic, 65c per hour.

The following is an example of the wages paid workers in the same industry and organized in the UAW-CIO: a minimum rate of 75c per hour for sweepers.

The semi-skilled machine operators and inspectors get 90c to $1 an hour and skilled operators receive from $1 to $1.20 per hour.

Therefore, I take this opportunity of saying that we must help organize all the unorganized workers of this and other industries. The gear, axle and transmission council asks all locals of this division to send delegates to our next meeting in Buchanan, Mich. where we are on the job to organize the workers of the Clark Equipment Co. with a potential membership of 1300 workers.

Send your delegates to 112 East Front st. Buchanan, 3rd floor, Saturday, Jan. 13 at 4 pm. As recording secretary of this council, I'm hoping to see delegates of both the organized and unorganized shops at this meeting.