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The BORSALINO BROTHERHOOD

Daniele Tanto

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,231
Location
Verona - Italia
For all the lovers of Borsalino - Alessandria - Italia as example of excellent craftmanship here the is the relation of Workforce and production in 1947

This could be a little boring, the translation is rough but it is the situation of Borsalino in 1947

Workforce and production

year 1947
employees 2286
hats products 962 089



Business Situation

Despite the company declared contrary to new hires, the organic Borsalino continued to grow: the '47, however, was a good year in terms of production, both in terms of the total hours of work, both for the number of made-up articles: the exports exceeded prewar levels with as many as 400,000 pieces shipped overseas on a total production of 962 089 hats.

*

Composition and activities of the CI

In January there were constituted union representatives intermediate compared to CI, the Delegates of department: it was probably related bodies to the Commissioners of the department present in large companies Turin. Most delegates department listed at the CGIL and this' explains the fierce opposition of the company for such representative forms strongly characterized the union level and political. We read that the Board, having learned that some workers had absented momentarily from work "on the grounds that, being delegates Department had to confer with the CI, declare 'that he could not" absolutely allow "that trade union functions were performed within the plant "and that the functions of the Executive Officers of the Department could not be accepted" because not provided for by the agreements "(January 16).

In September, elections were held for the renewal of the representative trade union. Under the new rules established by the Agreement interconfederal of 7 August. nine were elected representatives, including two representing the employees.

Representatives of the workers:

• Maria Bensi

• Teresa Lenses

• Vito Prato

• Antonio Valfrè

• Eraldo Rinante

• Silvio Scassi

• Giuseppe Goglino

• Represented Employees:

• Ernesto Costa (then John Chamber)

• Ernesto Predazzi

*

The main disputes

One of the major disputes about 'the payment of an advance to be served on the thirteenth, the CI obtained after promoting a series of agitations.

In terms of wages, the workers got some salary increases arising out interconfederal minimum wage for the workers of the hat factories in Northern Italy, signed agreement, in his capacity as president of Federcappello, by the President of Borsalino, Teresio Usuelli (July 9 ). The C.I. accept 'willingly traditional business proposition to bring together the production personnel in a single category wage, but monster' more 'combative terms of disciplinary sanctions, under the rules in the new Agreement on interconfederal CI that allowed the body to make trade union opposition to layoffs and ricorrre ultimately to an arbitration.

The strikes occurred:

in the third week of April in support of the national dispute request a reward,
May 3 on "instructions issued by the CGIL" following the massacre of May Day in Portella: it began at 11 am and lasted all afternoon
*

staff

For new staff, the company had devised a form of fixed-term employment, or "sunset clause '," which in the opinion of the CI was not able to provide their employees' tranquility' of the workplace ", for which was put forward the request that, after the trial period (six months), these workers were "treated like other workers" (March 26) the Management it played in the retort that had been the CI same to suggest to protect older employees compared to the new, thus managing to evade the request.

On the issue of layoffs, the company could easily circumvent the opposition of the CI making use of the clause that the resolution of the employment relationship could regardless of any kind of constraint approval or endorsement "(March 5) if occurred as a result of a" relationship of different department heads. "Another trick was the use of the formula of "poor performance" (December 3). In November, the oversupply problem of staff was put bluntly: the Directorate communicate 'that because of' 'surplus maestranza "was necessary a reduction of the work force, stating that," to make the measure more' mild possible "the first names were chosen from among the senior staff recalled to duty" (19 November)
*

Hours

In the early months of problems of overproduction led the company to reduce the working time: to prevent such situations did get off the wages to intolerable levels, the CI solicited and obtained, the reuse of workers in a department other.

The action shifts to reductive was implemented over the year, particularly in the last months of the year. According to the provisions of article 16 of the Concordat for the truce wage on public holidays were paid by reason of normal plant, but for a Borsalino normal hours over the year did not exist and it was therefore common practice remunerate holidays on the basis of weekly. If therefore the festivities' of the December 8 is wound up at the rate of six hours (3 December) we learn that at that period of the working time was around 36 hours settimanai.

For organizational reasons (fuel economy) was granted to the workers the benefit of two days of holidays' in view of June 2, Republic Day, it was decided to consider non-working Saturday, June 1, agreeing that in three days of the week next would be made a time of 9 hours and that this "bonus time" would continue even in the weeks to come.

In periods when the tension with the workers was strong, the company resorted to its traditional paternalism, as well evidenced by the reasons given in granting holidays' on March 19 (St. Joseph), all designed to "demonstrate its good will 'to acquiesce to particular desires, especially in the face of imminent discussion of the regulatory part of the Contract "(March 26).

The exceptional summer heat I determine 'a variation on leave schedule: CI and management agreed to limit to 5 hours and a half working hours for three days before the four of leave, with the understanding that with the reopening of the plant it would be increased to nine hours (August 4)

*

wage

The C.I. able 'to wrest wage increases for night shifts to Taglieria hair: succeeded' in fact to impose the company "a quid compensatory" 10% of wages, despite the Department asserted that no present or past employment contract had never expected increases wages for shift workers (April 2)

In April, on behalf of the Provincial Union of Workers of the Hat, the CI surplus' a formal request so that 'were allowed "to workers a premium equal to the amount of a quattordicina for workers and middle mensilita' for employees ... in recognition of the hardships endured in the winter": the refusal of the company I determine 'abstention from work to protest the four-day, which ended with bsi uh agreement "signed in the presence of the Prefect dated April 18, 1947" the agreement, the result of the solution of the dispute at national level, provided for the grant to workers 56 hours of pay, including 40 non-repayable.

Most successful was instead the request, made in reference to the Renewal Agreement Interconfederale Truce wage, with which it was requested an advance of 100 hours on the Christmas bonus (July 10): it was granted on the basis of 100 hours for employees already in service since 1946, while for new employees settled "16 hours for each full month" of work. (July 27).

The negotiations on business' Agreement interconfederal minimum wage for the hat factories in Northern Italy, the port 'to the signing of an agreement between management and internal CI (July 14) according to which stable' according to the custom of not dividing the workers in different wage categories, but to group them into a "unique category, separately for men and for women", with the following hourly wage:

workers
men
L. 48.40
women
L. 33.65
auxiliary staff
specialized
L. 52.15
qualified
L. 47.15
Labourers
men specialized
L. 42
men generic
L. 40.40
women
L. 27.85
Compared to the parameters specified in the contract can be seen as the single category you would put halfway between the first and second categories. As for the piece, as the agreement stated that the rates were to allow "the worker's normal capacity laborious' work a gain not less than the wage economy increased by 15%", the workers of a department demanded a salary "commensurate with the minimum wage worker casual laborer ", stating bluntly that waiting to get a favorable response would suspend work. After stigmatized the fact as a manifestation of "indiscipline vis both the industry norm is also in regard to CI" who had censored, the Directorate was resolved to grant the pay was rounded by L. L. 48.40 49 "(August 4)
 

Daniele Tanto

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,231
Location
Verona - Italia
Antica Casa Borsalino. History 1945-1970 from inside

Here for the fans of Antica Casa Borsalino the history seen from the inside.
http://www.isral.it/web/web/borsalino/menu.htm
These are a series of documents drafted by the Internal Committee of the unions (workers).
You also have the views of the Board of Directors (masters), so you can have the story seen by both parties from 1945 to 1970.
There is also a description of the departments with the working conditions and their tasks with some old photograph, illnesses from work, strikes and labor disputes, as well as the wages of the workers.
In the documents of the Council of Administration, there are reports for members with the feedback of the commercial and market valuations, the number of hats products and those exported.
It 'a document difficult because of the complexity of the topics, but crucial to understand the history of the Borsalino hat.
Be patient or you increase your knowledge of Italian language.
Enjoy, and if you are in trouble or you have any specific question please send me a PM.
 

Bushman

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,138
Location
Joliet
Hey guys, my birthday is coming up and I'm thinking about asking for the Verdi. I'd like to ask a couple questions regarding this hat, particularly things like the quality of the felt, how dark exactly the "charcoal" grey is (I've seen "charcoal" colors range from a medium grey to a near-black), and frankly, some pictures, preferably some good shots of the crown and the pinch itself. Could only find one picture of the hat on here, and it was okay, but didn't answer very many of my questions.
 

Daniele Tanto

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,231
Location
Verona - Italia
The city of Alessandria was bombed several times by the Allies, also the activities of the partisans in the city and around led battles, shootings and deaths, but there is no news of the partial or total destruction of establishments Borsalino.
I think part of the production has been converted for the armed forces, but as is clearly seen from the document which I have attached the link the production of hats starts already in 1945.
Alexandria is finally released April 29, 1945 and in the remaining months with Italian post-war chaos a good number of hats were produced.
I have no others details.
 

tommyK

One Too Many
Messages
1,789
Location
Berwick, PA
Hey guys, my birthday is coming up and I'm thinking about asking for the Verdi. I'd like to ask a couple questions regarding this hat, particularly things like the quality of the felt, how dark exactly the "charcoal" grey is (I've seen "charcoal" colors range from a medium grey to a near-black), and frankly, some pictures, preferably some good shots of the crown and the pinch itself. Could only find one picture of the hat on here, and it was okay, but didn't answer very many of my questions.

Don't have one but I did check it out at Bencraft. The charcoal is definately not black. The Verdi is one of their better hats as modern borso's go. It has a reeded sweatband so a step up in their ussual quality (most just have a cheap strip of leather sewn in with an irratating whipstitch over the edge that digs into your forehead). It has a bigger brim in the 2 3/4 to 3 inch range and was a little stiffer than most of their offerings today. Also the crown is their typical tapered crown not full like the Film or Alessandria. There is only 3 modern Borso's I like the Film, the Alessandria and the Verdi. Just haven't got around to getting one.
 

Daniele Tanto

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,231
Location
Verona - Italia
It 'just out of curiosity I put this Borsalino.
2nm0jyo.jpg

It is the Italian version of "Verdi" sold in the sixty.
Dedicated to Giuseppe Verdi's great opera composer.
2r6fn05.jpg
 

Daniele Tanto

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,231
Location
Verona - Italia
Borsalino Narvalo

This Borsalino was sold in Verona around the late forties in a shop no longer existent.
The model is called "Narvalo" like a type of dolphin.
2isbfol.jpg

2ef26g8.jpg

Proportions are: brim 7 cm. and crown 10 cm. Grey felt very thin and malleable
1z1v6yr.jpg

s3euev.jpg

Low ribbon and brim bound with the same color.
It was used, the sweatband is almost gone
23h7xah.jpg

It came out from a basement in a house where a friend of mine was working some time ago.
The owner know nothing about the Borsalino so he gave it to my friend with the crease you see in photo.
It is rare find this type of Borsalino in Italy because it is not so common after the 40'.
The interior of the "Narvalo"
124ecdt.jpg

5afgxc.jpg

The paper label
20aclzm.jpg

A real unexpected find, waiting for a restoration.
 

Daniele Tanto

I'll Lock Up
Messages
4,231
Location
Verona - Italia
ERGOSCA is the name. Yes, as always Borsalino coins fancy names.
Narvalo is the color. In Italy Borsalino give less name to theirs hats than for export. Even in the old days.
I like the name to define the color, so I call it Narvalo.
 

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