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Show THE SEARCHLIGHT Jy¥lanpower Resources Not Exhausted (Continued from preceding page) PRODUCTION and Philip Murray. The committee had one function, and one only, to-wit; to increase the output of metal for the Nation’s war plants. Each side named its own members of the committee. And it is significant and fortunate that they choose wisely. Both nish sides had more and one more incentive, copper namely; for war to uses. furThe Company held its usual profit motive in abeyance. The Union asked for no bonus or wage increase to compensate its members for their extraordinary efforts. SINCERITY AND CONFIDENCE ESSENTIAL “Each side had complete confidence in the clean motives of the other. The Union exercised great vigilance in obtaining maximum efforts from every worker. Discipline of indivdual employees by the Company became wholly unnecessary. On highly its part the cooperative ‘‘bossing’’? almost Management displaved a spirit. The need _ for vanished. Management ac- corded the men the respect and consideration due to honest and diligent partners in a laudable, patriotic enterprise. Union grievances and negotiations under collective bargaining agreements were kept entirely separate and distinet from the activities of the production committee. Negotiations* were carried on as before between the Union and the Company, and the vigor of stout bargaining was unabated. The Union felt certain the Company would not use the war as a pretext to strike at collective bargaining. =W. J. O’Connor is rated by union men as a tough negotiator, and as a stout defender of his views. But once he arrives at an agreement with the Union its members know he will stay put. His word is good. His clean cut attitude in that respect has contributed materially toward the outstanding success of the labor-management production committee at Garfield. RS The exact figures are a military secret, and may not be divulged. A. S. & R. and its employees certainly deserve the Army-Navy E award. However, employees express the opinion that if they have to play politics to get it, they don’t want it. al-al- RECORDS BROKEN ‘The results of the production drive have been in keeping with the high purposes of both sides. Improved methods and _ labor-saving short cuts have been worked out and instituted. The smelter soon was keyed to the highest pitch of production. The world’s record was broken. Mullions of pounds of copper** were produced each month in excess of the highest rated capacity of the plant. But neither side rested content with that admirable achievement. After it seemed that the limit of productivity had been reached, and the ingenuity and efforts of both men and su- pervision had been taxed to the utmost, the labor-management production committee went on to new successes. A production record would be established one month only to be surpassed the next. Such have been the fruits of labor-management cooperation for production at Garfield. THE A somewhat Lark, Utah, in United States Company. But The Company non-cooperative 1942 had been LARK COMMITTEE similar situation developed at the mining property of the Smelting, Refining & Mining’ the background was different. adopted a cynical, indifferent, attitude. Its policies before unfriendly and niggardly as compared to the attitude of A. 8. & R. at Garfield. Its recognition of the Union—Local 91 of the Mine, Mill & Smelter Workers—had been reluctant and grudging to the point of implacable hostility. The Lark miners union finally went ahead alone with its own production machinery. The regular crew numbered about 300 men. About that time the Company added a force of 34 extra men. With only that additional help the Lark Miners’ Union virtually doubled production—did so without the cooperation of the Company. Had that cooperation been forthcoming at the beginning, the results would have been even better. The Lark miners did not ask—or receive— any extra pay for their extra production. The Union asked for no share of the extra profits its members had earned for the Company. The war industries needed ore and the miners believed their country’s call was incentive (Continued on following mage) |