LABOR’S NEW STATUS

207%

Tre AMALGAMATED CLOTHING WORKERS AND THE
Nas PLANT
Reference has already been made to the emphasis placed
apon efficiency and productivity by the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers as a fundamental policy of the organization
 and the extent to which it has been reflected in agreements
 with managements as well as in other activities of
the union. Especial interest in this connection was aroused
by the unionization in 1926 of the A. Nash Company, Inc.,
of Cincinnati. Until the end of the year 1925, the history
of this company had been that of a pure democracy animated
 by the “Golden Rule.” From both an ethical and a
democratic standpoint, its experience had been unusual.
Management and employees had cooperated to reduce
costs and expand the business, basic rates of pay had been
steadily increased and employees had also been given generous
 participation in the productive gains realized.
This remarkable status had been attained when the
operations of the company were on a non-union basis. Its
history since unionization at the beginning of the year 1926
has, therefore, been watched with intense interest to see
what would be its experience after it had been unionized.
On this point, it is gratifying to find that under unionmanagement
 operation during the past two years, the
attainments in productive efficiency have been even greater
than before unionization. The union has given invaluable
assistance in modifying methods of manufacture in order
to improve the quality of the output and to enable the Nash
Company to hold its place in the face of a growing competition
 along the lines of the former standards of production.
 In the Schaeffer factory, which had been previously
acquired by the Nash Company, suggestions by union representatives
 led to lower costs and higher wages. Unionization,
 in brief, has been strikingly successful. Union-