Conditions and Labor Relations at Brake Shoe

Conditions continued to be tough throughout the first three decades of operation, and the diversity among the workers made it very difficult to organize. There were a series of unsuccessful minor strikes, and in one instance in the 1920’s, the striking workers were replaced by African American workers from the South. Whether or not this was meant to be a temporary measure remains unclear, but census records from the 1930’s and 40’s show a significant number of black families still living in West Mahwah, which had by that point already had a small but significant black contingent. In some cases, the native workers would strike separately from the ones from overseas, further weakening their ability to bargain. The work was tough, the hours long, and the conditions dangerous, which led to a series of accidents. In one example, an immigrant worker from Europe cut his arm on a piece of scrap metal, eventually leading to its amputation due to infection. This worker was offered a job as a watchman at the plant, which was about the best an unskilled worker could hope for at the time when faced with disfigurement. In some cases, workers with serious illnesses like tuberculosis were left with no option other than to endure the grueling hours to feed their families.

It wasn’t until May Day in 1940 that any significant efforts to organize and strike took place. After only two weeks, however, the strike ended in failure as the only concession secured by the workers was a promise that the company wouldn’t retaliate against striking employees. The following year, another strike took place, this time leading to allegations of vandalism and sabotage of the machinery in the plant by the union members. The Union denied any responsibility for the vandalism, but the news coverage that followed made the incident a national story, swaying public opinion against the union when it was reported by the New York Times. According to Bischoff and Kahn in From Pioneer Settlement to Suburb, the workers’ grievances were modest by today’s standards. Among them was a raise of six cents for the workers, which only constituted a ten percent raise for most employees. Also among the demands were a modest increase in overtime pay and a closed shop agreement. The matter became tied up in court, and before any meaningful progress could be made, the United States had entered into the Second World War. Due to the importance of Brake Shoe as a wartime manufacturer, and the extent of the vandalism, which included dozens of broken windows and severe damage to both a yard locomotive and a plant crane, the arbitration board ruled temporarily in favor of the company. Security was tightened around the complex, and no major incidents would occur until after the conclusion of the war. After the war, the Union was far more successful in its efforts. Improvements were made across the board, with significant raises and more union oversight. One of the sticking points, surprisingly, was the revocation of access to discounted Coca-cola for the workers. This was one of the concessions made by the company in the postwar years.

A weekly paycheck given to a laborer at American Brake Shoe in 1941. This would've belonged to a full-time employee with a 50-plus hour work week.

Representatives from management meet with union leaders to end a bitter three month strike in 1953. Among the concessions made were a fifteen cent wage increase and an employee life insurance plan.

An African-American worker loads finished pieces onto a lift. The finished casts would then be loaded onto a rail system to be loaded on trains and shipped out.