The Daily Worker Newspaper, November 11, 1925, Page 3

THIS | 's Devoted to the Activity and Interests of the Trade Union Educational League (T. 0, North American Section of the RED INTERNATIONAL OF LABOR UNIONS (R. LL, U.) THE T.U.E.L. Represents the Left Wing ers’ Government. /ORKERS POORLY PAID IN RAKLIOS AND. THOMPSON CHAIN RESTAURANTS By JEAN PERRIDES, Worker Correspondent. Purpose Is to Strengthen the Labor Unions by Amalgamation of Existing Unions, Organization of the Unorganized, and by Replacing Reactionary and Class Collaboration Policies with a Unified Program for the Transformation of the Unions Into Organs of Revolutionary Class, Struggle for the Overthrowal of Capitalism and the Establishment of a Workers’ and Farm: PAGE B.L.) ’ of the Labor Movement. Its MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., Nov. 9.— During the past three weeks, the building trades workers have been deeply agitated about conditions existing at the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association distribuiting plant, now being built, from whom The DAILY WORKER correspondent secured ‘the facts contained in this story. As we signalized in The DAILY WORKER last summer this associa- tion is ostensibly a farmers’ cooper- ative, with the strange feature of having E, W. Decker, head of the Northwestern National Bank of Min- neapolis, on its board together with several other capitalists. A Reactionary. Decker, as everybody knows, who knows anything at all, is one of the principal financiers of all anti-farmers movements and the open shoppers. The fears which we expressed in our former study of the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association, are slowly materializing into facts, we are sorry to say. This association serves six thousand farmers within a 40 mile radius of Minneapolis. The need for organization among the cooks, waiters and restaurant help the Raklios and Thompson chain stores is felt very strongly. The work- in these restaurants must work 12 hours a day and seven days a week. { waces for cooks range from $18 to $28 a week. The countermen and jers get from $16 to $21, head counter men from $23 to $25 a week, but ‘iowest paid workers are the dish- ghers, panwashers and porters who » @ive but $12 or $14 a week. Little Time to Eat the workers receive but little time rest and eat. The manager of the ftaurant is forever watching the ttaurant workers to see to it that fy are kept busy at all times. ‘teen minutes is all that they get ‘eat their meals. fhe food that they get is none too dd. The manager takes care of hdling out the food to them and he as to it that they eat very little fat, or vegetables. Shifted Around. The workers in the chain restau- hts are forced to work at all hours. iey are shifted around from one ift to another. If the worker ob- jts to being shifted from one neigh- rhood to andther or from one shift another he is immediately fired and other worker is sent to fill his ace. The Negro worker is more and ore displacing the white workers in e Thompson restaurants. The man- ers take advantage of the Negro every imaginable way. The Negro orker is forced to do harder work id given the worst of food, Not ily does the management of the ‘staurant “ride” the ‘Negro worker it many of the customers make it ‘ry unpleasant for him. Do Not Stay Long Most of the workers that work in ie chain restaurants leave as soon } they can get hold of another job, ther in some other industry or in an dependent restaurant. What do you earn? What are con- tions in your shop? How do you ye? Write a story for The DAILY ‘ORKER. CAR WORKERS LAID OFF BY THE HUNDREDS 12-Hour Night Shifts Abolished By JOSEPH PLOTKIN (Worker Correspondent) MILWAUKEE, Wis., Nov. 9.—After driving their night workers at top speed all summer long for 12 hours, the Nash Motors Co. and the Seaman Body corporation today laid off both groups of workers.’ Four hundred were discharged en masse from the Seaman Co., which supplies bodies for the Nash cars. All night work has been discontinued at both places. And this is just the beginning of a general layoff. In the near future in- ventory will be taken at the Nash plant, forcing practically the entire staff out of work for a week or more. This move by two of the largest companies in the city will put workers and their families in a critical condi- tion, as it is -mot-an easy: matter to get a job in Milwaukee, especially during the winter. And the lay-off will extend thru the entire season, the company announces. The discharged employes point out that if the companies had worked eight-hour shifts instead of two 12- hour ‘shifts, that there would be winter work enough, not only for those now discharged, but also for hundreds of other unemployed. Favors Open Shop The hub-bub among the organized workers arises from the fact that this association has let its contract for the building of its large distribu- THE DAWLY WORKER (nae ARN ADRE ASEAN Ah SECRET ES RE RERREEN| Co-operative Creamery. T { The movement 1 ainneanoi| labor needs this kind of ‘sélidarity. Craft Selfishness There was an element present who were only interested in grabbing something for their particular craft, at the expense of all the rest, if need- be, But they were defeated, we are glad to remark, They do not speak for nor do they represént the best in- terests of the labor movement, The motion of the carpenters was amended to declare a boycott against the Minnesota Cooperative Creamer- ies Association. It carried. The representative of the Electric- al Workers’ Union, Brother Guy Alex- ander, made a fine defense for unity. He declared that he was in favor of declaring the boycott as against the strike, and hoped that there would be a perfect unity between all building trades unions inthe future, in a unit- ed front against the bosses. This is a very good omen for the workers of Minneapolis. ‘ How They Voted Organizations ‘Voting for the amend- ment were as follows: Carpenters Nos. 7 and 87, Painters No, 186, Lathers No/ 190 and Hoisting Engineers. The bricklayers were neutral, At a later meeting of the, business Out Open Shop can only be explained from the angle that Paul I, Smith is an agent of the capitalist class. Workers don’t have to organize into trade unions to support the open shop policies of capitalism, and pay fellows like Paul I. Smith a big salary and expense account, to advocate the open shop. Capitalists can attend to that themselves. How long is the Minneapolis working class going to bear this treachery of Paul I. Smith to its interests? Backsliders Frank Starkey of St. Paul support- ed Smith, as did old man Mahoney of St. Paul, They took the position that it would be better to fight somebody else than the Minnesota Cooperative Creamer- ies Association. What both Mahoney and Starkey revealed in their non- union attitude, was the fact that they are in political alliance with the rich farmers, whom they do not wish to slight. That's all. Good lackeys of the mid- dle class farmers, but poor spokes- man for organized labor. Cramer For 50-50 Bob Cramer informed the building trades delegates that “You should be satisfied with a 50-50 proposition and drop the boycott in your organiza- agents of the Building Trades, the vote on the boycott stood as follows: ting plant, to the notorious scab firm of Pike and Cook. This action on the part of the asso- ciation, has disconcerted the building trades workers, who expected that a farmers’ cooperative would treat them better than this, since this coopera- tive ig continuously appealing to or- ganized labor for the consumption of its products. However, it is not for nothing that the big capitalist, E. W..Decker is on the board of the association. Carpenters Negotiate From the very outset, the Locals No. 7 and 87 of the carpenters, enter- ed into negotiations with the mana- gement’to build the plant under union conditions. The negotiations went on for quite a period. But they were fruitless, The assistant manager of the co- operative, Mr, Johnson, informed the carpenters that “The contract would be let to the lowest bidder regardless of union or no union,” and so it was. It must be noted in this connection, that a part of the board representing the dirt farmers, actually favored or- ganized: labor.. Hbwever, the preponderance of the capitalist, Decker influence, defeated the dirt farméys’ point of view, as it will always’ “do unless the farmers change the personnel of the board, if they can.) 8 ¢ Carpenters Appeal to Building Trades Council The carperiters, after being turned down by thé management of the asso- ciation, brot/the whole matter up be- fore the organization committee of the Building Trades Council. They presented. @ motion to strike the job. They pleaded for a united front of all organizations involved, in order to protect the interests of all the work- ers. It was a splendid plea for real workers’ solidarity and a credit to HELP SAVE THE DAILY WORKER! | the representatives of the carpenters. For Boycott: Bill Bennet of the painters, G. Alex- ander of the electrical workers, Wal- ter Frank of the lathers, Bjorklund of the carpenters and a hoisting engine- er. Against Boycott: Houston, business agent of the Building Trades Council, Christian, of the building laborers, and Malley of the steam fitters. It is apparent of course, that those who voted against the boycott, be- lieve in the philosophy of “everyone for himself and-the devil take the hindmost.” That is the road which leads to destruction.. Class Collaboration Called to Action As a result of the action of the Building Trades Council on the mat- ter in question, a meeting of the out- standing class collaborators was call- ed to upset the work of the Building Trades, both from St. Paul and Min- neapolis, y Old man Mahoney and Frank Star- key of the St, Paul Milk Wagon Driv- ers’ Union were present, So was Paul I. Smith, who, as an organizer is a good butcher. Also, Bob Cramer, who has swallowed with a wry face all,of his former class struggle views. New winds demand a change on sails, and Cramer is the poy who can alter them fast. Paul I. Smith told the Building Trades representatives “that” the bankers want to destroy the) coopera- tive of the farmers. No boycott should be declared.” ¢ What He Didn't Say. © What Mr. Smith did not say was that a banker, and:one of the biggest in America, was/ actually dictating the open shop policy of the Minnesota Cooperative Creameries Association. That banker is E, W. Decker. How Mr. Smith can, as a national organizer of the A. F. of L. uphold tions.” Who he was speaking for nobody knows. However, it is plain that he was not supporting the interests of the building trades. Cramer is an en- thusiastic follower of Paul I. Smith, whether by conviction or otherwise, is a question apart. Bennett Different Bill Bennett of the painters assert- ed to the meeting that “The painters are strong for the support of the car- penters, who are waging a fight for the whole labor movement.” Both Bjorklund and Findstrom of the carpenters, demanded in the name of the rank and file of their or- ganizations, that there be action on the boycott. The rank and file can- not be ignored, they held. Frank For Fight Walter Frank of the lathers said: “The discussion should center about the question of making the boycott effective. It is our duty to the labor movement. to uncover., weaknesses which prevent a, united front of work- ers in all trades, to uphold the inter- ests of the rank and file. “We must appeal to the dirt farm- ers to uphold a labor policy. When cooperatives serve the, interests of the ‘open shop’ they. must, be fought in two ways: First, by a direct fight for union job and union ,conditions, secondly, by an appeal to the farm- ers who control the company (if they do) to insist the job be cleared up. The open shop. must be smashed. The carpenters, painters and lathers are fighting the battle of all:the workers.” The issue is hot in the labor move: ment, a distinct left wing orientation is on the way in quarters hitherto passive. Signs point. to\a~ general awakening from the pychology of des- pair. Wrap your lunch in a copy of the DAILY WORKER and give it (the DAILY WORKER, not the the open shop policy of E. W. Decker,| lunch) to your shop-mate, OS they are caught pilfering and using “After 20 months of continually fighting with one active member after another, framing them up, one by one, using all the dirtiest and filthiest tactics known only to the unscrupu- lous disciples of the Second Interna- tional, B. Reinish, organizer of Local No. 266, Amalgamated Clothing Work- ers of Ame a, of San Francisco, stands convicted of petty thievery. “Last November, a motion was made to donate $5 to the Sacco-Van- zetti defense. Reinish would not al- low it, claiming that it would estab- lish a bad precedent. A collection was taken up and turned over to him to forward. Time went by and no receipt was shown, The question of the receipt came up time and again these past six months. Each time Reinish, would wave the question aside as unimportant and talk about something else, villifying and abusing the member who had dared put the question. However, the subject came up again some eight weeks ago, this time, quite a lengthly debate taking place, Reinish claiming to have sent a check but failed to show the return- check. The secretary f cancelled was instructed to write to the defense committee for information. The see- retary requested a sheet of the locals stationary with the local’s seal attach- ed, for this purpose, but was refused, and a couple of weeks afterwards, was framed up on a technical charge of not, at the time, working at the trade, and made to resign as secre- tary thinking by this move to frus- trate any official correspondence with the Sacco-Vanzetti committee. How- ever the Sacco-Vanzetti committee was communicated with and wrote back that they had never at any time received any donation from either Reinish or the local union. Expel Secretary. “The former secretary on receipt of the letter reported this to the local meeting, but Reinish as usual butted into everyone who tried to speak, succeeded in turning the discussion into other channels, leaving the im- pression the executive board would handle the matter and report. The executive board met the next week and in its report to the next. local meeting, never even so much as mentioned the matter. “And at the next meeting of the executive board the former secretary was notified that he stood expelled, for bringing up.this matter and secur- ing the evidence. Fight Over Finances: “For 20 long months, ever stnce he was sent out here by Schlossberg, this man has been constantly fight- ing and framing up one active mem4 ber after another. The @ghting has always centered around tthe same subject.—finances. 7 “After the union was established for a few months, the first secretary and president demanded that an‘ ac- counting be rendered of the locals personal ends: + REINISH, DISCIPLE OF AMSTERDAM — INTERNATIONAL AND APPOINTEE OF SCHLOSSBERG, PILFERS UNION FUNDS SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 9.—The following expose,of'B. Reinish, an ap- pointee of Schlossberg of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, shows the tactics the followers of the Amsterdam International stoop to when the union treasury for their own income and expenses. So one dark and stormy.night, Reinish’s desk was broken into and some dues stamps disappeared. Novcharges were made but Reinish passed the word around that the secretary and president who were fighting him for a financial re- port, had done it to break the union. The members being green to the game, most of them having been in the union only a couple of months, swallowed the story, A new election was held, and the secretary and presi- dent who had been honestly fighting for the union were voted out and temporarily disgraced. “Mr, Rubber-Tongue.” “The newly elected president, later on nicknamed Reinish “Mr, Rubber- Tongue.” “The new financial secretary read the constitution, and. therein found that he was at least entitled to know what was coming in and what was going out, to say nothing of actually having the power to handle the mo- ney, which was one thing that he wasn't allowed to do, After a few weeks of wrangling with Reinish, and getting thoroly disgusted, he stopped even from coming to the meetings. Later on Reinish accused him, of having gotten away with $18 of the union’s money, but # was positively proven that instead of the secretary ever having received the money, that Reinish had received this money. Fights Audit of Books, “On June 4, a new election took place. At the first meeting of the executive board a motion was made to get a public accountant, to exa- mine the books and have him render a bona-fide report. Every delegate spoke in favor of it, Reinish loudly and strenuously objected to this, and }fought the board until midnight, when out of sheer exhaustion and disgust, it was decided that a com- mittee of the board would audit the books. The whole world knows that tailors are not bookkeepers. That. is why some people would rather have tailors audit their books instead of public accountants, “For the 18 months previous to June 4, thé union never had a bank account, all moneys handled by Reinish himself, receiy- ing every thing and keeping th “books” himself. The new executi board voted to immediately open an account on the union’s name and em- powered a committee of three, as }Signees and instructed Reinish to {turn over the money to them. This has never been done. Where Did It Go? “When the books were being au- dited, three distinct entrys were The Movement for World Trade Union Unity This is the second instalment of a series of articles dealing with the question of World Trade Union Unity. This instalment deals with the foundation of the International Federation of Trade Unions, its policy and tactics. Following instalments will deal with the Red International of Labor Unions and the British Workers and International Trade Union Unity, ° * * * 2 By TOM BELL. The International Federation of Trade Unions (Amsterdam). The characteristics of capitalism at the end of the 19th and ae beginning of this century were: The capitalists created great ombinations for the more efficient exploitation of the workers— rusts, syndicates, cartels, etc. Not only this, these great capital- it combinations did not confine themselves to one country, but tached out into other countries. This forced the workers to see he necessity of establishing contact with the workers, of other ountries for protection against capitalist aggression. | The political parties of the workers had already set up an in- rnational organization in the shape of the International Social- t Congress since 1889. But it was not until 1902 that any kind trade union international center was organized by the estab- ment’ of the International Secretariat of Trade Unions. This International Secretariat of Trade Unions held confer- ces at the same time as that of the International Socialist Con- yess. It was no real international center in the sense that it orked to establish unity of action beween thetrade union move- ents of the various countries. It was merely a bureau for the change of information on wages, prices, etc. At the confer- ces labor leaders came together for a “dress, parade,” and be- een conferences nothing was heard of the “International.” is international was merely set up to appease the desire of the ade union membership for international unity, but was never tended to function as an international center for common ac- nm against the capitalists. ' Besides this, there existed internationals of the various dustries and trades, such as the Miners’ International, the Tex- le Workers’ International, and so on. To these were affiliated unions of these industries in some countries. Here again these “internationals” functioned as ‘international post offices.” No attempt was made to really prevent international scabbing by he unions of the various countries. _ It remained for the outbreak of war in 1914 to expose the . atter fraud of these “internationals.”’ When Burope plunged into var the trade union movement split into sections to the ‘ountries they were organized in. The trade unions of Germany ind Austria-Hung, Sn ome “their” warlords ih the name of ‘defense of fatherland.” The unions of Britain, France and vo 4 i ee \ bandits under! established the slogan of “crushing militarism,” and “defending democracy.” The “international” automatically collaapsed as the trade union movements lined up to cut each other’s throats in the interests of “their” capitalists. The trade union leaders became the best recruiting agents for the ruling classes. They abandoned all pre- tense of safeguarding the workers’ interests. They urged the workers to sacrifice everything for victory over the “enemy.” In Great Britain the trade union leaders signed an agreement with the government in 1915 surrendering all trade union condi- tions, gained after 50 years of struggle, and solemnly agreed not to strike for the duration of the war. In Germany “civil peace” was declared between capital and labor in the interest of the “national intersets,” i. e., the interests of the imperialist capital- ists and war lords. The workers were firmly tied to the chariot wheels of capitalist imperialism by the very men who were sup- posed to lead them against the entire capitalist system. In 1917 the trade unions of the “neutral” countries made an attempt to call a conference of the trade unions. The trade unionists of the Allied countries refused to “meet the enemy” at any such conference since the war was still on-and they were dedicated to the caused of Allied victory. It was not until after the war that a trade union conference was held in Berne, Switzer- land, in February, 1919. The only question discussed at this con- ference was: Who was guilty of starting the war? The Allied trade union leaders tried to force the German labor leaders to con- fess their “guilt.” All that came of the conference was the decis- “omg hold another conference in July, 1919, at Amsterdam, Hol- The Amsterdam conference established the International Federation of Trade Unions. But it was organized under the hegemony of the trade union leaders who supported the Allies in he war. Again the question of “war guilt” was raised, and the Allied trade unionists presented the ultimatum to the German and Austrian trade union leaders that they must admit the ‘war guilt” of “their” countries or they would be excluded from the international. Finally Sassenbach, in the name of the German delegation, diplomatically gave in to the Allied trade union leaders. In this matter the Allied trade union leaders were following the same course as “their” diplomats pursued toward the German representatives at the Paris peace conference. The International Federation of Trade Unions was, and still is, the labor wing of the Allied imperialists. ; These imperialist lackeys formed the I. F. T. U. simply be- cause the workers were demanding the organization of the trade union forces to prevent a repeition of the horrors they had gone thru in 1914-18. During the war millions of workers had flocked to the unions in revolt against their terrible conditions, In Russia the workers had conquered czarism, defeated the capitalists, tiiete eam government, and converted’ the tagiand ph ot» Sos He ae me 4 machinery of production into the property of the workers and farmers. The German masses had smashed the kaiser’s throne and set up workers’ councils and had been betrayed by the social- democratic leaders. In Bavaria and Hungary, Soviet republics had been established. The masses were straining at the leash— but the trade union “leaders” only saw one task: To aid their diplomats to draw up a peace pact at the expense of the masses. Such hideous treachery has never before been witnessed as dis- played at the foundation of the International Federation of Trade Unions. As it was at its birth so the Amsterdam International has lived—an organization dominated by the agents of the captalists in the labor movement. It is tied to the league of nations thru the international labor office established by the league. supported the reparation policy of the Allies. A few days before France invaded the Ruhr in 1923 Amsterdam held an internation- al conference to abolish all war, but refused to call a one-day strike as a demonstration against the invasion as proposed by the Red International of Labor Unions. Instead the conference decided on principle to call a general strike in the event of war, and to fight war by means of moving picture propoganda. The capitalist offensive on the workers’ standard of living after the war was not opposed by Amsterdam. The British trade unions are the basis of the Amsterdam International, yet in Brit- ain in 1921, wage cuts affected 7,000,000 workers who lost by these cuts £5,000,000 per week. Again in 1922 the British work- ers lost £6,000,000 per week by wage reductions. Amsterdam never even worries about this savage reduction in the workers’ standard of living. The British miners’ strike at the beginning of 1921 received no aid from Amsterdam. As a matter of fact the triple alliance of miners, railwaymen and transport workers was betrayed by such leading lights of Amsterdam as Thomas, Hodges and Williams. Again in 1922 the British metal workers were forced into a wage struggle and were defeated because they received no aid either from Amsterdam or even the other unions in Britain. When the American miners were on strike in 1922 coal was shipped in from Europe and Amsterdam did not raise a finger to stop it. Thus the Amsterdam International is dominated by national interests over working class interests—it serves the bosses and not the workers. Not only does it shun international unity, but it holds fast to craft unionism and by upholding sectionalism among the workers, aids the bosses to defeat them. Today the Amsterdam leaders are the spearhead of the capitalist offensive against the movement for international trade union unity. The Amsterdam International has never acted as the defender of the interests of the workers, and does not lead the workers in an in- ternational struggle against the capjfalists. . * ° . Tomorrow: The Red International of Labor Unions. weer os 4 + es ered y Tt has shown on the books where Reinish was deliberately witholding money from the union, but this was quashed by the committee for political rea- sons, but the records still remain, “Now comes the Sacco-Vanzetti case, and this contemptible scoundrel who has stooped so low as to with- hold money, collected for the libera- tion of the very men who make it possible for the likes of him, to hold down soft easy jobs, now has the gall to accuse the Sacco-Vanzetti Defense ' Committee, of stealing the money. “If space permitted, a hundred and one more cases of this man’s per- fidious actions could be cited, such as sabotaging all communications. Time and again deliberately refusing to carry out the instructions of both the local union and the executive board; issuing labels, without the knowledge or consent of the union or executive board; refusing to allow a girl mem- ber, whom he had foully insulted, from preferring a complaint against him, ete. ¢ Schlossberg’s Understudy. “From the. very day that he came here he claimed to be General Secre- tary Schlossberg’s best friend, his understidy, that they had lived te gether for years, that he was merely being sent out here to get some ex- perience’ to ‘polish up as it were, In | his fights~against the various local officials he “threatened that if the union. didn’t ‘stand with him and dis- qualify" the member with whom he was fighting, that he would quit, and that the general office wouldn't send anyone else, because he and Schloss- berg were such thick and intimate friends and the union would be des- troyed,” BRITISH RAIL UNION AMALGAMATES WITH GENERAL TRANSPORT LONDON, Nov, 9.—Of 80 of the members of the Union of Enginemen, Firemen, Me chanics, and Electrical Workere voting; 76 per cent decided in favor of a jamating with the Trane- port and General Workers’ Union. A special conference of the form- er union is to be held at Sheffield tomorrow, to confirm the ballot vote. a per cent. The union has a membership of — 25,000, while the stren f transport. raion having been. ——