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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OE' LABOR
BULLETIN OF THE WOMEN'S BUREAU, No. 119
. ,
;
HOURS·
AND EARNINGS
IN THE
.
.
. , LEATHER-GLOVE 'INDUSTRY
'
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ALL_
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
FRANCES PERKINS, SECRETARY
WOMEN'S BUREAU
MARY ANDERSON, DIRECTOR
BULLETIN OF THE WOMEN'S BUREAU, No. 119
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE
LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
BY
REBECCA C. SMAL TZ
and
ARCADIA N. PHILLIPS
UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON: 1934
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CONTENTS
Letter of transmittaL ________ ___ ______ _____ _____ _______ __ __ __ ____ _
The leather-glove industry in Fulton County, N. Y ___ ____________ ____ _
Introduction ____ ___________ _____ _____ __ ___ _________ ____ ___ __ _
Numbers employed and location of the industry ______________ _
Character of leather-glove work ____ _________ _______________ _
Scope and method of study _____ ____ __ _________________________ _
Hours and earnings ____ _________ _______ ______________________ _
Hours of factory workers ________ __ ________________________ _
Earnings of factory workers _ ____ ________ ___________ __ ____ _ _
Home work __________________ ___ _______ _____ ___ _______ ______ _
E xtent of home work _____ ___ ____ __ _____ _______ ____ ______ _ _
Reasons for use of home work _ ________ __ __________________ _
Saving in overhead expense ______ ___ ____ ______________ ____ _
Home-work rates _________ __ __ ________ ___________________ _
Earnings of home workers ______ __ ___ ___ ___ ________________ _
Otherfactors _____________ ____ _______ ___________________ _
The leather-glove industry in the Middle West_ __ _________________ __ _
Introduction __ ___ __ ________ __ ___ ___ __ __ _____ _______ _____ ___ _ _
Work gloves ____ _____ ___ ____ _____ ____ ___ __ __ ____ __ __ ___ ______ _
Hours __ ____ __ ___ __ ____ ____ ______ __ _____ _______ _______ __ _
Scheduled hours __ ____________ __ ____ ___________ ___ __ _ _
Actual hours worked _ __ ____ _______________________ ___ _
Earnings __________ ___ _______________ ___ ________ ___ ___ __ _ _
Hourly earnings __ _ ___________ ____ __ __ ____________ ___ _
Week's eBirnings ___ _____ __________________________ .:. __ _
R.ates ___________ ________ · ---------- --- ------- -- - - - - -Fine gloves __________ ___ ___ ________ ________ ______ ___ _________ _
Hours ____________ ___ ________________ __________ _______ ___
Scheduled hours ___ ____ __ __ ________ ____________ ______ _
Actual hours worked ___ _______ ______ ____ ____________ _ _
Earnings __ __ __ __ _____ __ __ __ ____ ___________________ ______ _
Hourly earnings _______ ____ ____ ___ ________ - - __ - ______ _
Week's earnings __ _ _____ ________ _______________ ____ __ _
The leather-glove industry in California ___ _____________ ___ ____ ______ _
Introduction ____ __ ______________ ____ _______________ -·- _______ _
Work gloves ________ ___________________ ________________ _____ _ _
Fine gloves _____ ________ _____ ________________ ____ ____ __ ______ _
Piece rates-work and fine gloves ___ _____ ____ __ ________ _______ __
Home work ________________ ______ __________ ________ .- __ _____ _ _
III
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ALLEGH,_. Y
L ._GL
-y
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR,
WOMEN'S BUREAU,
Washington, May 7, 1934.
I have the honor to submit a report on hours and earnings
in the leather-glove industry. A survey of the chief center of the
industry, Gloversville and vicinity, New York, was made in the summer of 1933 with the purpose of securing information for the formulating of a code. Since that time figures representative of the Middle
West and of California have· been obtained, the three surveys combined covering nearly 3,400 employees. Almost 900 women in the
New York study were home workers.
The field work was done chiefly by Rebecca Smaltz, under the
general direction of Ethel L. Best, industrial supervisor. The reports
on New York and the Middle West were written by Miss Smaltz; that
on California was written by Arcadia Near Phillips, statis.tician.
Respectfully submitted.
MARY ANDERSON, Director.
Hon. FRANCES PERKINS,
Secretary of Labor.
MADAM:
V
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HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE
LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY IN FULTON COUNTY, N.Y.
INTRODUCTION
Numbers employed and location of the industry
To furnish information of assistance in formulating a code under the
N.R.A. for the leather-glove and mitten industry, the Women's
Bureau made a short survey in July 1933 covering 17 firms and their
employees in Gloversville and Johnstown, N. Y., and 305 home workers.
These two cities, with the rest of Fulton County, are the chief center
of the fine leather-glove industry in the United States. Figures from
the United States Census of Manufactures for 1929 show that Fulton
County had a monthly average of 4,928 factory workers in the glove
industry, with all but 502 of this number employed in Gloversville
and Johnstown. New York State had an average of 5,582 wage
earners, three-fifths of the total of 9,203 leather-glove workers in the
United States. The State next in importance in numbers employed is
Wisconsin, with a monthly average of 1,520 employees. Illinois,
Michigan, and California combined had only slightly more than 1,100
leather-glove workers. 1 The New York State Directory of Manufacturers for 1932 gives the following figures on numbers employed in
·
glove factories: 2
Factory
All em-
ployees
All New York counties _________________
Fulton County________ ________________
4,771
4, 460
Office
Male
2,475
2, 388
Female
2,049
1, 840
247
232
These figures cover 173 leather-glove and mitten factories in the
State, 157 being in Fulton County, 143 in the cities of Gloversville
and Johnstown. The majority of glove factories in Fulton County are
small, the average having fewer than 27 factory employees.
Home work is carried on extensively in the fine leather-glove industry, but the number of home workers is unknown, as the census of
manufactures does not include them. Some idea of the extent of
home work in Fulton County was obtained through the efforts of the
New York State Bureau of Home Work Inspection in the spring of
1933 to secure a fairly complete register of home workers. At that
time 3,082 were listed by 133 firms.
1 U.S. Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census, 1930: Manufactures, 1929, vol. II, Reports by Industries,
pp. 810,811.
i Directory of New York State Manufacturers, 1932, vol. I, p. 47.
1
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HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
Character of leather-glove work
The making of leather gloves requires a high degree of training and
skill for the majority of the workers, both men and women. Cutting,
the main occupation of men employees, is of several varieties, all
needing skill. Table cutting, in which the leather i~ very accurately
stretched and exactly measured, is the most skilled. Types of cutting
that require less stretching and measuring are jerkdown, pattern, block, .
and fingernail. Other occupations in which a considerable number of
men are employed are slitting, by which the glove fingers are cut or
stamped out of the leather tranks, and laying-off, in which the gloves
are finished or ironed by being fitted onto steam-filled metal forms.
Only a few men are employed on the same skilled operations as
women, such as making and silking.
Making, almost exclusively a woman's ·occupation, is of many
varieties and is designated according to the type of stitching by which
the glove is put together, such as gauge making, inseam making, overseam making, etc. A gauge maker is one who sews up all seams on the
right side of the glove, using a gauge attachment on her-machine that
keeps the stitching a uniform distance from the edge. Heavy gloves of
pigskin, mocha, cape, or calf, for example, usually are gauge gloves. A
gauge maker must also trim off the surplus leather at the finger ends
where the gauge attachment cannot operate well, and pull through to
the wrong side the ends of thread left after the seaming has been done.
Cord sewing or saddle sewing is similar to gauge, the difference being in
the size of the stitch and the thickness of the thread.
Outseam gloves are similar in appearance to gauge gloves, though for
the operator they involve a little less work. The gloves are sewed on
the right side on a machine with a knife attachment that cuts the
~dges of the seams even, so that no trimming by hand is necessary.
An inseam maker sews up the glove on the wrong side, trims off by
hand the surplus leather at the finger ends, and turns the glove right
side out.
Overseaming is done on the right side of the glove on a special kind
of machine. The operator trims off the fourchettes as she goes along
(fourchettes are the long pieces of leather that must be sewed in on the
sides of the fingers) and afterward any thread ends must be pulled
through to the wrong side. This "fitting up" is a difficult operation
and is sometimes separated from the closing, so that two sets of ·
makers are required. Fitters-up may also sew in "quirks", which are
the small pieces of leather sewed in between the fingers at their base
on some types of gloves.
Other machine-sewing operations besides making are done by
women. These include hemming and novelty stitching on the cuffs of
gloves, and silking, which is the term applied to the stitching on the
backs. Hemming and silking occasionally are done by hand.
The chief hand operation done by women is end pulling, the unskilled job of pulling through to the wrong side and tying the threads
left from the silking process.
Generally speaking, the glove workers of Fulton County are a
skilled craft group born and brought up in this one-industry locality,
where glove making, still carried on extensively at home, is ever
present,~" from birth to death", as one worker put it. The workers
in Gloversville and Johnstown, especially the men cutters, have long
had a system of collective bargaining with the manufacturers. Through
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3
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
·the workers' organization and the association of manufacturers factory
rates for many different operations in cutting and making have been
set each year, with a 10 percent reduction if the work is done at home.
SCOPE AND METHOD OF STUDY
The 17 factories in this survey included large, medium, and small
plants, with a majority of large plants (11 were above average) because of the necessity of covering as many employees as possible in a
limited time. Wage records for the last week of June 1933 were
obtained from the pay rolls of the 17 factories, and in addition all
available information as to hours worked. Corn.parative figures for
1 week in each month, showing the employment of inside workers and
of home workers over a year's period, also were secured where the two
pay rolls were separate. Women employees in each factory filled in
cards giving information as to age, nativity, marital status, and length
of service with the firm.
The total numbers included in the survey are as follows:
Total
Factory employees _____________________________
Home workers _________________________________
1,407
890
Men
771
18
Women
636
872
To obtain more accurate information about home work, especially
in regard to earnings, rates of pay, supply of work, and expenses,
personal interviews were had with 305 home workers living in Gloversville, Johnstown, and sections within about 30 miles of these cities.
HOURS AND EARNINGS
Hours of factory workers
Since the large majority of glove workers, both men and women, are
paid by the piece or dozen pairs, very few firms keep any record of
actual hours worked. Eighty-two percent (1,090) of the 1,329 factory
employees whose method of pay was reported were pieceworkers. It
was possible to get individual hour records for only an insignificant
number of these-9 men and 17 women pieceworkers in 4 factories.
Of 227 timeworkers, 68 men and 126 women had definite hours
reported or were on hourly rates so that time worked could be computed. Fifty-four percent of these men worked 55 hours or longer,
72 percent of the women 49 hours or longer (22 percent 55 hours or
more), during the last week of June 1933.
Statements were obtained in practically all the factories as to the
approximate hours the plant operated during the last week in June.
For most of the employees this week represented full-time hours in
accordance with the regular factory schedule. This meant 49 to 49½
hours for three-fourths of the women workers; for over four-fifths it
meant 9 hours a day. Only 6.1 percent of the women included in the
study had a weekly schedule of 44 hours or less. For 97 percent of
the men the factory schedule was 55 hours a week and 10 hours a day.
61366°-34-2
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HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
Scheduled weekly houri and number employed, by sex
Scheduled weekly hours
Men
Women
Total
Number 1 - - - ~ - - - 1 - - - ~ - - - 1 - - - ~ - - of firms
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
- - - - - - - - - - + - - - + - --1- - - - - - - - - - - - - -TotaL ______________ ------
17
44 I - -and
- - - -48%- - - - -- - - -- - -- -- --_
46½
__--__ -_____________
49 and 49¾ --- - -- -- - ----- - --- - -49¼-- - ------- -_
55
2__-----·
_ ____ _ -_____
_ _____----_ _ _ _ -_ ____
3
3
4
7
3
13
1,407
.
636
100. 0
2.9
2
~3
8. 7 --------- - -------- - -
I~
117
~l
18. 4
21. 2 ---------- ----- --- -19
2. 5 ,
293
46.1
100.0
41
117
293
206
14. 5
52. 7
750
100.0
771
187
29. 4
97. 3 ---------- -- --- - ----
·750
1 Includes 2 women on a 41-hour schedule.
2 Includes 25 men on a 52½-hour schedule and 11 men on a 56-hour schedule.
a These 13 firms report different hours for women, so are tabulated twice.
Scheduled daily hours and number employed, by sex
Total
Scheduled daily hours
- - --
Number
of firms
Number
Women
Men
Percent
Number
- - - - - - - r - - - - i - - - - - 1 - - - - - --
Percent
Number
Percent
- - - - - - - --
TotaL. __________________
17
1,407
100.0
771
100. 0
636
100. 0
9_______ ________ ___ _____ _____ ___
10 !__ ______ __ _____ __ ____________
12
213
548
750
~-1
52. 7
19
750
2. 5
97. 3
529
83. 2
o-----------------------8.2
5
109
7¼, 8, and 8½- - --- -- --- ------ -2
0. 3
107
16. 8
1
2
Includes 36 men on a 9½-hour schedule.
These 13 firms report different hours for women, so are tabulated twice.
Earnings of factory workers
The earnings of glove workers as tabulated in this study represent
in general a full week's work according to statements by factories
whose combined forces comprised the vast majority of the 1,407
employees included. Earnings for the last week in June were taken
because that week had th~ merit of being full time as well as recent.
It should be borne in mind when considering hours of work and earnings that it is a custom in the glove industry for factory operatives to
carry work home at lunch time or in the evening. This is true chiefly
of women employees whose work requires certain hand-finishing
processes. Operations on which work may be taken home from the
factory include gauge, saddle Pititch, inseam, pique, hemming, end
pulling, triple stitch, and half outseam.
Men's earnings.-Earnings were tabulated for 710 of the 771 men
factory employees. Those not included in the tabulations were
foremen and groups whose wages appeared only as a lump sum paid
to their foremen. The figures that follow represent chiefly the
earnings of highly skilled workers who probably worked a full week
of 55 hours.
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HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER- GLOVE INDUSTRY
Percent distribution of men
Week's earnings
All occupations
Tc,tal:
Number
------ - -------- ------------ ----Percent_ ____
______
__________________________
___ __
710
100. 0
Less than $5 ______________________________________ _____ _
$5 , Jess than $10 ______ __ ____ _________ __! _______________ _
m: ~::~~:~
$20, less than $25
_______________________________
_______ _
I~&==
===== == =============== ====== =========
$25, less than $30 __ __ ___________ __ _____________ -- "-- ___ _
$30, less than $35 __ _________ ____ ______ -----------------$35, less than $40 __ _____ __ ______________________ _______ _
$40 and more _____ -- - - -- -- - - -- -- --- - -- -- ---- - _- -- - - --- - -
Median earnings
1
2
3
3_____________________________________ _
Skilled or
semiskilled
other than
cutting 1
Cutting
Other
2
545
100.0
90
100.0
75
100. 0
0. 2
2. 2
8.9
11. 1
37.8
2. 7
18. 7
28.0
18. 7
17. 3
9. 3
1.3
0. 7
5. 9
3. 7
9. 3
6. 4
18. 2
20. 7
16. 7
20.0
20.2
19. 4
21.1
10. 7
4. 4
22. 9
13. 6
9. 5
5. 3
$23. 45
$25. 30
7. 7
1.1
1. 1
1.1
$19. 45
2. 7
1. 3
$15. 15
Includes laying-off, slitting, making, and silking.
Includes general workers.
Half the men earned more, half Jess.
Less than 7 percent of the men earned under $10, but practically
16 percent earned less than $15 and well over one-third (36.6 percent)
earned less than $20. Of the 86 men who received $35 or more, all
but 5 were cutters.
There were 92 men timeworkers. One-half of these received less
than 35 cents an hour, over two-fifths of them less than 30 cents.
There was considerable variation in men's earnings in different
firms. The week's average (median) varied from $16.40 in one firm
to $28.10 in another. These firms, representing extremes in earnings,
employed approximately equal numbers of men, 50 and 54, respectively.
Women's earnings.-Earnings were tabulated for 622 women factory
employees of the 636 found on the pay rolls; those omitted were
foreladies. For most of the women these earnings represent a full
week's work of 49 to 49 ½ hours. It should be noted that all the
occupational groups listed here involve hand-finishing operations done
by many women during the lunch hour and at home after closing
hours.
Percent distribution of women
Week's earnings
Total:
Number ____________ ___
Percent __ ___ ___ ____ ____
Machine
operations
Other
other
Inseam Overseam than
Gauge
Totl!-1
making 1
------ --- --- --- --Making
All occupations
622
100.0
2 290
100.0
60
100.0
107
100. 0
82
100. 0
144
100.0
$10, less than $15 ______________ ___
$15, less than $20 _________________
$20, less than $25__ __ _____________
$25 and more ____________________
5. 6
20. 9
42. 4
21. 2
6. 9
2. 9
4. 5
20. 7
39. 7
24. 5
6. 6
4.1
3. 3
10. 0
36. 7
36. 7
6. 7
6. 7
4. 7
32. 7
38.3
19. 6
4. 7
4.9
13. 4
37. 8
26.8
9.8
7. 3
5. 6
13. 2
36. 8
28.5
12. 5
3.5
Median earnings a____ ____ _______
$12. 65
$12. 85
$15. 00
$14. 00
$14. 10
Less than $5 _____________________
$5, less than $10 _____ _____________
--------- $11. 65
Includes silking, hemming and binding, novelty stitching, etc.
Includes 41 not shown separately because too few for percents.
a Half the women earned more, half less.
r
' Median based on 183, total exclusive of 5 learners
188
100. 0
---
7. 4
27.1
51. 1
10. 6
3. 2
.5
'$12. 05
1
2
LL EG1-f E
1
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~O L GE
y
6
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
I
More than one-fourth of the women (26.5 percent) earned less than
$10; 5.6 percent earned less than $5. At the opposite extreme were
.& percent who earned $20 a~d over, 2.9 percent earning $25 or more.
There were 134 women tnneworkers. Over four-fifths of these
received less than 30 cents an hour, one-half of them less than 26
cents.
There was little variation in women's earnings in different firms,
the week's average (median) varying only from $12.35 in one firm to
$13.25 in another.
Earnings could be related to age in 564 cases, and these show a
fairly steady rise from an average of $10.40 for the women under 20
years to $14.50 for the group between 30 and 40 years. Earnings
began to decline at 40 years or soon after, but the median for the
group at 40 and less than 50 years was $12.80, for those 50 years and
over if was $12.35, in each case considerably higher than the median
for women of under 20 years.
There was a larger percentage of older women in the industry than
in manufacturing in general: 37 percent of the 617 women reporting
age in the present st~y, compared to 25 percent of those in all manufacturing and mechanical industries, according to the census, were at
least 40 years old. · The comparative proportions in various age groups
are shown next, the midpoint among glove workers being about 34½
years and that among all factory workers about 27}t
•
Percent distribution of
wom en
Age (in years)
All manufacGlove sur vey
::~gfJ~~
industries
Under 20____ __ ___________ ____________ _____ ______ _
20, u nder 25 __ ____ ______________________________ __
25, under 30 _____ ______ ___ _______ _____ _______ ____ _
30, under 35 ____ ___ ____________ _____ ______ _____ ___ _
35, under 40 _____ ______ __ _______ __ _______________ _
40, under 50 ______ ___ _____ _________________ _____ __
50, under 60 ___________ ____ _____ _______________ ___
60, under 70 ___ _____ ___ ___ _____________ _____ ____ __
70 and over ___ ______ ___ ____ ___ _____ __________ ____ _
1
100.0
100. 0
17. 7
13. 8
22.1
21.0
12. 5
9.6
10. 5
8. 7
12. 3
21. 9
11. 2
3. 7
.2
9. 5
13. 1.
7. 6
3. 2
.7
1 U .S. Bureau of the Census. Fifteent h Census,' 1930: Occupation Statisti~, U ni ted States Summary
t able 21, p. 44.
When the earnings of the women are related to their length of
service with a factory it appears that the glove industry offers increasing returns through the first 3 to 4 years of expenence, after
which earnings remain on a fairly even though slightly lower level.
The greatest increase, however, comes within the first year. The
average earnings of those who had been less than 6 months with a
firm were $9.95, compared to an average of $12.50 for those with 6
months' to 1 year's service.
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HOURS AND EARNINGS IN 1'HE LEATHER- GLOVE INDUSTRY
.rime with firm
Total ______ -- ___ _-- ----------- ------------ - -- -Less than d months __---- ----------------------- ---- 6 months, less than 1 year _________________ _______ ____
1, less than 2 years _______ _________ ___ ____ ___________ _
2, less than 3 years __ __________________ ! _ _ ___ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _
3, less than 4 years _______ ________________ __ ___ ______ _
4, less than 5 years _____ ____ ______________ __ _______ ___
5, less than 10 years ____________ __ ____ _______ ____ ____ _
10 years and over ______ ___ _____ _______________ ______ __
Number of
women
7
Median
earnings
563
$12. 80
111
72
77
75
9. 95
12. 50
12. 65
13. 40
58
14. 00
36
82
52
(!)
13. 30
13. 80
Median not computed; base less than 50
Nearly one-fourth of the women had worked .5 years or longer at the
factory where they were employed at time of survey. There were
9 women with service records of 25 years or longer and their earnings ranged from $20 to less than $5 in the week selected, 5 of them
receiving less than $.9. Nine percent had been 10 years or longer with
the firm. These figures reflect labor turnover rather than experience
in the industry and they are not exceptional when compared with other
industries surveyed by the Women's Bureau. It is perhaps natural
that older workers should have been longer with the same firm . Over
one-third of the women of 40 years and older had been with the firm
for at least 5 years, compared to 12.4 percent of the women under 40
who had been as long as that with one firm .
Practically 40 percent of the women in the 17 establishments were
married, a higher proportion than is found ordinarily in industry.
The 1930 Census of Occupations shows 32.4 percent married among
the women 15 years of age and over in all manufacturing and mechanical industries.
Eighty-five percent of the women were native born. Of the 96
foreign born, over one-fifth came from each of the three countries,
Czechoslovakia, British Isles, and Italy. T wo-thirds of th~ foreign
born were in -the making operations.
·
H OME WORK
Extent of home work
Home work is a conspicuous feature of the fine-glove indus~ry of
Fulton County. Nearly two-fifths of all the workers on the pay rolls
were home workers and all but 13 of these 881 home workers were
women. Practically all the operations that go into the completed
glove may be done at home, but the chief home-work occupation is
the actual making: 84 percent of the women home workers in contrast to 47 percent of the women in the factories are makers.
This home work was not 1imited to the cities of Gloversville and
Johnstown where the 17 factories were located ; about one-third of the
home workers lived in nearby towns or villages or on farms. Work
was transported within a radius of 50 miles of Johnstown or Gloversville. More than one case was reported of work conveyed out of town
in bulk to be redistributed from a distant point to farms still farther
away. Work is known to be distributed to more than 35 cities, towns,
and villages, as well as along many R.F.D. routes. One home worker
told of receiving work from the "glove cities" at a time when she was
residing 120 miles away,
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HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
Reasons for use of home work
Home work is used thus extensively for several reasons, the chief
of which probably is that it furnishes a labor reservoir for rush periods
without the expense of overhead and at cheaper rates. Figures for
the middle week in each month from July 1932 through June 1933,
from the pay rolls of 14 firms that kept separate records of inside and
outside employees, show that the employment of home workers
fluctuated widely during the year, much more widely than the employment of factory workers. In fact, the number of home workers during
the peak month was about 3 }6 times the number in the slackest
period, 901 compared to 255, whereas the number of factory workers
in the peak month was considerably less than twice the number in
the slackest months, 1,201 in contrast to 703.
Using the average number employed during the year as the base, or
100, outside employment had a range of about 110 points between the
peak period (November 1932) and the low period (January 1933);
and the employment of inside workers had a _range of 52 points
between the low periods (July 1932 and January 1933) and the peak
period (June 1933). The table following shows in detail the fluctuation in employment of inside and outside workers, July 1932 to June
1933:
Numbers employed by 14 firms (1 week each month)
Month
All employees
Number
Average__________ ___________________
1,546
July______ __ _____ ______________________
1,054
1,342
1, 500
1, 708
1,975
1,756
1932:
August___ __ _______________ _______ ____ _
September _______________________ _____
October____ _____ _________________ _____
Nov&mber __- ----------------- -- - - -'- -D&eember____________________________ _
1933:
January _____ ~ ____ ________ _: ________ ___
February____ ______________ ___ ___ ___ __
March __ _____ ____ _____________________
April ____ _____ _------------____________
May_ ___ ______________________________
June__ ______ _______ ____ _______________
9.58
1,326
1, 543
1, 630
1, 786
1,970
Index
Inside employees
Number
Index
Outside employees
N umber
Index
100. 0
956
100. 0
590
100. 0
68. 2
97. 0
110. 5
127. 7
113. 5
703
817
894
1,013
1,074
976
73. 5
85. 5
351
525
93. 5
106. 0
112. 3
'02.1
606
&9.5
89.0
102. 7
117. 8
152. 7
132.0
62. 0
85. 8
99. 8
105. 4
115. Q
127. 4
703
849
1,018
1,072
1, 149
1,201
73. 5
88. 8
106. 5
112. 1
120. 2
125.6
86. 8
695
· 901
779
255
477
525
558
637
769
43. 2
80.8
89. 0
94. 6
108.0
130.3
The proportion of home workers among all employees ranged from
well over two-fifths (in November 1932) to somewhat over one-fourth
(in January 1933). The proportion they received of the total pay roll
was not so great. It ranged from slightly over one-fourth (in December 1932) to about one-eighth (in January 1933). Pay-roll information
was available for only 12 firms. The table following shows the proportions in detail:
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HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
l'v;{ori.th
Index of per capita
earnings
Percentage of
employees who
were outside
workers (12
firms) 1
Percentage of
pay rolls paid
to outside
workers (12
firms)
Inside
employees
Outside
emp loyees
37. 0
18. 9
100. 0
100. 0
1932:
Ju}y __ ------- --- ---- - - - - - --- - - - - - ----- --- -- 11
August_ ______ ------ - -- - - -- -- - - - --- -- - - -- -September ___ __ . __. _.. _._ .. __ . . ______ . __. - October ___ - -- _____ . - - . --- -- - . .. _---- - - - --November __ __ _. _______ . - __ . . _____________ _
December _____ _____ __.. ____ ______________ _
32. 1
37. 6
38.8
39.5
44.2
43. 2
17. 2
16. 8
19. 5
19. 7
24.1
25.6
99. 2
100. 9
104. 8
117.6
116.6
99.8
111. 6
86. 7
102.4
113. 0
119.8
115.5
1933:
January_-- ---- - -- --- -- ---- --- ----- -- -- -- -February ____ _____ . . - -- - -- - -- . - . - - - - - -- -- -March_______ __--- - - - . -- . . - -- --- . - . - - . .. -- April ___ __ ___________ .. ____ . __. . . _________ _
May ___ __ ---- -- -- -- -- - -- - --- - -- ---- ---- - - -June ____ _- - -- --- - ... . . - - --- --- -- - -- -- - - ----
26.9
35. 6
33.1
32. 3
33. 9
39. 0
12.8
16.1
20. 0
15. 6
15. 8
17. 7
74. 4
103. 9
81.0
89. 2
99. 6
113. 2
76. 0
92.4
104. 4
88. 0
93. 3
97. 4
Average __ __ ___ ____ -- -- ---- - -- - --. - - - -- --
1
2 firms for which p ay-roll information is lacking are omitted from this summary.
In November 1932 when the proportion (and also the number) of
outside workers was at a peak, per capita earnings were high. The
low point in employment in January 1933 was also the low point in per
capita earnings.
With a few exceptions the seasonal variation in per capita earnings
was relatively the same for both outside and inside workers and the
trends were very similar.
Saving in overhead expense
The overhead expense saved by the factory in giving out home work
was variously estimated by a few factories, as was the overhead
expense to home workers by all home workers visited. Three factories,
emJ?loying a total of 137 machine operators, made estimates on the
basis of wholesale costs of power, parts, and repairs, and gave figures
for overhead cost per employee per month of $1.86, $2, and $3.64,
respectively. The first of these firms, adding to this estimate the cost
of such items as factory and machine depreciation, salaries of machinist and janitor, taxes, water rent, and coal, increased the monthly
figure per operator to $6.86.
Home workers furnish their own machines, motors, power, repairs,
parts, and oil. From interviews it was found that of 280 home·
workers using machines, only 30 had been provided with machines by
their employers, whereas in the 17 factories visited all but a few
machines in 3 factories were furnished by the management. Furthermore, except for two instances, one where inside employees were
charged 50 cents a week for power and one where they were charged
for needles at cost, the factory operators in all firms were supplied
with power, repairs, oil, and parts without charge. Practically all
home workers, on the other hand, bore the cost of these items. Of the
280 home workers using machines, 221 had machines that were power
driven. At the rate charged by the local power and light company,
women working weeks of 49}~ hours would have had to pay about
$1.10 a month. For the average (median) hours of 30 to 33, the
monthly cost of power probably was considerably less. Oil was
estimated by home workers to cost about 10 cents a month and needles
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HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
cost about 30 cents, all but a few home workers providing these items.
Thus the estimated total monthly expense to these outside workers,
exclusive of parts, repairs, depreciation, or cost of machine, was $1.50.
When to this figure are added the unknown costs referred to, the
monthly expense to home workers must be considerable.
Home-work rates
Rates for home work were, according to i n agreement of the manufacturers' association with the Glove Workers' Union, 10 percent less
than inside rates for the same work. This difference was to allow for
the cost of delivering and collecting the work, a cost allowance that
could not be verified, as figures from the association entering into the
agreement were lacking. Most of the home work was delivered and
collected by employers, and the home workers who transported
the work themselves received no higher rate for doing so. Twenty-six
of the two hundred and ninety-nine home workers who reported on
the transportation of the work bore the expense themselves, and proportionately more of those living outside than inside Gloversville and
Johnstown did their own transporting.
Fifteen of the seventeen firms visited stated that the rates to home
workers were 10 percent less than the rates in the factory for the same
work. The others stated that they were paying the same rates inside
and outside at the time of the interview. One firm that was paying
10 percent less to home workers living in Fulton County deducted
11 ½ percent for those living outside the county.
In view of the fact that uniform rates for the industry in Fulton
County are set by a fairly general agreement among the manufacturers and workers, there was surprising variation in home-work rates
for the same operation. Some of this can be accounted for by differences in leather or slight changes in method of making the glove, but
by no means all of it. The price received for making at home a dozen
pairs of gauge gloves ranged all the way from 90 cents to $1.58, though
the rates set in the agreement ranged from $1.21 ½ to $1.57 ½. As many
as 43 of the 116 home workers in this occupation-all those with rates
of 90 cents to $1.15, inclusive-were paid lower rates than any set
for gauge making. Rates paid for inseam making ranged from 65 cents
to $1.09 a dozen pairs, though the. rates in the agreement were 90
cents to 94½ cents. One-half of these workers received less than the
lowest rate set by the agreement; one exceeded the rates set. Homework rates for overseam making were set by agreement at from $1.08 to
$1.53 a dozen pairs, but the rates reported by 43 home workers were
from 55 cents to $1.35, though ;with only two instances of a rate lower
than $1.08. Rates for half outseam making were set by the agreement
at from 85½ cents to 94½ cents a dozen pairs, but 23 of the 28 who
reported their rates got less than 85½ cents; 3 were paid above 94}f
cents. In occupations other than making, the variety of operations
was so gr~at that discussion of rates is meaningless.
Home workers told of different rates received for exactly the same ·
kind of work; for example, an inseamer reported receiving 80 cents a
dozen pairs from one employer and 90 cents a dozen pairs from another
for the same kind of work on the same kind of leather. Particularly
in the country districts were there reports of fluctuation in rates for
the same kind of work and material, according to season and employer.
In the winter of 1932- 33 a home worker was paid by one employer a
rate of 65 cents for inseaming, and at the time of interview in July
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11
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
1933 she was receiving from another employer 80 cents for exactly
the same kind of work. Other women told of having received 40-,
50-, and 60-cent rates for inseaming that at the time of the interview
was paying 80 ahd 90 cents.
Earnings of home workers
In any discussion of the earnings of home workers as copied from
firm pay-roll records three factors must be borne in mind: (1) The
figures cannot be related in any way to factory hours; (2) the figures
may represent the earnings of more than one individual; and (3)
they may not represent an individual's total earnings for the period,
since work may be taken from another employer at the same time.
The following figures of the median earnings of 868 women home
workers are from pay-roll records:
Number
of women
Occupation
I
All makers ________ __________________ ---- __________ - ---- -- --- -- -- -- -- --- ---- --- --
Gauge _______ ________ _____ ____ ____ ___ __ _____ ______ ____ ____ ____________ _____ __
Half outseam _______ __ ______________________ __________ ________ ______________ _
Inseam ___________ ___ ______________ ___ ___ _______ ______ ______________________ _
Overseam ____ _______ __ __ ______ ____ ___ _______ _________________ ______ ________ _
Other _____ ____________ ________ ___________ _______________ __ _____ ______ ______ _
Median of
a week's
earnings
868
$5.80
730
5. 75
214
79
296
93
48
2)
6. 60
5. 25
5. 40
5.40
Machine operations other than making (silking, hemming and binding, novelty
stitching) _ ____ ____ _________ ___ __ _____ ____ _________ ________ __ _________ ____ ____ _
82
8.10
Other occupations (end pulling, hand sewing, etc.) _______ ________ ____ __ _____ ____
55
3. 60
1
Includes 1 with occupation not reported.
2
Not computed; base less than 50.
Very few men are employed as home workers. Nine of the firms
employed a total of 18, but individual earnings were obtained for
only 12 of the men employed by 5 factories. Five earned less than
$10, 4 between $11 and $16, and 3 between $20 and $35. The
occupations of the men home workers were cutting, slitting, making,
and miscellaneous occupations.
More detailed information on earnings was obtained by interviewing home workers. The figures following are based on visits to 305
home workers and are for a period 2 to 4 weeks later than the pay-roll
data, so some of the difference in earnings may be due (in addition
to 3 factors previously discussed) to more work.
Occupation
TotaL ___ __ ____ ______ -- -- -- -- -- __
All makers ___ ___ ______ ______ ________ _
Gauge ___ ____ ____ _______ _________ _
Inseam ___ ______ ______ ___ ____ ___ __
Number
reporting
earnings
Median of
a week's
earnings
I
286
$8. 20
2
227
84
75
8.35
9.00
6. 60
Includes 30 overseam and 38 other makers, 37 machine operators not makers, and 22 women in other
occupations, groups too small for the computation of medians.
2 Includes 30 overseam and 38 other makers, groups too small for the computation of medians.
61366°-34--3
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12
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
It was impossible to obtain figures on hours worked per week, so an
attempt was made to get estimates from each home worker on the
time required to complete a dozen pairs of gloves, together with the
rate received. From these estimates and rates, * average hourly
earnings were calculated for 285 women, the median for the total
group being,roughly, 25 cents an hour. Hourly earnings varied widely
in all occupations. Gauge makers, who formed almost three-tenths
of the total group, h ad hourly earnings of from 14.6 cents to 50 cents,
with nearly two-thirds averaging less than 30 cents. The median
hourly earnings for all gauge makers were 28 cents, so it may be
assumed that the $9 median in the table represents,roughly, about 30
hours' work. Inseam makers, who were approximately one-fourth
of the total, had a range in hourly earnings of from 9 cents to 32 cents,
with over 95 percent averaging less than 30 cents. For all inseamers
the median of hourly earnings was 21.7 cents, the weekly median of
$6.60 representing approximately 30 hours' work . . If the home
workers making gauge gloves should work a full-~ime week of 49 to
49½ hours their median earnings would be about $13.75, as compared to the $15 received by gauge makers in the factory; inseam
makers working a full week at home would receive about $10.60, as
compared to the $11.65 of the factory operators.
Allw~~fe•
operations
Average hourly earnin gs (in cen ts)
TotaL _______ ___________ __ ______________ __
I
Inseam
making
Gau ge
making
285
82
24
24
1
5
7
3
, - - - -- --
Less than 15 _____________________ ___ __ _______ __ _
15, less than 17____________________ _____________ _
17, less than 20____________ _____________________ _
20, less than 22 ___ _____ _________ _______ ___ __ ___ __
22, less than 24 ___ ______ __ ________ ______ ________ _
24, less than 26 ___ __________ __________ ______ __ -- ~
26, less than 28- --- ________________________ __ __ __
28, less than 30____ _______ _____________ ____ ____ __
30, less than 35 __________________ ____ __________ __
35, less than 40____ ______________ ___ _____ __ ____ __
40 and over _______ ___ ____________ ____ ___ __ _____ _
t
19
35
73
Machine
Overseam operations
m aking
making
it~~
32
9
1
9 ---- -- - ---6 ---- ------15
2
31
10
25
33
19
35
8
7
11
13
16
10 -- --- ------
4
7 -----------
6
24
40
- --+-- - - < - - - - -
14
- ---6
2
3 --- ---- -- - 7
2
3
3
7
12
1
5
1
5
4
2
5
2
9
Total includes 36 women on other m aking operat ions and 22 on operat ions other than machine.
For one-fifth of the home workers the earnings reported represented
the work of 2 or more persons, 64 having help from others, and 28 of
the 64 having help from children.
Information as given by 301 of the home workers concerning the
number of firms from which they took work simultaneously reveals
that one-fifth of them (20.9 percent) took work from 2 or more
employers in the week in July for which they reported earnings.
Other factors
Those taking work from more than one employer at a time generally
did so because of the great seasonality of home work, hoping to piece
out the work as long as possible or to earn extra against the time
when there would be no work. Of 298 women taking work throughout
the past year more than half had been unable to get work at some
time during the year, due to the seasonal nature of.the employment;
this was exclusive of those repotting no work for 2 weeks at Christmas
time. Only 13 women said their work was not seasonal.
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HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
13
A few instances were reported of home workers called upon to do
rush work in the busy season, receiving gloves in the evening to be
.ready by the next morning, in some cases to be ready the same night.
Thereasons given by.,296 women for preferring homework to factory
work were the usual ones. Well over half of them had household
duties and children or other dependents to look after, while nearly
10 percent felt that they were too old or were not strong enough for
factory work. Another group qf 28 women disliked factory workespecially the older -members of that group-and 19 had "just kept
on with home work" after their children were grown.
Nearly four-fifths of all the home workers, compared to two-fifths
of the inside workers, were married; and over one-third of the home
workers, in contrast to one-seventh of the inside workers, were 50
years of age or older-the maximum being 82 years.
Almost three-fifths of the women reporting had been home workers
for 10 years or longer; over a fourth of them for 25 years or more.
Practically three-.fif ths had had some experience in glove factories,
from less than 3 months to 40 years. Two women had been working
on gloves for 55 to 65 years.
The majority of home workers were native born-68.2 percent of
the total visited-but the proportion was much greater among the
factory workers. Italians composed the largest group of the foreignborn home workers, 71 of 97. All but two of the Italians were engaged in some type of making and two-thirds of the makers were in
gauge making. Not so large a proportion of native born were makers
(70.7 percent), nor were they so concentrated in one specific type of
making-44 percent were inseaming, 26 percent gauge making, 16 percent overseaming.
THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY IN THE MIDDLE WEST
INTRODUCTION
As a supplement to the study of the leather-glove industry made in
Fulton County, N.Y., in July 1933, a brief survey was made in
January 1934 of the leather-glove industry in the Middle West.
While the majority of the firms included in this survey are in.Chicago,
Ill., which is a fairly representative center of the Middle West section
of the industry, some of the firms included are in Milwaukee, Wis.
In Chicago there are approximately 16 factories making leather work
gloves and mittens, and at least 2 others that make a combination
canvas and leather work glove. Of the 16 whose product is leather
gloves and mittens, 2 make also some of the canvas and leather
gloves, at least 2 make also fine gloves, and 2 manufacture a very
specialized type of heavy leather work glove. The majority of the
plants in Chicago are small. In those cases where the factory is large
the product is mainly fine gloves, so that of the estimated 77 5 3
workers employed at glove making in Chicago, approximately twofifths are engaged in the manufacture of fine gloves. Because of the
differences in operations, types of leather, etc., in the manufacture of
work gloves and of fine gloves, the two branches of the industry are
treated separately in this report. The figures relating to the fineglove workers in Chicago are thrown with those from Milwaukee, the
a Estimated from data given by individual factories, officials in the industry, industrial and classified
telephone directories, etc.
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14
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
combined figures giving a representative sample of this branch of the
leather-glove industry in the Middle West.
Wage and hour records for a recent full-time pay period were
obtained from the pay rolls of 16 factories that made either work gloves
or fine gloves or both, and that ranged in size from 3 to over 200
employees. In 6 firms it was necessary to go back to Sept.ember,
October, or November records to get a normal full-time pay period,
but in the 10 other firms records were obtained for a pay period in
December 1933 or January 1934. In those cases where pay-roll
records were taken for a period prior to the effective date, November
13, 1933, of the leather and woolen knit glove code, the factories
were operating under the President's Reemployment Agreement,
whose reduced hours had required an increase in rates. Thus the only
rate later affected by operation under the leather-glove code was the
minimum one of 30 cents an hour, which was raised to 32½ cents.
The number of employees of the 16 firms included in this study is
385 men and 577 women, or a total of 962. When pay-roll records
were obtained, a count made of the numbers employed a year before
showed that these same firms employed at that time a total of 670-261
men and 409 women. The increase in tota.l numbers employed in
the year's period is 43.6 percent, representing a slightly greater
increase in the numbers of men than of women employees.
WORK GLOVES
The work-glove industry differs in several respects from the fineglove manufacture. There is not the variety of cutting, there is
greater division of operation in the sewing of gloves, and there is no
home work. Practically all the cutting in the manufacture of work
gloves is block cutting, with a small amount of "clicker" cutting of
linings and some small parts that are done in bulk by a clicker machine. A machine operator sewing on work gloves usually does not
make the entire glove and is not known as a maker. The "making"
is divided into closing, thumbing, backing, and fourchetting, with
banding as a sort of subsidiary to these operations. A closer may do
just the closing operation or may do thumbing or backing or all three.
The ban<iler sews on leather bands, cuffs, gores, all tips, pull pieces,
sri.aps, button laps, and so forth. The bander usually receives the
work after the closing operations, though on certain styles she may
receive the gloves flat before the final closing operation. Other
machine operators put binding on cuffs and gore, make linings, tack
linings to the glove at the finger tips, or do silking. The work-glove
operator does not turn the completed glove right side out or trim off
threads as the fine-glove sewer usually does. The trimming or clipping of threads is done by table girls or "receivers", who may in
addition clean, inspect, stamp, sort, paste on small leather pieces,
clamp in buttons, and tack the gloves. The turning, a heavy operation
in work gloves, is always done by men, who may in addition do
laying-off. To repeat, there is no work done at home on work gloves
in Chicago.
The total number included in this survey of the manufacture of work
gloves in Chicago is 417-187 men and 230 women.
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HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHE R-GL OVE INDUSTRY
15
Occupation , sex, and method of payment- Work gloves
Method of payment
Sex
Total
Occupation
t
- - - - - - -• --
time
Men Women Time
Piece Both
and piece
- - - -1- - - - - - - _ _ _ _ _ ,___ __
Total:
Number ________________ ___ _______ _
Percent ____________ _________ ___ ___ _
417
100. 0
Cutters __________ -- ___ ___ __ -- --- __ ---- ------ -
119
Machine operators ___ __ ___ __ . _______________ _
194
Closers ______ ____________________________ _
Other __ ______ -- -- -- -- ------ -- -- _---- -- __ _
H and operators _______ _________________ _____ _
Layers-off and turners ________________ ___ _
Other ____ ___ _____________________ ___ ____ _
- - 110
84
187
44. 8
230
55. 2
81
19. 4
119 ------- -- --
-----------------
104
68
53
51
53
15
326
78. 2
10
2. 4
110
2
194
23
167
4
110
84
9
14
101 ----------4
66
36
51
49
4
36
3
48
48
1
2
2
-
- - - -- -
HOURS
Scheduled hours
All the 13 firms visited had a regular weekly schedule of 40 hours,
with an allowance under the leather and woolen knit glove code of
44 hours a week during the peak season for as much as 4 months of
the year if necessary.
Actual hours worked
In most of the factories visited individual time records were kept,
and for all but 26 men and 17 women actual hours worked were
obtained. Of the 374 whose hours were repor ted , 33.4 percent h ad
worked the regular 40-hour schedule and 17 .6 percent 42 or 44 hours,
so slightly over one-half (51 percent) had worked from 40 to 44 hours.
A considerably larger percentage of the men than of the women
employees had worked 40 hours or more; 57.1 percent of t he 161 men
whose hours were reported, in contrast to 46.5 percent of the 213
women, had worked 40 to 44 hours. This greater percentage of full
time and overtime on the part of the men is due to the fact that nearly
two-thirds of the cutters, who form the largest group of men employees,
worked 40 to 44 hours. Layers-off and turners-all men-had a much
smaller proportion on full time or overtime; in fact, nearly two-thirds
of them worked less than 40 hours.
EARNINGS
Earnings of work-glove employees have been tabulated according
to occupation. All cutters, layers-off, and turners are men ; all included as closers and as "other machine operators" are women. In
the groups of miscellaneous hand operators are 15 men and 36 women
employed at such operations as sorting, packing, table work, trimming, pasting, etc. All but 3 of the 51 are timeworkers. The only
other group with more than a few time workers are the women
handers, binders, and miscellaneous machine operators, with one-sixth
paid by such method.
'
Hourly earnings
Since hours worked were obtained for such a large proportion of
the employees it was possible to compute average hourly earnings by
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16
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
occupation. Among the 161 men with hours worked reported were
98 cutters; 62.2 percent of these earned less than 50 cents an hour
and 37 .8 percent earned 50 cents an hour or more. Just over half
of those earning 50 cents or more earned.less than 55 cents; in other
words, a little over 80 percent of the cutters whose hours were reported
averaged less than 55 cents an hour. For all the cutters the average
hourly earnings ranged from 23 cents to 96.6 cents, the median being
46 cents. Five cutters who earned less than the code minimum, 32}~
cents an hour, were exempt from code requirements because beginners with a lower established minimum rate, elderly workers exempt
on account of age, 4 or workers for whom the pay period taken was
in October or early November when the minimum of the President's
Reemployment Agreement, 30 cents per hour, was still in effect. All
but 9 of the 98 cutters were pieceworkers.
There were 48 layers-off and turners among the men for whom
hours worked were reported. One-third of these had average hourly
earnings of less than 37½ cents, about two-fifths had hourly earnings
of 37½ and less than 50 cents, and slightly more than one-fourth
earned 50 cents or over. Approximately one-fourth earned from 30
to 65 cents an hour. The average hourly earnings ranged from 23.3
to 79.5 cents, inclusive. There were 5 who averaged less than the
32½ cents an hour minimum; 3 of these came under the President's
Reemployment Agreement, and 2 under the leather-glove code
exemptions. Forty-three of the forty-eight layers-off and turners
were pieceworkers.
Twelve of the fifteen men in miscellaneous hand operations were
evenly divided in three average-earnings groups; the remaining 3
received 55 cents or more. The highest time rate, 70 cents an hour,
was that of a foreman; an assistant foreman in a cutting department
averaged 82.7 cents an hour on piece and time work combined.
Four men made less than the code minimum.
Among the 213 women with hours worked reported were 101 closers.
Their average hourly earnings ranged from 19.5 to 78 cents, with well
over half, 57.4 percent, earning less than 37½ cents. The median
was 35.7 cents. Of those earning as much as 37 ½ cents an hour all
but 6 earned less than 50 cents. In the group of 27 women who
earned less than the 32½ cents minimum set by the code, the earnings of approximately half came under the President's Reemployment Agreement and half had a lower wage rate or were entirely
exempted. Ninety-two of the one hundred and one women were
pieceworkers.
The 76 women doing other machine operations were employed at
banding, binding, or miscellaneous jobs, such as tacking, making
linings, strapping, fancy stitching, silking, etc. More than threefifths (61.8 percent) averaged less than 37½ cents an hour; all but 4
earned less than 50 cents. The range of hourly earnings in this
group was from 17.5 cents to 63.9 cents, the median being 34 cents.
Two-thirds of the 21 women who earned less than the leather-glove
code minimum of 32½ cents an hour were, at the time of the pay
roll taken, under the President's Reemployment Agreement, and the
rest were covered by exemptions in the code. A little more than
4 The total number of beginners and the tot al number of superannuated employees in a factory shall
not exceed 10 percent each of the total number of employees.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER- GLOVE INDUSTRY
17
three-fourths (77 .6 percent) of all the women in this group were
pieceworkers.
Thirty-two of the thirty-six women in miscellaneous hand operations were paid less than 37}~ cents an hour; 14 were paid less than
32½ cents, most of them under rates set before the code went into
effect. The lowest time rate was 15 cents; the highest, 57½ cents,
was received by a forelady.
Average hourly earnings, by occupation-Work gloves
· [Percents not computed where base is less than 50]
Average hourly earnings
Sex and occupation
Total
Total
reported
32½,
Less
than
less
than
32½
cents
..
37½
r,ents
37½,
less
than
50, less
50
cents
than 55
cents
Hourly
earnings
55 cents not ob-
and
more
tainable
MEN
Cutters:
Number ____ _______ ·______
Percent. ___ ___ ____ __ _____
Hand operators:
turners ____
Layers-off
Other __ __ __and
____________
__
119
--------53
15
98
100.0
5
5. 1
13
13. 3
43
43.9
19
19.4
18
18. 4
21
48
15
,5
4
11
19
4
5
8
5
4
3
WOMEN
Machine operators:
Closers:
Number ___ ____ ___ ___
Percent __ ______ ______
-- ----- --
101
100.0
27
26. 7
31
30: 7
37
a6.6
1
1.0
5
5.0
9
Banders, binders, and
other:
Number __ ____ ___ __ __
84
Percent __ ___ _______ __ --------Hand operators __ ______ ______
36
76
100. 0
36
21
27.6
14
26
25
32.9
3
3.9
1
1. 3
8
34. 2
18
110
2
Week's earnings 5
The average (median) week's earnings for each occupational group
irrespective of hours worked were as follows:
Occupation
Men:
Cutters __ _______ ---------- · -------· __________ --- ------ - - -- ---- -- --- --- -- ----
W•i~::~:•~: :~~:: ::::::_:: : : : : : : : :::::: ::::::i
Number
Median
week's
earnings
119
53
$17. 95
17. 25
110
84
12. 95
13. 50
Among the men, the average week's earnings of the 64 cutters ~ho
worked 40 to 44 hours were $19. Forty-three of these worked the
regular 40-hour schedule, the maximum established in the code. The
week's earnings of these 43 ranged from $11.23 to $31.20, with about
two-thirds of them earning $15 to $20. Two-thirds of the 21 cutters
who worked 42 hours or 44 hours a week earned $15 to $22.
Well over half (26) of the 48 layers-off and turners whose hours
were reported worked 35 and less than 40 hours in the week. Though
a Earnings that fell below the minimum set by the leather-glove code have been analyzed and discussed
in detail under hourly earnings and will not be reviewed here.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
18
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
the week's earnings for this group of 26 went as high as $27 .69, half
of these earnings were $12 and under $17. Eighteen layers-off and
turners had weekly hours of from 40 to 44-10 working the established
40-hour maximum-and earned -from $10.39 to $35; well over twofifths of these full-time and overtime workers earned $16 to $19.
Among the women, of the 101 closers whose hours were reported,
32 worked a full-time week of 40 hours. The week's earnings of these
32 ranged from $12 to $25.33 with 17 of them earning $12 to $15 and
the remaining 15 earning $16 to $25. There were 28 closers who
worked .35 and less than 40 hours. The earnings of these 28 ranged
from $8.99 to $27 .32, but 18 of them earned $10 to $14.. Sixteen
closers had weekly hours of 42 to 44. Their earnings ranged from
$8.60 to $21.88, with 9 of them earning $14 to $17.
Of the 76 women on other machine operations, such as banding
and binding, 31 worked 35 and under 40 hours and their earnings
ranged from $9.34 to $25.25, with 25 of them earning $11 to $14.
Twenty-six women had weekly hours of 40, 42, or 44-17 working the
regular 40-hour schedule; 12 of_the 26 earned $11 to $13.
Classified in $5 groups, the earnings of men and women, according
to hours worked, were as follows:
Week's earnings, by hours worked and occupation-Work gloves
[Medians and percents not computed where base is less than 50]
With hours worked reported
Occupation and week's earnings
Total
number
Total
1
With
hours
worked
4
h~r:;;/ not reported
I= l"·I~,1 I
than 35 than 40 40 hours
hours
hours
42
MEN
Cutters:
Number_ __ __ _______ __ _____ __ ____ __ . 119
22
12
43
21
98
21
Percent_ __ __________ ____________ ___________ _ 100. 0
12. 2
21. 4
22. 4
43. 9
Median earnings__ _________________ $17. 95
$18. 15 --------- - ---- ---- -- --- ---- ----- - --- ----- --- Less than $10 _____ ______ _______ ____ --1-1
1
7
4
6 --------- --------$10, less than $15_________ __________
22
18
5
6
4
3
4
$15, less than $20_ __________________
49
12
21
43
10
6
$20, less than $25_______ ____ __ __ ____
26
23 -- ----- - 5
3
4
14
$25 and more____ _________ _____ ____
11
7
2
4
1 --- -----4
Hand operators:
53
Layers-off and turners-number_ __
26
48
10
5
Median earnings__ __________ ___ $17. 25
l - - - - - +- -- + - - - - t - - - - - l -- -·1 - - - 1 -- Less than $10______________________
4
3
1
4
$10, less than $15_________ ______ ___ _
16
15
1
11
1
2
1
$15, less than $20___ ______ _____ _____
19
17
9
5
3
2
$20, less than $25___ ___ _____ ______ __
10
3
4
10
3
$25 and more _____ __ __ ___ __________
4
2
1
1
2
Other hand operators-number___
15
15
2
8
5 ----- - --1
1
Less than $10 ____ ..,. ________________ - --2-i---2-i---2- ·_-___- _ _- _-__+-___-__-___-_ -__- __-___-__ - - $10, less than $15________ ___________
9
9
2 __ ____ __ _
6
1 ___ _____ _
$15, less than $20_ ____ _____ _________
2
2
1 __ _______ _________
1 ________ _
$20, less than $25____________ _______
1
1 _________ __ ____ __ _
1 __ _______________ _
'25 and more __________________ ___ _
1
1 _________ _________
1 ____ ___ __ ________ _
WOMEN
Machine operators:
Closers:
Number____ __ _____ ____________
110
101
25
Percent_ __ ________________ ____ _ _______ __ 100.0
24.8
Median earnings_______________ $13. 50 $13. 35
Less than $10 _____ ________________ _
15
15
12
$10, less than $15 __ _____ __ _________ _
50
12
57
$15, less than $20 ______________ ___ __
27
1
29
$20, less than $25 _______ __ ______ ___ _
7
7 --------$25 and more __ ____ _______________ _
2
2 -- --- -- --
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
28
27. 7
2
18
6
1
1
32
31. 7
16
15. 8
9
1
14
6
7
14
6
2
3
3 --------1 ------- - - -------- -
G ENY C
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-G"LO
I
19
. INDUSTRY
Week's earnings, by hours worked and occupation-Work gloves-Continued
With hours worked reported
Total
number
Occupation and week's earnings
Total
I I"• I I"
than
40 40 hours
r.ss35 than
I=
hours
hours
and «
hours
With
hours
worked
not reported
WOMEN-Continued
Machine operators-Continued.
Banders, binders, and other:
Number____ ___________________
84
76
Percent_ __________ ___ _______ __ _ __ ______ _ 100.0
Median earnings______________ _ $12. 95
$12. 85
Less than $10______ ___ _____________
$10, less than $15__ _________________
$15, less than $20____________ __ _____
$20, less than $25____ _______ ________
$25 and more___ ___ ______ _____ _____
Hand operators-number_______ ______ _
19
25. 0
20
44
14
5
1
19
15
41
4
10 - --------
36
36
5
1
31
40.8
3
17
9
22.4
11.8
1 ------- -·
8
1
25
9
3
3
1
7
2
4
1
4 - --- ---- 1 --------- -- ------- --- - -- ---
15
10 ------ ---
t - - -- - t- - - - - t - - - - i - - - - t - - - t - - - - - t - --
Less than $10_______ ______ _______ __
$10, less than $15___________________
$15, less than $20___ ________________
$20, less than $25___________________
12
20
2
2
12
6
20 ---------
1
4
2 ---- - ---- --------2 --------- ------- --
5 - ------ -- ----- ---7
9 ----- ----
1
2
1 -- - ----- -
---------, ---------
Rates
To obtain some idea of piece rates, figures of the highest and the
lowest rate paid on various operations were obtained in practically all
the factories visited. The piece rates received by the cutters varied
greatly according to the type or kind of leather and the style of glove
or size of piece to be cut, so that the rates .for block cutting ranged
all the way from 3}~ to 75 cents a dozen pairs. It may be said that
roughly the rates for cutting small pieces such as backs or for cutting
boys' mittens were from_15 to 30 cents a dozen pairs, and for cutting
the entire glove from 24 to 75 cents a dozen pairs, with a general
grouping between 30 and 50 cents. Of the 9 firms reporting on
cutting the 'entire glove, 5 firms had lowest rates ranging from 30
to 32 cents a dozen pairs, 2 had lowest rates of 24 and 25 cents, and 2
of 42 and 45 cents, respectively. In 4 firms the highest rate for glove
cutting was from 47 to 50 cents a dozen pairs, the highest rate in 2
others was 40 cents, and 3 had highest rates of 57, 65, and 75 cents,
respectively. The rates per dozen pairs for cutting operations in
various firms are as follows: ·
LEATHER GLOVES
Block cutting entire glove (cents)
24 to 49.
25 to 50.
30 to 47.
30 to 65.
30½ to 57.
32 to 40.
32 to 40.
42 to 50.
45 to 75.
Block cutting smaller parts such as
backs; also mittens (cents)
15 to 30.
20. •
Cutting small pieces such as cuffs,
palms, straps, etc. (cents)
4½ to 15.
4 to 9.
3½, 10, 11.
A few cutters on time work received hourly rates of 32 1~, 37}~, 50,
68, and 70 cents. In canvas gloves the rates for cutting ranged from
13¾ to 22¾ cents a dozen pairs.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
20
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
Layers-off of leather gloves and mittens received anywhere from
7 to 22 cents a dozen pairs, while turners' rates were from 1¼ to 6
cents. On combination canvas and leather gloves layers-off received
from 7 to 9½ cents, turners 2½ to 4¾ cents.
The rates per dozen pairs for laying-off and turning operations in
various firms are as follows:
L E ATHER GLOVE S
Laying-off (cents)
7 to 18.
9.
9 to 15.
9½ to 14½.
10 to 15.
12 and 14.
15.
16.
22.
Turning (cents)
1¼ to 4½.
4.
4and 6.
5.
5½ and6.
5and 6.
CANVAS AND LEATHER GLOVES
Laying-off (cents )
7.
8½ to9½.
T urning (centa)
2½.
4%.
Time rates were 35 cents an hour for ]ayers-off and 32½ and 35
cents for turners.
'
Rates for the closing operations on leather work gloves ranged all
the way from 9.7 to 43 cents a dozen pairs depending on the style
of glove and the kind of leather. Rates for thumbing only were
from 6 to 17.9 cents, and for backing oniy they were from 6 to 13½
cents. On canvas gloves, rates for closing operations ranged from 10½
to 26 cents a dozen pairs depending on the style and particular operation performed. Backing rates were from 5 to 15 cents, thumbing
rates 5 and 6 cents.
·
The rates per dozen pairs for closing operations in various firms are
as follows:
LEATHER GLOVES
Closing (cents)
9.7 to 19.5.
12 and (welted) 22.
12 to 24.7.
14 and 17.
15.
15 to 23.
16 and (welted) 32.
16 to 35.
18.5 to 35.4.
26.
27 to 43.
Thumbing (cents)
6 to 10.
6.5 to 10.7.
8.
9.
12½.
17.9.
Backing (cents)
6 to 10.
· Fourchette sewing (cents)
18 and 20.
· Corkscrew (cents)
21.
Side finger (cents)
3.
Fleece linings (cents)
·5 .8 and 9.8.
9.
9.
13½.
CANVAS AND LEATHER GLOVES
Closing (cents)
10½ (light).
11.
15 (heavy).
21¾ to 26.
Thumbing (cents)
5 (light).
6 (heavy).
Backing (cents)
5 (light).
15 (heavy).
Back to palms ____________ 3 cents.
Palms together_ _ __ ___ ____ 7 cents.
Fourchette to palm __ _ .,. ___ _ 5 cents.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
21
Timeworkers on closing operations received 34, 35, 40, 42 ½, 45,
and 47 cents an hour.
Rates for banding leather work gloves (which includes sewing on
patches, straps, elastic, knit wrists) ranged all the way from 2½ to 35
cents a dozen pairs depending on style, size, leather, and particular
operation. The extremes in rates per dozen pairs for banding operations in the various firms are as follows:
Rates for leather glove bandin g (cen ts)
2½ to 11.
4 to 12.
5¾ to 16¾.
7 to 23.
7 to 25.
7.8 to 16.4.
9 to 28.
15 and 18.
17 and 35.
For canvas and leather glove banding, which includes sewing on
cuffs and knit wrists, rates per dozen pairs are as follows:
2½, 5, and 15 cents.
5 and 9½ cents.
Rates for binding leather work gloves (putting binding on cuff and
gore) ranged in one firm from 2 ½ to 20 cents a dozen pairs, but in the
others the range was from 2.9 to 9 cents. Rates per dozen pairs for
binding operations in various firms are as follows:
Leather gloves (cents)
2½ to 20.
2.9 to 8.8.
3¼ to 9.
5 to 7.
6.
Canvas and leather gloves (cents)
2.
2½.
For other miscellaneous operations the piece rates per dozen pairs
in various firms are as follows:
In~ertiI_i.g linings _______________
Tr1mmmg ______ __ _____ _____ __
Tacking ______ __ ___ _____ ___ ___
Making linings ______ _____ _____
Putting on buttons ___ _________
Sewing elastic___ ____ __ ____ ____
Sewing fur linings _____________
Cents
2.5 to 8.7.
2.8.
5½ to 7½.
6 to 10.
6.2 to 6.4.
11. 7.
64.3.
Timeworkers on banding, binding, tacking, piping, silking, sewing
in elastic, and sewing linings had hourly rates of 30, 33, 35, 37½, 40,
and 45 cents.
FINE GLOVES
A total of 508 workers employed by 4 firms in Chicago and Milwaukee are included in this fine-glove section of the report. The
method of manufacture in the fine-glove industry in the Middle West
as represented by these four firms differs to some ext~t from that in
the East. There is practically no use of home workers, an insignificant number, less than 10, being found on the pay rolls; there is a
more pronounced tenqency to subdivide operations and to install
efficiency systems based on time studies of each operation. Certain
minor operations such as trimming leather;, clipping threads, and even
turning gloves may be done by a separate group of workers in order
to save the time of the machine operators. Further it is more frequently the practice to train workers to do more than one type of
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
22
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
work so that they can be shifted from one machine or operation to
another as orders vary. As a result of this shifting from one operation to another it was not possible to obtain a classification of all
machine operators according to type of operation. ·
Occupation, sex, and method of payment-Fine gloves
Method of p ayment
Sex
Occupation
Total
M en
- - - - - - - - - - - ---1--
----ll- -- - --
Total:
Number_ ______ ____ ______ ___ _______
Percent_ ___ ______ ______ __ ____ ______
508
100. O
Cutters ___ ________ __ __ _______ __ ___ · _______ __
Layers-off ____ __ _____ ___ ___ ____________ ............ _. . _
150
17
Machine operators . . . . . . ... . . . . _......... . . . . ... . . _...... ......... ......... _. . . . _
M akers ... ...... ...... _. . _. . _. . ............... ...... ... _· ... ...... . . . . ·_. . ... . . . . . . _ _
Gau ge ... - . . ... - - . . . . -.. - -- . . - . . - ...... . . - ...... . . - ... _... _. . __
Other ... ___ __ . . ___ . . _. . _. . __ _____ . . . . ______ . . _
Other machine operators . . _. . __ . . _...... __ ... __ . . . . _
M achine operators not classified __...... ____ ......
H and operators __ . . ......... -_ ... __ _. . __ __. . _______. . ____
324
63.8
184
36. 2
150 ......... - ............ _
Both time
and piece
- - - - -1- - -
Time
W omen
-
59
11. 6
4
17 ____ . . __...... . . _. . ___ . . __
Piece
446
87.8
3
0. 6
146 _. . ... __ ............ ... ...
7
236
236
231
2
_ 1_1_4 _,> - - - -1 - -11-4
- . ." _ _ __,__11_4..., ___
. . ______-_...-.. -.. . .
42 - - ... - ... - --- '
42
42 _____ ...... __ . . ...
72
72
72 _____ . . _. . __ . .
41 -_- -_- ...=...==_ -_-=_=_=_
41
2
37,
2
81
1
80 ____ _...... __. . ...
81
I
105
17 j
88
52
52
HOURS
Scheduled hours
Scheduled hours for the four factories were 40 a week, with an
allowance under the leather and woolen knit glove code of 44 hours
a week during the peak season for as much as 4 months of the year if
necessary.
Actual hours worked
Actual hours of work were recorded for 181 of a total of 184 men.
A little over two-fifths of these worked a full-time week of 40 hours,
and almost three-tenths worked in excess of 40, including 44. Of the
latter group of 54 men, all but 11 were cutters. There were 51 men
(28.2 percent) whose hours of work were less than 40; there were 19
whose hours were less than 35.
Of the 324 women whose hours of work were recorded, 30.6 percent
worked the regular schedule of 40 hours and well over two-fifths
worked in excess of 40 hours, including 44. Roughly one-half of the
women on other hand operations (all kinds of miscellaneous hand
work, such as end pulling, trimming, clipping, pasting, etc.) and of
those on machine operations not classified (which includes some making operations as well as binding, silking, hemming, etc.) worked
more than ·40 hours. Exactly 25 percent of the women worked less
than 40 hours week, and 10.8 percent worked less than 35.
EARNINGS
Earnings of employees in the fine-glove industry have been analyzed according to occupation, sex, and method of payment.
Hourly earnings ·
As records of hours worked were kept for all ~mployees, it was
possible to compute average hourly earnings except in three instances
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
23
where there was an incomplete record on the time-clock cards. Hourly
earnings were computed for 181 men employees, of whom 92.8 percent
were pieceworkers.
The average (median) hourly earnings of 147 cutters, all of whom
were men, were 51.9 cents. Four cutters on time rates, included in
the 147, had hourly rates lower than 34 cents. The group of cutters
includes table, pattern, jerkdown, and block cutters, and a few who
cut small pieces only. More than one-fourth had average hourly
earnings of 32½ and less than 50 cents. About one-third had hourly
earnings of 50 and less than 65 cents, and slightly over one-fifth had
hourly earnings of 65 cents or more. There were 42.2 percent of the
cutters who earned less than 50 cents an hour. Of 20 cutters who
earned less than the minimum of 32}~ cents set by the leather and
woolen knit glove code, 12 were beginners and several others were
elderly, slow, or partially incapacitated. All the 12 beginners and all
but 2 of the others appeared on pay rolls for a period prior to the
glove code but covered by the President's Reemployment Agreement
with its minimum of 30 cents an hour and all but 4 had hourly earnings
of 30 to 32.4 cents.
In the total of 181 men whose average hourly earnings were computed there were 17 layers-off, all pieceworkers. Their hourly earnings ranged from 35.7 cents to $1.38, with 5 averaging less than 50
cents an hour, and 12 whose earnings were 50 cents and above.
Seventeen men listed as "other hand operators" were about evenly
divided between pieceworkers and timeworkers, 8 being on piece rates
and 9 on time rates. The occupations included in this class are shaving, slitting, leather sorting and general work in the leather room,
button fastening, polishing, and black edging. Seven of this group
had average hourly earnings of 50 to 68.2 cents inclusive, 3 earned ·
from 87.5 cents to $1, and 7 earned 45 cents and less. The two who
fell below 32}~ cents were beginners on a rate of 30 cents an hour.
Hourly earnings were computed for 324 women employees, of whom
84.8 percent were pieceworkers. The average (median) hourly earnings of 114 women employed in making were 40.4 cents. Included in
this group of making operations were gauge making and such types as
overseam, outseam', pique, and inseam. Operators listed under
making may complete individually an entire glove or may do only
certain operations, such as fitting up or fourchetting, thumbing, and
closing. Well over one-fourth of the 42 women listed under gauge
making earned less than 37½ cents an hour, and 1 of these, a beginner
at 30 cents, earned less than 32½ cents. Thirty of the gauge operators
averaged from 38.3 to 62.2 cents an hour, about half earning at least
48 cents.
The 72 women classed as other makers (overseam, outseam, pique,
and inseam), all of them pieceworkers, had average hourly earnings
of 38.8 cents. Two-fifths of the group earned less than 37½ cents an
hour, 6 of them less than 32½ cents. Of the group last named, 3 were
beginners at 30 cents an hour and 3 were elderly or incapacitated.
Hourly earnings in one case were as high as 65.8 cents, but the majority
of those who earned more than 37½ cents an hour averaged less than
45 cents.
Other machine operations, which cover binding, hemming, silking,
embroidering, repairing, and miscellaneous machine-sewing jobs, include 41 women, all but 4 of them pieceworkers. Their average hourly
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
24
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER- GLOV E INDUSTRY
earnings ranged from less t han 30 to 52 ;,~ cents. Of 17 at less than
37½ cents, 10 earned less than 32½; 3 of the latter were beginners at 30
cents and 7 were elderly, slow, or incapacitated, with earnings of 24.1
t o 32 cents. Twenty of the forty-one earned from 37.8 to 46.7 cents
an hour.
A total ,of 81 women machine operators were reported as employed
interchangeably at making and other machine operations. All but
1 of these unclassified machine operators were pieceworkers. The
average (median) hourly earnings of this group were 35.6 cents, and
individual earnings ranged from less than 30 cents to 54½ cents.
Nearly three-fifths, 48 women, averaged less than 37½ cents an hour,
with 29 of these-including the beginners and the elderly, slow, or
incapacitated-earning less than 32½ cents.
There were 88 women on hand operations. These included trimming, clipping, and pulling, button fastening, pasting, packing, stamp'ing, hand sewing, and so forth. Of these women, 44 were on piece
rates, 43 on time rates, and 1 on both piece and time. T he average
h ourly earnings were 33 cents. Sixty-six of the 88 women had average
hourly earnings below 37}~cents, 19 of them below 32½ cents. All but
1 of the 19 averaged from 30 to 32.3 cents an hour; they included
beginners and those described as elderly, slow, or incapacitated.
.
Averaqe hourly earnings, by occupation-Fine gloves
,
[Percents not computed where base is less than 50)
Average hourly earnings
Sex and occupation
Total
· Totalreported
Less
t han
32½, less
32 ½
cents
"''
than
37Hi
cents
H ourly
earning
37½ ,less ·50, less 55 cents not obthan 50 than 55
tainable
and
cents
cents
more
"
-
MEN
Cut ters:
Number__ _______________
150
Percent. _________________ - -------Layers-off_ ___ _______ __ ___ ____
17
Other h_a nd operators ________
17
147
100. 0
17
17
20
13. 6
6.1
22.4
18. 4
4
2
1
3
2
2
2
34
50
13
11
18
5
7 ------- --
23
32
8
3 ---------
9
33
27
58
3
39. 5 - - -- ----10 -- --- ---8 ---- -----
WOMEN
Machine
operators
:
Makers
__ ________________
114
Gauge ____ ____ __- - __ -_
42
Other:
Number ________ _
72
Percent. ___ ______ ---------
114
7
42
72
100.0
6
8.3
31.9
44.4
41
41
10
7
23
---------
81
81
100. 0
35.8
23.5
29. 6
11.1
Hand
operators:
Number
_____ ______ ____ __ 1,
88
Percent. ____________ ----- ---------
100. 0
88
19
21.6
47
53. 4
15
17.0
3.4
Other machine operators _
Machine operators not
classified:
Number ____ ___ __ ____
Percent_ ___ ____ __ ___ _
.
I
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
!
29
19
24
11.1
10 ------- --
4. 2 - - - - - ----
1 - -- - - - - -- - ---- -- - -
9
3
4 --- - -- ---
4. 5 -- -------
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
25
Week's earnings 6
Of men, the average week's earnings of the 147 cutters, irrespective
of hours worked, were $20.55, with a range of earnings from $7 to
$47.45. The average for the 57 who worked a 40-hour week was
$20.80. Earnings of these 57 cutters ranged from $12 to the group
$30 and under $35, with one-third earning $20 and under $25 and
over one-fourth $25 and under $35. Forty-three cutters who worked
more than 40 hours had earnings ranging from $12 to the group $40
and under $45, with three-tenths earning $15 to $19 and well over
one-third $20 to $24.
There were only 6 of the 17 layers-off who worked a 40-hour week.
The earnings of these 6 ranged from $21 to the group $35 and under
$40, with 4 of them earning $25 and under $30. Nine layers-off
worked either 41 or 42 hours; their earnings ranged from $15 to the
group $30 and under $35, with 4 earning $18 and under $20 and 3 in
the $25 and under $35 group.
All but 4 of the 17 men on other hand occupations, which includes
various skilled work in the leather room as well as general unskilled
operations, worked a 40-hour week. Their earnings ranged from $12
to the group $40 and under $45, 4 men earning $12 and less than $15, .
and 5 earning $20 and less than $25.
The following average (median) week's earnings, irrespective of
hours worked, are for the occupational groups in which there were
50 or more women:
All making operations ____ ___________________ -.-_ --- ___ $15. 85
Making operations other than gauge____________________ 15. 30
Machine operations not classified_______________________ 14. 45
Hand operations_________________________ ____________ 13. 65
Nineteen of the forty-two women employed on gauge making worked
a full-time week of 40 hours, and 16 others worked 42 hours. The
earnings of the 19 ranged from $12 to $24, with 10 women earning $20
or more. The 16 who worked 42 hours earned from $13 to $22, half
of them earning $15 to $18.
Of the 72 women doing other making, 32 worked the regular 40-hour
schedule. Their week's earnings ranged from $12 to $26.50, well over
two-fifths earning $15 to $19. Twenty-six women worked 42 or 44
hours; their earnings ranged from $12 to $19, half earning $12 to $14
and half $15 to $19.
Thirteen of the forty-one women on other machine operations
worked a 40-hour week. Their earnings ranged from $12 to $19,
9 earning $15 to $17. Thirteen others worked either 42 or 44 houri::;
their earnings ranged from $10 to $22, with 7 earning $15 to $18.
In the group of 81 unclassified machine operators only 5 worked 40
hours. Forty-five women worked 41 hours and had week's earnings
from $8 to $22, with over half earning $10 to $14. About one-fifth
of the 81 women had hours of 35 and under 40, with week's earnings of
$5 to $20. Half of this small group earned $9 and less than $15.
Thirty women of the eighty-eight employed on hand operations
worked 40 hours and earned from $12 to $25.20. Two-thirds of these
full-time workers earned $12 to $14. A larger group, 44 women,
worked 41, 42, or 44 hours; their earnings ranged from $12 to $26.11,
with over four-fifths earning $12 and under $15.
6 Earnings that fell below the minimum set by the leather and woolen knit glove code have been analyzed
and discussed in detail under hourly earnings and will not be reviewed here.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
26
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
Classified in $5 groups, the earnings of men and women, according
to hours worked, were as follows:
Week's earnings, by hours worked and occupation-Fine gloves
[Medians and percents not computed where base is less than 50]
Hours worked
I M~!~
I40 hours Ig;f~d~g
hours
44 hours
' occupation and week's earnings
Total Less than
number
35 hours
MEN
Cutters:
Number _______ ____ __ ________ ______ ___ __________ _
Percent ___ __________ ____________________________ _
I 147
16
31
57
43
100.0
21.1
38.8
10. 9
29. 3
$20. 55 -- ------ -- -------- -$20. 80
Median earnings ___ -------- -------- - ---- -- ---- - ---- - -- - - - - - - - Less than $10 _______ ___ ___ ________ _____________ __ - - - 5
5 ---------- ---------$10, less than $15 ____ ______________ ________ ______ _
29
5
12
6
6
$15, less than $20 ________________________________ _
10
13
33
3
7
44
1
19
8
16
less more
than ___
$25----------- - ---.--------- -- -----_
$20,
$25 and
________________________________
10
16
2
36
8
·---------
Layers-off-number______
17 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _6_
9
Less than $10__ ___ ___
1
1 ---------- __________
____ _
5 --- --- ---- ---------- __________
5
$15, less than $20_____
$20, less than $25_____
2 __________ - ------- - 1
1
9
5
3
$25 and more_______________________________
Other hand operators-number___ _______________ ____
17
2 ------ - - - 13
2
$10, less than $15 ___ ___ ___________________________ - - -7- ---2 ~- ~------~ - - - 4 - - -- $15, less than $20_ _________ ___ ___________ _____ ____
1 ---- -- ---- ------ ---1
$20, less than $25__ ____ __ __________ ___ ______ ____ __
5 ---------- - --------5
$25 and more _------ -------- ------ - - ------------4 ---------- -- -- -----3
WOMEN
Machine operators:
Gauge makers-number_ ________ _________________
42
2
5
19
16
Less than $10 ___ __ ______________ _________ ____ - - - 1 - - - -- 1~
$10, less than $15___ _______________ ___________
11
1
2
3
5
$15, less than $20___ _______ ___________________
17
3
6
8
$20, less than $25_____ ____ ___ ______ ___________
13 --------- - ---------~
10
3
Other
makers:
Number
_________ _____ ___ ________ ___________ _
72
10
4
32
26
Percent_ ___ __ ________ _______ ____ ______ ____ ___
100. 0
13. 9
5. 6
44. 4
36.1
$15. 30 ---------- ---------- -- ---- ---- ---------Median earnings __ -- - ---- - ----- ----- - - - --- -Less than $10_____ ____________ ____ ___________
4
4 - - - - -- - - - - - $10, less than $15___ ____ ___ _____ _____ ___ __ ____
29
5
4
7
13
$15, less than $20__ ______ ____ ___ ____ __________
28
1
14
13
$20, less than $25_ _________ ______ __ __ _________
9 - -------- - __________
9
$25 and more_ -- --- ------ - ------ - - - ------- - -2 ---------- ___ ____ __ _
2
Other machine operators-number__________ _____
41
4
11
13
13
Less than $10------ ---------------------"---- - - - 2 _ _ _1___ __1
$10, less than $15_ _____ ____ _____________ _____ _
16
3
6
2
5
$15, less than $20__ ____ ______ ____ _____________
22
4
11
7
$20, less than $25_____________________________
1 ---------- ___ ___ __ __ -------- - 1
Machine operators not classified:
Number_ _______ ______ _____ ______ __ ___ _____ __
81
15
16
5
45
Percent______________________________________
100. 0
18. 5
6. 2.
19. 8
55. 6
Median earnings ___ ____ ___ __________________ __
$1_4_
. 4_5_ _________ __ ____ __ _________ ___ ____ _
Less than $10 ___________________ ________________ _
15
10
3
2
$10, less than $15 __ _____ _____ ___ _____ ____ ________ _
4
36
6
3
23
$15, less than $20 ____ ________________ _______ __ __ __
1
22
2
6
13
8
1
7
$20, less than $25----------------------------- - --Hand
operators:
Number
________ ____ ________________ ___ _-- ______ _
4
88
10
30
44
Percent_ _____________ __ ____-- - _____ - - ___ - ___ - ___ 100.0
4.5
11. 4
34.1
50.0
$13. 65
Median earnings ___ -- --------------------------Less than $10 _______ ___ _________________________ _
3
3
$10, less than $15 ________________________________ _
61
20
36
5
$15, less than $20 _____ ____ _____________ __________ _
19
4
8
6
$20, less than $25 ____ ___ _______ __________________ _
3
1
1
1
2
1
1
$25 and more .-- -- ---------- --- ------ - - ---- --- ---
====
====
==-=:
1
3 cutters earning $10.25, $23.50, and $35 not included, as hours worked are not reported.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
=-===
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
27
THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY IN CALIFORNIA
INTRODUCTION
Ranking fourth among the States in the value of leather gloves
manufactured is California. In 1929 over $1,000,000 worth of leather
gloves were made in this State, almost one-half the value of Illinois'
output. In 1931 production·in California had fallen off to little more
than half a million dollars in value, and proauction in Illinois had
fallen off in about the same proportion. There was- also a considerable
reduction in personnel in 1931 as ·compared with 1929 in both States,
but more noticeably in California.
In March 1934 the Women's Bureau undertook to find out what was
happening to the glove·worker in this area. Almost all of the 161 wage
earners reported in the industry in 1931 were in San Francisco and
vicinity and in Los Angeles; 135 employees were on the pay rolls of
the 14 firms visited. The· establishments were quite small, all but
2 employing fewer than 15 wage earners.
The leather-glove industry seems to be disappearing from California.
In many cases these small firms had /been salvaged from larger firms.
Considerable numbers of workers had drifted into the needle trades,
many following former glove firms into leather-coat making. But
there are still some experienced workers who move about from firm
to firm in the glove industry as orders come in. Employment conditions seemed to have remained almost stationary in the past year;
though 6 firms increased personnel, 5 reported decreases, and there
was only a slight net increase (about 3 percent) in the 13 firms reporting on personnel at the earlier date.
Of the 14 firms supplying pay-roll information 4 were in Los Angeles
and the rest in or near San Francisco. Three were producing fine
gloves, and 11 were producing work gloves or work and driving gloves.
The factories are so small that owners frequently are operators, and
the machine operators may do all jobs, such as closing, thumbing,
fourchetting, backing, banding, and binding. As far as the machine
operations are concerned there is very little difference in the duties
of an operator between fine and driving gloves. In fact, though
more work gloves are being produced in this territory, the terminology
for operations on work gloves and the high piece rates seem to point
to a tradition of fine gloves, whereas in the Middle West fine-glove
manufacture is a comparatively recent development.
Pay-roll records were obtained for a recent full-time pay period.
In four firms the pay period was prior to the effective date of the.leather
and woolen knit glove code, but these firms were already operating
under the California minimum wage, which is higher than that set
by the code. Most of the workers are older men and women, highly
skilled and leisurely in habits. They feel free from pressure, and
because rates are comparatively high, even comparing favorably with
the rates in Fulton County, N.Y., they earn a fair return. Of the
134 workers for whom time worked was reported, 46 percent earned
50 cents or more per hour, 21 percent earned 60 cents or more. The
time worked by the employees was in every case within the limit set
by the code, over three-fifths having worked 40 hours, the maximum
allowed, and only one-fourth having worked less than 35 hours.
For two-thirds of the 135 workers, regardless of time worked, earnings
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
28,
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
for the week amounted to $15 or more; for slightly over one-third
earnings were $20 or more.
WORK GLOVES
Fifty-three men and forty-eight women were employed in the 11
firms · making work gloves. All cutting was done by men, except
that one woman was found operating a clicker machine, which stamps
out parts in wholesale fashion. During the week for which the pay
roll was taken this woman worked 40 hours and earned $21.50, almost
54 cents an hour. Her earnings compared favorably with those of
the 35 men cutters, well over one-fourth of whom earned less than
50 cents an hour . . Three-fifths of the cutters on work gloves earned
$20 or more; two-thirds of the 23 who worked 40 hours did so. Only
one cutter, an apprentice, earned less than $15 for 40 hours of work.
When hourly earnings are examined it is found that only one elderly
cutter in addition to this apprentice averaged less than 37½ cents.
Week's earnings for cutters varied from $6.58 for the elderly block
cutter who worked only 20 hours to $46.15 for a working foreman
who had worked 40 hours. The next highest wage was $33.58, for a
cutter who also had worked 40 hours. Only 2 of the 3(? ~utters ·were
paid by the week or month; the remainder were all paid 1by the piece.
Average hourly earnings ranged from 26 cents for an apprentice to
$1.15 for the foreman just mentioned.
All laying-off and turning was done by men; with only one exception
they were paid on a piece or output basis. In many cases layers-off
also were turning, and in several of the smaller establishments layingoff and turning were done by the owner. The earnings of the 11 employees who were laying-off and turning varied from $8 a week for a
layer-off who was a timeworker and was paid 50 cents an hour but
worked only· 16 hours, to $29.05 for a 40-hour worker paid by the
piece. Only one other layer-off earned less than $15, an apprentice
who averaged almost 34 cents .an hour. Average hourly earnings
ranged from the amount just mentioned to 77 cents.
Hand operations other than those described were done by 6 women,
though 1 boy apprentice was· doing general work and 1 owner acted
as "button boy." The earnings in this group of women ranged from
30 cents an hour, for a girl ~pprentice doing general work, to about
43½ cents for an end puller. Four worked the full 40 hours and in
only 1 of the 6 cases were the week's earnings less than $10, $4 being
earned by a woman for 11 hours of work.
.
,
Six men were operating machines, principally wax threaders, used
in making an especially heavy glove. They were all paid by the
piece and averaged from 23 to 57}~ cents an hour. Week's earnings
ranged from $6.50 for 28 hours of work to $19.30 for 40 hours.
Women machine operators were with few exceptions paid by the
piece. Forty-one of the 48 women employed on work and driving
gloyes were machine operators. Their earnings ranged from $5.50
for 10 ,hours of work to $23 for 40 hours of work. Over one-half
earned $15 and more, regardless of , hours worked. Nearly threefourths of the 23 who worked ~O hours earned $15 or .more. An
eldei;-ly woman who worked 40. hours earned only $8, an average of 20
(}ents an hour. On the other hand, two women averaged between
60 and 65 . cents an hour and three-fourths averaged as much as 37½
cents.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
29
FINE GLOVES
The three firms making fine gloves employed 17 men and 17 women.
All the men were paid on a piecework b asis. Only 3 of the women were
paid a weekly rate.
All but one of the men employees were t able cut ters. Slightly
more than two-thirds earned $20 and more. Eight of the 11 cutters
who worked 40 hours earned as much as $20. Two elderly men averaged respectively 27¼ and 30¼ cents an hour. The other 14 cutters
averaged as much as 42 cents, in 2 instances more than 75 cents.
In addition to the 2 elderly men who averaged less than 32½ cents
during 40 hours, 1 cutter had worked only 27 hours during the week,
and his earnings for the period amounted to only $12. The two who
averaged over 75 cents had worked 40 hours, their wages for the
week being $30.35 and $31.20, respectively.
Only 2 em ployees, 1 man and 1 woman, were laying-off. The
man earned $27 .20 during 40 hours and the woman earned $7 during
9 hours. Both were paid by the piece.
Three other women were doing hand operations, two being paid a
weekly rate. The pieceworker earned $5.50 during 15 hours of work.
The others were paid $13.50 and $18.50 for 40 hours.
All kinds of machine operations were done by women, all but one,
an apprentice, being paid by the piece. With the exception of the
apprentice, the operators averaged more than 34 cents an hour, in
6 cases 50 cents or more. Only 7 worked 40 hours, so it is not surprising that 5 of the 13 earned less than $15. Six of the seven who
worked 40 hours earned more than $15.
Occupation, sex, and method of payment
M ethod of paym ent
Sex
Occupation
T otal
Men
W ork gloves:
Total :
Number _______ ___ ____ ______ __-- -- -- -- - -- -- P ercent_ ________ _________ ___ _____ ____ ______ _
Block cutters ___ __________ _____ ______ ____ __ ____ _
Other cutters ________ ___ ____ _____ ____ ____ ___ ____
Layers-off and turners _______________ ______ _____
Other hand operators ____ ___ _____ _____________ __
Machine operators ___ __ ________ ----- -:- --- --- -- _
101
100. 0
- --
T able cutters __ ____ ___ _______ _________ _______ __ _
Layers-off _______ __: ___ __ ____ ________ ____ ____ __ _
Other hand operators ______ ___ ___ ____ __________ _
Machine operators _______ ___________ _________ __ _
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
30
5
11
1
6
34
-
-
-
16
2
3
13
48
47. 5
53
52. 5
11- ---i--
30
6
11
7
47
FineTotaL
gloves:
__ __________ ___ __ _________ ______ ______ __ __
Women
17
111 --
-
--
Time
Piece
11
10. 9
90
. 89.1
- w- - - - - - r - - - -
1
2
28
6
10
2
6
41
1
5
3
44
17
3
31
- - t - - - - i t- - - - i - - - - -
16
1
-------------------
1
3
13
---------2
1
16
2
1
12
30
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
· Average hourly earnings, by occupation
Average hourly earnings
C utters
~r:~~
101
36
11
8
1
1
8
6
8
Total
1
Less than 32½ cents __ __ _________________ __ _____ _
32½, less than 37½ cents _____ __________ ___ ______ _
37½, less than 50 cents- - - - ----- -~- --- ----------- 50, less than 55 cents_ _____ __ ____________ ________ _
55, less than 60 certs _____ ___ _! _____ _____________ _
60, less than 70 cents ____________________ __ ______ _
70 cents and more ________ :•______ _____ ___________ _
10
,
fil
10
14
12
5
9
3
34
16
Less than 32½ cents __ __ ________________________ _
32½, less than 37½ cents __ ____ ________ __ ________ _
37½, less than 50 cents _______ ___________________ _
50, less than 55 cents ______________ __ ______ ______ _
55, less than 60 cents ____ ____ _______________ ____ __
60, less than 70 cents ___________________ __ _______ _
70 cents and more __ __ ___________________________ _
turners
~!~~ Machine
operators operators
7
147
1
3
3
6
5
25
3
5
2
1
5
1
1
1
2 ---------2
----------
3
13
2 ---------- -- -- ------
Week's earnings, by hours worked and occupation
Employees in firms making
fine gloves
Employees in firms making
work gloves
l •
Occupation and earnings
Hours worked
Hours worked
Total
Total
Less 35, less
than 35 than 40
Less 35, less
than 35 than 40
40
40
- - - - - - - - - , - - - - - - - ~ - -- f - -- 1- -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - Cutters:
TotaL __ _____ ____ ___ ___ _______ _
Less than $10_ ____________________
$10, less than $15_________________
$15, less than $20_________________
$20, less than $25______________ ___
$25 and more_____________________
Other hand operators:
TotaL ____ _______ _____________ _
Less than $10 ________ _____ ______ _
$10, less than $15 ______ ______ ____ _
$15, less than $20 __ ______________ _
$20, less than $25 ____ ____________ _
$25 and more __________ _______ ___ _
Other Total
machine
_____operators:
________ ____ ____ _____ _
36
2
23
16
11
---1---l-----f----,
2
2 -------- -------- -------- - ------- -------- -------3
2
1
3
2
1 - ------9
2
2
7
1
1 -- - -- --16
1
10
7
3
4
6
5
4
4 -------- -------13
18
2
2
2 -------- -------1
4
6
5
7
~
- -
15
---- -1
2
1
6
25
Less than $10_______ ______________
7
6
1
1 15
$10, less than $15_____ __________ __
7
2
5
$15, less than $20____ _____________
20
2
2
16
$20, less than $25__ _______________
5 ___ _____
2
3
$25 and more ___________ _______ _________ __ ___ ____________________ _
1
3
2 --------
2
2 -------- -------1 ------- - -------1
1 -------- -------1
1 -------- --------
13
1 -- -----4
4
4
1
3 -------1
-
7
-------1
---- - --- --------------3
-------3
1 - -------
No record of hours worked for 1 machine operator.
PIECE RATES-WORK AND FINE GLOVES
Piece rates in California, even on work gloves, compare most favorably with those on fine gloves in Fulton County, N.Y. A number of
workers had come to the State from Fulton County and the traditions
seem to have held over.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
L EG E Y C
E £
31
The following rates in various firms per dozen pairs of work gloves
are of interest in comparison with those paid in the Middle West:
Block cutting entire glove
40 to 90 cents (driving gloves $1.10 to $1.50).
50 to 95 cents.
50 cents to $1.10.
50 cents to $1. 75.
60 cents to $1.50.
70, 80, and 90 cents, $1.10, $1.15.
80 cents, flat rate.
90 cents to $1.80.
In the Middle West the lowest rates quoted by the firms for block
cutting varied from 24 to 45 cents, the highest rates in the same firms
varying from 49 to 75 cents.
Block cutting smaller
parts
2 to 7 cents.
3 and 5 cents.
Table cutting
$2.30, flat rate.
$2.40 to $3.
$3, flat rate.
Clicker cutting
35, 40, 55, and 65 cents.
Rates per dozen pairs for laying-off and turning also are slightly
higher than in the Middle West, as indicated by the following rates
paid in 4 firms f?r laying-off and in 3 firms for turning:
Laying-off
17 and 22½ cents.
20, 25, and 30 cents.
20 to 45 cents.
25 cents.
Turning
5 cents.
5 and 10 cents.
7½ cents.
Three firms paid the following rates for making the entire glove:
60 cents.
65 cents for work gloves, $1.60 for driving . .
70 cents.
A fourth firm paid 10 to 45 cents a dozen for the making operations
on work gloves. For various styles of gloves 83 cents, $1.48, and
$2.12½ a dozen pairs were quoted for making the entire glove; $2 to
$2.75 was quoted on driving gloves. On wax-thread gloves 20 to
67½ cents was paid for the various making operations, $1.15 for the
complete glove.
The rates per dozen pairs paid for individual machine operations in
various firms follow:
25
25
35
45
50
60
Closing
cents, flat rate.
to 50 cents.
to 75 cents.
and 65 cents.
to 85 cents.
cents, flat rate.
Binding
6, 15, 25, 50, and 60 cents.
7½ cents, flat rate.
10 cents, flat rate.
12 and 25 cents.
15 to 27½ cents.
Thumbing
20 to 27½ cents.
35 cents, flat rate.
F ourchette sewing
15 to 25 cents.
20 to 65 cents.
Banding
7½ to 30 cents.
9, 11, and 15 cents.
10 cents, flat rate.
10 to 15 cents.
10 and 15 cents.
10 and 25 cents.
Silking
11, 15, and 25 cents.•
12 and 15 cents.
15 cents to. $1.75.
Wax threading
20 to 67½ cents.
60 and 88 cents.
$2.75, $3, and $4.20.
A ,few rates quoted on fine gloves give some indication of the prices
paid in California for this grade of work. Table cutting was paid for
at the rate of $2.31 per dozen pairs in one plant and $2.28 and $2.50
in another plant. The only rate quoted for laying-off was 30 cents a
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
32
HOURS AND EARNINGS IN THE LEATHER-GLOVE INDUSTRY
dozen pairs. Inseaming brought $1.60 and $1.70 in one plant and
$1.85 in another; pique sewing, $2.30; gauge making, $1.90; hemming,
50 cents; and silking, 30 to 70 cents.
HOME WORK
In addition to the 135 inside employees on the pay rolls of the 14
firms visited, there were 11 home workers employed by 3 firms,
2 making fine gloves, the other making work gloves. Another
firm making work gloves gave out home work, but not during the payroll period selected. Three firms delivered the work to the homes; in
the other firm a man employed in the factory took all silking home for
his wife to do. The firm employing the majority of home workers
paid 10 percent less than the rates paid for the same work when done
in the factory, and the home worker had to deliver the finished job
to the factory. Two firms paid the same rates to inside workers and
to home workers. The fourth, as mentioned, had all silking done
outside the factory, so no comparison of inside and outside rates is
possible.
Only one man was doing home work, a table cutter who earned
$15.55 during the period. Earningsforthe 10 women variedfrom$1.40
for putting on tapes and stays to $21.25 for inseaming. No records
were available of hours worked, so it is impossible to evaluate the relative efficiency of these workers in the light of the findings for inside
workers.
The earnings of the seven machine operators seem to indicate a comparatively 'full week's work. Seven dollars was earned by a cripple
at hemming, $25.40 by a mother and 2 daughters doing inseaming,
$8.68 by a machine operator doing full pique, $10.05 and $21.25,
respectively, by 2 inseamers. The 3 homeworkers doing hand operations were much less fortunate; 1 woman who put on tapes and stays
earned only $1.40, an end puller earned $4.15, and a silker earned
$6.33 during the week for which the information was obtained.
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Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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