HelpFi a bt TB Orista! Seal- VoL VIII » Ho * 12 Directors Announce Promotions, Appointments, $1 New Duties Given To Officers of Company At Dec. 12 Meeting At a meeting of the Board of Directors on December 12, Carl R. Harris was elected to the newly created office of Executive 'Vice- President and Ralph T. Marshall, formerly of Utiea, N. Y., who has recently joined our Company, was named Vice-President, Treasurer, and a member of the Board of Di rectors. Additional officers named were Dr. Frank T. deVyver, Vice-Presi dent; E. W. Dunham, Secretary; N. A. Gregory, Assistant Treas urer; L. C. Thomas, Assistant Secretary; and John McArthur, Controller. Loan Negotiated President Baffin announced that a $10,000,000 15-year loan has been negotiated with the Company's banks and two insurance companies, the New York lifie and Connecti cut General Life Insurance Com pany, the earlier maturities with the banks, and the later ones with the insurance companies. The average rate of interest for the loan is 3.8 per cent. Proceeds of the loan will be used to pay current notes and increase working capital, a need which arises from larger and higher priced inventories, and other fac tors reflecting the inflationary status of today's dollar value. Dividend to Be Paid A dividend of 15 cents per share on Erwin MilTs stock was declared payable Janaary 2 to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 23. The Company's annual report will be mailed to stockholders and employees in De cember. "Our Company's nine plants in North Carolina and one in Missis sippi are operating full time," said President Baffin, "bat prospects are for only awdeat profits, reflect ing still the lack full recovery from the depreaaian which beset the textile industry early in 1951." C. R. Harris C. R. Harris, oar sew Executive Vice-President, is a graduate of North Carolina State College and became associated with Erwin Mills in 1928 after having gained hi a textile apprenticeship with F. W. Foe Manufacturing Company, Greeneville, S. C., the Lancaster Cotton Mills, Lancaster, S. C., and laman Mills, Inman, S. C. He left the Company briefly to beooaae gen eral superintendent of Anagon- Baldwin Mills, Chester, S. C-, and (See PROMOTIONS, Page 2) Santa Clans brought 7500 color ful towel sots to employees of Er win Mills, a Merry Christmas gift from the Company. This is the seventh year that Erwin Mills has THE ERWIN CHATTER RALPH T. MARSHALL, new Vice President and Treasurer of Erwin Mills and member of the Board of Directors. E. H. BOST and FRANK T. DeVYVER present service piaa to new Twenty live Year Clab members in Erwin. SEE PAGE 6 FOR MORE BANQUET PICTURES. Fifty Years W Robert W. Wilkcrson and Gra ham Wilson this year became mem bers of the Erwin Mills' exclusive fewA ROBERT WILKERSON ■ GRAHAM WILSON given presents to its employees. The custom started in 1945 whan the gift was a turkey. Since then the gifts have been turkeys, hama, blankets and Erwin Percale sheets. DECEMBER, 1952 TWI A-CIO Wins Neuse Election The Textile Workers Union of America (CIO) won an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board at our Neuse mill December 3. Of the 104 eligible voters at Neuse, 52 vote* were cast for the CIO, 21 for the United Textile Workers (AFL), 15 votes for neither union and one vote chal lenged. The present contract between the TWUA-CIO local at Neuse and the Erwin Mills will expire on March 31, 1953. th Erwin Mills and most honored Fifty Year Club. At the Twenty-five Year Club Ban quets they received gold watches and well-deserved praise for their faithful and loyal service to the Company. Although Mr. Wilkerson is now employed at Erwin in No. 5 Spin ning Boom, he began his career with Erwin Mills as a Doffer in No. 1 Spinning, Durham. The first plant in Erwin was not bnilt until 1903. No. 5 Mill where he now works began operations in 1926. Mr. Wilkerson is a Section Man in the Spinning Boom. He has run every Job in Spinning, including spinning. When he's not working, his favorite pastime is fishing. Graham Wilson, like Robert Wil kerson, went to work in 1902 as a Doffer in No. 1 Spinning. He has worked as an oil and bander man, section man, card tender and also with the overhaulers crew. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have six children, all of whom have worked for Erwin Mills at some time. Two daugh ters, Buth Broadwell and Pauline Estes now work in the Sewing Boom. Two sons, Jesse and Bill Wilson work in No. 4 Card Boom. The Wilsons have twelve grand children. Mr. Wilson enjoys work ing in his garden and yard. ■I Itf «I il '«IM H H «■ wj^p SMOKING AND SOFT DRINKS POPULAR IN MlLLS—Clinton Baker, with Coke, a mi William Hate, No. 4 Carding, use the fireproof —iwtiat room ia their department. Bmnhing wclwra are metal and glam hoHH is moat department*. This it necessary becanse of the quantity of lint ia the air which create* a fire hasard. Employees Change Over To Three 8-Hour Shifts Smoking Enclosures, Soft Drink, Candy and Crackers Machines Novc'lnstaUed A regular schedule of three 8- hour shifts a day began in our Durham mills on Monday, Decem ber 8. In Cooleemee, the change over was effective beginning with the third shift Sunday night, De cember 14. Erwin changes to three 8-hour shifts on December 22. The change-over was desired by Erwin Mills employees in order to give them more convenient hours for home life and recreation. At the same time, the new schedule helps production in the mills since less time is taken up with starting and stopping machinery as em ployees come and go at lunch periods. Eat and Smoke in Mill Since the change of times does not allow for a regular lunch period, soft drink machines, candy and cracker vending machines have been installed in each department. Employees may eat at any time during working hours. Profits from these machines will be used for community work and recreation at each location. Smoking areas have also been established in each department and smoking is permitted in those areas only. Because of the fire hazard created, the rules for using smoking enclosures must be strictly en forced. Employees Vote Last September, employees were asked what starting times they would prefer if and when the mills (See CHANGE OVER, Page 2) ' E. Q. MeIVER, JR., new Assistant Manager of the Durham Erwin Mills, will begin his duties Decem ber 29. Mr. Melver has been with the Company since 1936. He started here as an apprentice, working in the Picker Room and Card Room. He worked with the Overbauiers when the new spinning frames were installed in No. 1 Mill and with the Circulation 6,000 Hiri rtwwr M; Negotiators Work On New Contracts Meeting* Held for Both CIO and AFL Contract* During Month of December; Early Agreement Hoped For Representatives of the Company and the United Textile Workers (AFL) met seven times daring De cember for contract negotiations representing Durham and Coolee mee employees. The CIO negotia tors for employees at our Erwin plants met with Company officials on December 5 and plan to resume meetings December 19. As we go to press, no agreement has been reached between the Com pany and either of the two onions. Both the unions and the Company hope for an early agreement as to the terms of the contracts as nego tiations continue. Although specific information about the contract meetings is not available, it is known that negotiations are pro ceeding in a friendly atmosphere. The orig nal CIO contract for Erwin, and Durham ended October 11. An NLRB elec tion held October 1 certified the AFL as official bargaining agent for employees in Cooleemee and Durham. A run-off election, neces sary in Erwin, was held October 17 and won by the CIO. An exten sion of the old contract through November 25 was agreed upon by the Company and the AFL for Durham and Cooleemee plants. A second extension of the contract ended December 15. loom erectors when new looms were installed in No. 6 Mill. He was Asst. Overseer in Xo. 4 Weave Boom and became Asst. Superin tendent at Xo. 6 Mill in IML After two years' service with the U. S. Navy, he worked in the Standards Department He hwaw Manufacturing Assistant m IM7. Help Fight f»

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