Word: welder
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...present emergency shipbuilding program involves many shortage-induced special costs, such as the $200-300 it takes to train each additional welder. Despite such extras, Henry Kaiser's yards have reduced their overall man-hours per ship by some 25% since the program started. In certain subdivisions the reduction runs up to 70%, thanks to the repetitive methods possible with large orders. (Last week Henry Kaiser got an order for 80 more Liberty Ships.) These reductions in man-hours may mean that, after the next peace, U.S. shipbuilders (if they still get large orders) can maintain the U.S. standard...
Consequently, a welder's memberships would read like a partial roster of A.F. of L. craft unions: the Boilermakers, the Carpenters (to work on steel window frames), the Sheet Metal Workers, the Plumbers, the Sawmill Workers, the Machinists. For each new membership he had to fork out an initiation fee, until his pockets bulged with union cards but his pocketbook was flat...
...hopeful independent union, the United Weldors,† Cutters and Helpers of America, called on the 200,000 welders in the U.S. to strike in protest. Promptly U.S. troops with fixed bayonets and armored cars rolled into the Bay area. OPM's Sidney Hillman, who declared that "no welder need belong to more than one union to work anywhere in any shipyard," sputtered from Washington: "Shocking act of disloyalty." A.F. of L. officials raised their hands in holy horror. Public opinion fell on the welders' heads like a ton of bricks. The strike call was a dud. Only...
...Saves man power hence cost. One welder can assemble as much steel as a four-man riveting team. Since only some 20% of the required skilled labor was on hand when the defense shipbuilding program began, it was four times as efficient to train welders as it would have been to train riveters...
...Saves time, because large hull sections can be welded together in shops, then hauled & hoisted to the ways and welded into a complete hull. In shops welding is quicker than in the ways, since a welder can easily reach difficult spots and never has to weld over his head with molten steel drops raining down on his mask and shoulders. Formerly, a keel was laid in the ways and riveters started at the middle and worked slowly toward each end of the ship, because the plates had to be staggered and overlapped in an intricate patchwork. The 530,000 rivets...