[Trade Journal]
Publication: Proceedings of the 42nd AFGWU Convention
Toledo, OH, United States
p. 3,7,13,16,19-22,41-42,141-143,150-151,173,175,3, col. 1
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
FORTY-SECOND CONVENTION
OF THE
American Flint Glass
Workers’ Union
HELD AT
TOLEDO, OHIO.
JULY, 1918.
PROCEEDINGS
of the
Forty-second Convention of the American
Flint Glass Workers’ Union.
FIRST DAY.
MORNING SESSION.
CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING,
TOLEDO, OHIO, July 1, 1918.
The convention was called to order by Thomas L. Hoare, chairman of the arrangement committee, who welcomed the delegates to the city in behalf of Local Unions Nos. 19, 28, 62, 81, and 87, by stating that the citizens of any community might well be proud of such an august body of men and assured the delegates that their stay in Toledo would be highly appreciated by the citizens and membership of the various local unions affiliated with the organization in our city and trusted that the deliberations of the convention would be most harmonious and successful.
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Report of Credential Committee.
To the Officers and Delegates of the Forty-second Convention Assembled.
We, your credential committee, having examined all credentials presented, as well as considered the eligibility of those who have not received credentials, recommend that the following named delegates be seated and permitted to cast the number of votes appearing opposite their names:
No. of Votes
L.U. Cast
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23 Charles McCarthy.....................1
23 Cyrus Herron............................1
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Committees Appointed.
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MOULD MAKING
Frederick P. Houck, No. 53, Chairman
George E. Rice, No. 21, Secretary
No.
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Cyrus Herron.......................23
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MACHINE PRESS
Everett Snyder, No. 90, Chairman
Fred Krupp, No. 51, Secretary
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Sub-Committee on Insulators
No. No.
Charles McCarthy.................23 James J. Ebbert...............34
Cyrus Herron........................23
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LAW
Bert Archer, No. 19, Chairman
James C. McGee, No. 86, Secretary
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No.
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Cyrus Herron........................23
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CONFERENCES OF THE PAST YEAR.
These conferences have been held between June 1, 1917 and June 1, 1918:
Department Date Where Held
Press and Iron Mould......June 6, 1917.............Pittsburg, Pa.
Electric Bulb....................July 24, 1917...........Atlantic City, N. J.
Shade and Globe..............July 24, 1917...........Atlantic City, N. J.
Punch Tumbler & Stem...July 25, 1917...........Atlantic City, N. J.
Paste Mould....................July 27, 1917............Atlantic City, N. J.
Machine Press.................July 28, 1917............Atlantic City, N. J.
Caster Place.....................July 29, 1917...........Atlantic City, N. J.
Cutting.............................July 30, 1917...........Atlantic City, N. J.
Chimney..........................August 1, 1917.........Atlantic City, N. J.
Press Prescription............August 2, 1917.........Atlantic City, N. J.
Electric Tube...................August 11, 1917........Toledo, Ohio
Paste Mould.....................September 4, 1917....Pittsburg, Pa.
Engraving........................September 5, 1917.....Pittsburg, Pa.
Mould Making.................September 5, 1917.....Pittsburg, Pa.
Caster Place.....................September 6, 1917.....Pittsburg, Pa.
Chimney...........................September 7, 1917.....Pittsburg, Pa.
Lamp Workers..................September 13, 1917..Philadelphia, Pa.
Cutting..............................October 23, 1917......Pittsburg, Pa.
Iron Mould........................October 23, 1917......Pittsburg, Pa.
Press..................................October 24, 1917......Pittsburg, Pa.
Pressed Ceiling Bowl.......November 13, 1917..Pittsburg, Pa.
Insulator............................January 9, 1918........Muncie, Ind.
Chimney............................January 29, 1918......Pittsburg, Pa.
Chimney............................February 5, 1918......Pittsburg, Pa.
Lamp Workers...................February 6, 1918......Philadelphia, Pa.
Summer Stop.....................March 12, 1918........Pittsburg, Pa.
Punch Tumbler and Stem...March 13, 1918........Pittsburg, Pa.
Press...................................March 13, 1918........Pittsburg, Pa.
Insulator.............................March 25, 1918.........Muncie, Ind.
Insulator.............................March 29, 1918.........Muncie, Ind.
Machine Press....................May 29, 1918...........Toledo, Ohio
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The Insulator Department.
I attended conferences in this department January 9, March 25 and 29, this year, which meetings were held at Muncie. Ind., where all the members employed in this department are members of Local Union No. 23.
At the January meeting we succeeded in reaching an agreement whereby there shall be no work on Saturday afternoon during the months of June, July, August, and September, but we failed to get an increase in wages for the gatherers, who were asking for a wage equivalent to 75 per cent of the presser's rate.
At this meeting we succeeded in reducing the number of hours of the men employed in the Mould Making department, as well as in increasing their wages. Before adjourning, however, it was understood that at a subsequent date the question of an increase in wages for the gatherers would be again taken up.
At the meeting of March 25 the company contended for the three-shift system. The workers were agreeable to granting the request temporarily, but the company wanted it as a permanent arrangement in exchange for an increase in wages. Consequently we failed to agree.
I returned to Muncie on March 29 and held our third conference, at which time we succeeded in inducing Mr. Hemingray to grant an increase of 16 1/4 per cent to the gatherers, which brought their wages to 71 per cent of the presser's rate. This made a total of 37 1/4 per cent increase secured for the insulator gatherers between December 4, 1916 and March 29, 1918, a period of less than sixteen months. We felt quite elated over our success, but a few of the gatherers expressed dissatisfaction, resulting in considerable strife ensuing, causing me to advise the pressers to do the work of the gatherers if they failed to report for work, as they had threatened to do.
The obstinacy of a few of the gatherers made it necessary that the company leave out one of its tanks in order to secure sufficient men to man the other tank. The officers of Local Union No. 23 cooperated with me in the difficulty with the result that one tank was kept in operation and all places filled, and the gatherers who had previously caused the annoyance, with a few exceptions, endeavored to recover their positions in the plant.
While at Muncie I witnessed an automatic mechanical gatherer in operation. This device gathers the glass in practically the same manner as a human being, carries it to the mould in much the same fashion, then drops the glass, which is cut off with automatic shears, after which the press revolves and presses the insulator automatically. In other words, the bringing of the glass from the furnace to the mould, the cutting off of the glass, and the pressing of it is done without the aid of skilled hands, and 420 insulators weighing 16 ounces each, were produced in one hour's time. True, the insulators are not as perfect as those made by our members, but I look upon this invention with much uneasiness as to its future effect in this branch of the industry.
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DEPARTMENT MEMBERSHIP.
For future guidance we are publishing the following table which represents the total membership and the number of members employed at the trade, outside the trade and unemployed at the end of each fiscal year since 1907, up to and including May 31, 1918.
For some time past we have been laboring under the impression that the organization was composed of a membership of 10,000 or more, notwithstanding the magnificent record the association has made by the large number of our members who have enlisted in service for the protection of mankind, but according to the official figures contained in this table the largest membership was recorded during the close of the fiscal year ending May 31, 1918, at which time we had a membership of 9,856.
PRESENT MEMBERSHIP.
This table represents the total membership according to the latest statistics compiled on May 20, giving the number of members employed in each department, employed at the trade, employed outside the trade and unemployed, together with the percentage for the three last named classes in each department.
MEMBERSHIP — EMPLOYED AND UNEMPLOYED.
Membership....................................................9856
Employed at the trade.....................................7975
Employed outside the trade............................1621
Unemployed.....................................................260
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Members in Service — Number and Location
of Their Union
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LOCAL UNION NO. 23 — MUNCIE, IND.
Cox, Preston Hunt, Clarence Newhouse, Ralph
Goodpasters, Ray Jetmore, George Witmonth, Luke
Morrison, Oscar
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NINTH DAY.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Convention called to order by Vice-President Gillooly.
Minutes of the previous session read and approved.
Card roll call showed Delegate Brennon of Local Union No. 26 absent.
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Machine Insulator Department.
We commend President Clarke for his activity in behalf of the Insulator department, he being instrumental in procuring an increase of 37 per cent for the insulator gatherers and Saturday afternoon off during the months of June, July, August and September; and we further recommend that the proposition of the Insulator department be concurred in and that an increase of 10 percent be requested for our workers at our next conference, and that our conference committee endeavor to procure Saturday afternoon off permanently. We also ask in behalf of the mould makers of the Insulator department, that the insulator manufacturer be urged to attend the mould making conference, as we think same will counter-act for the good of our members and we ask that if such be done, that a representative of our department attend said conference.
Respectfully submitted,
CYRUS HERRON, FRANK KEISLER,
CHAS. MCCARTHY, JOSEPH LIST,
JAMES EBBERTS, HARRY MCMORRIS,
HENRY KASS, ALBERT HARVEY,
JOHN SCHULTZ, JOHN P. HOFFMAN,
THURLOW D. LUNG, JOHN GILL,
GEORGE BARRETT, JACOB KOLZ,
JOHN MCKAY, LOUIS J. DOWNS,
THEODORE SALADIN, HARRY S. DAVIS,
JOHN FOX, GROVER RIDER,
HENRY JOHNSON, EVERETT SNYDER, Chairman.
AMOS JAMES, FRED KRUPP, Secretary.
Motion that the report be adopted as read.
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