The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 9, 1926, Page 5

ua re > aoe Workers en sane WILINSKY AND CO, CORRUPT LEATHER WORKERS’ UNION In Setting Prices Sell Out to Bosses By A Worker Correspondent NEW YORK, Jan, 7—In the pocket book manufacturing plant of Metter Bros. and company, New York, 50 to 70 operatives are ordinarily employed. This firm {is notorious for underpay- ment of its workers and maintenance of poor conditions of work. In the halcyon day of the open shop the or- iginal Metter, who has recently re- tired, fought the union tooth and nail. And he was always successful. He would shift his factory to Brooklyn, or he would put the very leaders of the strike to work in the’ factory at increased wages, thus ‘breaking the strike. Again he would put private detectives at work beating up his striking employes. The firm would maintain an open shop with its $9 a week to girls and $12 to boys, allow- ing no attempts at unionization to be come successful. Several months ago the place be- came unionized. This after the em- Ployes of the shop had been members of the union for over a year. What is the explanation? Every month Ossip Wilinsky, head of the Leather Workers’ Union, or some other official of the union, would come to ask the elder Metter if he would allow him to unionize the place, but the latter would always put him off. I suppose the protector of the workers’ rights got something for him- self. Then, three months ago, Met- ter, tired of the game, recognized the union, In settling prices, according to a story I heard a member of the firm tell a friend of his, in the shop meet- ing, Wilinsky started to shout at Met- ter that -he, Wilinsky, ;was there to protect the workers’ rights and that Metter would have to pay; the work- ers the union scale. And then, walk- ing behind a partition, he told Metter that he knew times were hard and that he was willing to settle for the lower price. He told Metter that all the thunder was for the benefit of the employes. exclusively. In the union, Wilinsky and his crew rule the works, throwing out anyone who attempts to dissent from their high-handed practices. Several known Communists have been thrown out of the union by Wilinsky and so all op position has been successfully. stifiled. Wilinsky and company now rules the totally reactionary Leather Work- ers’ Union, Only Amalgaidited in Building Trades: Would End All Freak Disputes By A Worker Correspondent It was while working on a large building under construction at Law- rence Ave, and Sacramento Blyd., that a jurisdictional dispute arose over whether a cement finisher or a struc- tional iron worker should lay the iron rods and wire netting needed to rein- force the concrete being laid. On this building there were men of the dif- ferent trades, working for sub con- tractors, The cement finisher, a member of Local No, 502, Operatove Plasterers’ & Cement Finishers’ Unign, with some _ laborers’ was laying these rods and wire netting in the soft concrete on the second floor of the building. An iron worker, a member of Local 1, Bridge & Structural Iron Workers’ Union, working close by on the same floor, came up to us and inguired if a member of his union was laying the rods, to which the cement finisher answered, that to his knowledge it was the work of the cement workers and did not come under the jurisdic- tion of the iron workers. The iron worker then stated, that he did not care, but that the union officials may come along and they would. surely slap a fine over on us, . There are in the building trades some thirty-two different craft unions, each craft fighting for its own partl- cular work, It is over these jurisdic- tional disputes that fights arise among the officials in the building trades council ahd at times on the job, These disputes often threaten the very exist- ence of the unions themselves, while at the same time play into the hands of the bosses. For example the fight between the plasterers and the brick- layers which has been going on for the past year, These fights will continue between the craft unions, until the rank and file under the leadership of the left wing recognize that we must organize industrial unions thru amalgamation in the building trades. WORKERS ARE LAID OFF. “By A Worker Correspondent DETROIT, Mich,, Jan, 7 — Briggs Auto Body Making company, sweat shop contractor for Ford, laid off all its employes for 2 weeks for invent- ory. Byery employe was paid off, and made to check in tool checks and badges for entry into the factory. A good | many will not be notified to re- (tore “attey ‘the two weeks are up. frome srrronenns rein ancamatiin THE WINNERS HE prizes in this week’s worker correspondents’ contest go to three correspondents from cities on’ the western coast, one writing directly from the inside of a cannery, a union painter relating the struggles within his union with reactionary labor officials and one defining a crime committed by a profiteer in Pasadena, Cal., which in a capitalist society is dispensed with as “accidents.” FIRST PRIZE—Nikolai Bukharin’s latest book, “Historic Mate- riallsm,” goes to the worker in the cannery in Olympia, Washington. SECOND PRIZE—"“Russia Today,” the official report of the Brit- ish trade union delegation on Soviet Russia, goes to the painter in San Francisco, Cal, t e THIRD PRIZE—The , original of a DAILY WORKER cartoon, framed, goes to the Pabitdena, Cal., worker. a Sie. 8 TART at once sendin in your contributions for next week’s com- petition, The orgie be offered are as follows: FIRST PRIZE—Marian Economic Handbook, by W. H. Emmett. A complete elementary. primer containing all the essentials for un- derstanding Marx’s “Capital.” There is a glossary of 700 economic and other terms and vaiifable addenda and appendices. SECOND PRIZE—“December the Fourteenth,” by Dimitri Merezh- kovsky. An intense and gripping historical. novel dealing with one of the most stirring episodes in Russian history, THIRD PRIZE—The original of a DAILY WORKER cartoon, framed. -THE FIRST PRIZE. WORKERS IN CANNERIES THE MOST EXPLOITED AND ENSLAVED (By a Worker Correspnodent) OLYMPIA, Wash.—Western Washington takes no second place in the exploitation of workers. The very thot of the conditions in the mills, mines and camps is a veritable nightmare to those unfortunates who must endure them. But as bad as are thé conditions in those industries, they are much worse in the canneries. OOOO “Here women and girls as well as|*ades. men are driven twelve, fourteen and Most lamentable of all is that most Vine ea Pecan a nea bere? constantly |of the workers actually believe they imp! threats of dismissal-or- of be-| ,.. - particularly favored by being ing reduced I wi Te i Nate ig agi ates tay diene “permitted” to work such unreason- they slacken in the least the killing pace required of them. State are| ble hours which compensates, say the flouted and laws of humane sare un-|bosses, for the long period of unem- heard of. : ployment during the dull season, and Women collapsing ft which enables the slaves to pay up strain and being dragg their overdue bills so they will again such commonplace sights as.to, pass|get credit to tide them over the next unnoticed while practically every we-|shut down. One poor fellow with an man in the industry has! had medical|air of sincere thankfulness and grati- advice against working in thie canner-|tude told the writer that if he could ies. stand the eighteen hour shift for an- Wages are lower ena’) jours’ much | Other month he would be square with the world. longer than in any otheryindustry. Jealousy ‘and ill-feeling among the} Thus they work day in and day out ous away, are rite About the Workers Life workers is instigated by giving favors and a small increase in wages to those who show a sufficient willingness to spy upon the rest and to otherwise as- ist the bosses to oppress their com- witthout hope of anything else but paying their debts that they may be permitted to pile them up again, ever enslaved and no outlook of freedom]. from their slavery. 8. IS THE. SECOND PRIZE. LABOR FAKER ENLISTS AID OF BOSSES TO FIGHT PROGRESSIVES By a Worker Correspondent. SAN FRANCISCO, Cal., Jan. 7—A little elightenment may not be amiss on a big headliner in the S, F. Bulletin of December 29, announcing that there is “plenty of wofk)for painters here.” The truth of the matter is that ‘a local labor faker, T, J. O'Conner, business agent of a local Painters’ Union, enlisted the help of a chamber of commerce paper in order to per- petuate his pie card. Local Painters’ Union, No, 1158, recently held its annual election of officers. Thinking that it was about time to rid themselves of the reaction- ——— ary business agent, O’Conner, the progressives made a determined fight to have him replaced by a man more active and appropriate, However, far be it from a faker to let a Well paid vie-card go without a fight, so he set his machine in motion, with sult that a most unse \ was staged by his st O'Conner won, i Altho defeated, the progressives did not accept the results, and ‘adopted a procedure very harmful. to O/Gonnors’ treasury; they simply, transferred from his union to another one in this city, thus depriving himof the pay- ment of their dues, O’Conrer, in or der to appear rich in ‘jobs and thus to prevent any more transfers’ of mem- bers, got in touch with'''the Bulle- tin and entered this “iriteresting ad- vertising gem: “Plenty Work for painters seen here.” “Work will be plentiful for union painters and pa- perhangers in San Francisco during the coming spring and‘ early summer, according to a survey of the building program made by T. J, O'Connor, sec- retary of Painters’ Union 1168, The larger buildings include four schools, four theaters, five large business buildings and 900 new houses in the Sunset district alone. The outlook for a busy season is better than it has ever been at this time of the year. Our union is in the best condition of its history. We have taken in more members during the last three months than in the nine months preceding. Comparatively few members of the local are idle now, the records show, and there is a capacity demand for paperhangers,” Of all the barefaced lies this one beats them all. There are hundreds of painters idle here and the union ig in the weakest position in all its his- tory both numerically and financially, ‘The Bulletin of course is only too willing to advertise California and to flood the city with nonunion men, The Billtetii sla its space in 1916 to Lord British war propa- ywned by Dohrman and company, notorious members of the lo- cal chamber of commerce. se @ Editor’s Note: The motive be- hind the transferring from ©’Con- nor’s local to another one is healthy. But the tactic was wrong and the results will not be what was ex- pected. The progressives in trans- ferring simply left O’Connor in com- plete control of the local. The tem- porary loss of per capita will soon be made up. He will have the un- questioned support of the employ- ers at the same time his opposition has been removed, The progressives can fight O’Con- nor more effectively from within his own local than from without. This (unconsciously) effectiveness” of the splitting tactics a weapon against the reactionaries. Withdraw capita from a local union can very easily lead along the road to witholding per capita from the in- ternational, We offer this criticism as food for thot to our worker correspondent and to the progressives in the Painters’ Union mentioned in this article, Worker Correspondence will make The DAILY WORKER 4 better paper —send in a story about your shop. DAILY WORKER BUILDERS CLUB T0 HOLD MEETING SUNDAY IN NEW YORK (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK, Jan, 7.—After The Dally Worker anniversary concert, which will take place this Sunday afternoon, Jah. 10th, in Yorkville Casino, 86th Street & Third Avenue The DAILY” WORKER Builders Club of New York will hold its offi- clal mertiogy ie the same hall, ‘| work, THE DAILY WORKER Page Five SPIES PUT INTO BRICK AND CLAY WORKERS’ UNION Whole Building Trades Menaced by Move By A Worker Correspondent NEW YORK Yan. 7—Brick and clay workers cai be on guard against activities of imdistrial spies in their union. Proof'Aliat spies operated in Connecticut clayéproducts plants dur- ing the recent’strike of United Brick and Clay Work##s’ Union is contained in a letter by) ‘Commissioner H. A. Jung, National’Clay Products Indus- tries Association; ‘affiliated with that super-associations of employers—Na- tional Industrigl;,Conference Board— bidding for spy ybusiness from North River Brick company of Saugerties, N. ¥,: uy The Boss’ Letter. “Cc Sept. 26, 1925. “Dear Sir: Fitd herewith excerpt from confidential report received from one of our staff representatives in con- nection with the Connecticut situa- tion: “‘Lowrie did not speak tonight of using any violence, but begged the men to stick for the sake of their wives and children, saying further that next spring when this battle opened up again, the Hudson River district would be organized so that no influx of Negro labor could oc- cur, as is now the case, and with this road blocked, the C. B. M. A. would have to come to time.’ “It is essential that this fall, winter and next spring, the Hudson River op- erators get together and formulate a definite labor ‘policy and it would be advisable to have the writer address you on the subject matter of ‘What is the U. B. and°. W. of A.?’—‘What Do They Do?-+"What Have They Done?’"—‘What Should We Do to Oft- set Their Activities?” Very truly yours, (signedp-H. A. Jung, commis- sioner.” From Big'Business Center. The letter is*tfom the offices of the National Clay “Products Industries Association, Chitcago Chamber of Com- merce building’ “Industrial Rela- tions” is the”éaption above the as- sociation ‘nati¥, cloaking the indus- ivities of these 4050 lay products are made of the country, but Hudson river is san important district. Haverstraw and. *Saugersties are brick centers which send fleets of barges downstream foi New York city build- ing construction. In White Plains, New York suburb, building trades unions have bet enjoined against striking to have | contractors use only union made building materials. The spy-using clay products manufac- turers’ assocfatién is one of the most powerful open shop employing groups, endangering not only its direct em- »loyes but all building trades workers. NEW YORK, Jan, 7—The class in worker correspondents conducted by Joseph Freeman meets every Monday evening, at 8 o'clock at the New York Workers’ School, 108 East 14th street. BATT INVENTS QUEER B. & 0. PLAN THEORY Claims It “Leads to Revolution” By A Worker Correspondent DETROIT, Mich., Jan, 7.—Dennis E. Batt clearly indicated why he is not in the Communist movement in Amer- ica in an address delivered before the Detroit Labor Forum Sunday, Jan. 3. In dealing with the question of the B. and O. plan Batt said that the only criticism he had to make of the plan was that the workers had not received a raise in wages as promised, He stated that the good point of the plan was that it taught the workers how to run industry. To bolster his position Batt related the difficulties the Russian workers were having in 1921 in reorganizing the crippled in- dustry of Russia. Batt understands perfectly well the working classes of all countries must make themselves political masters of the country before they approach the}: question of industrial management as the workers in Russia did, but he chooses to ignore this logical revolu- tionary sequence which he perfectly understands because he wishes to find something good in the B, and O, plan which is sponsored by “B. and O. Bill,” his International president. Peculiar Logic. That a class collaboration program leads to a preparation of the workers for revolution and the problems of management following from it is as unique as many other positions “Com- rade Batt” has developed during his pilgrimage from the Communist to the republican party. Batt admitted that the workers of Russia had solved the problems of management, but failed to indicate that they have not the assistance of any B. and O. plans such as he pre- scribes for American workers. Batt lined up with Green in condemning the sending of a delegation of work- ers’ representatives to investigate conditions in Russia on the ground that it prejudiced the chances of Green’s A, F. of L, standing here. Obey Republican Discipline. In answering a question regarding the recognition of Russia, Batt ex- pressed a personal and an official po- sition which were flatly contradictory indicating that he is much more am- enable to discipline by the reactionary machine of the A. F, of L. than he ever was in a revolutionary party. Batt is proving that the estimate of his revolutionary phrases long held vy the Communist leaders of Amer‘ ica was and is correct. Batt’s polit- ical instability condemns him to be what he described himself as, at the forum, “One of the little guys in the labor movement.” Worker Correspondents Meet. The Chicago worker correspond- ents’ class meets every Thursday evening at 8 o’clock in the editorial room of The DAILY WORKER, 1113 West Washington Bivd. The class is conducted by the editor of The DAILY WORKER, J. Louis Engdahi. If you don’t think you can write attend this cl and you'll soon disagree with yourself. THE THIRD PRIZE. ROTTEN GRAND STANDS PUT UP BY PROFITEERS BRINGS TRAGEDY THIS NEW YEAR TO MANY IN PASADENA By a Worker Correspondent. PASADENA, Cal., Jan. 7—An instance of how fortunes originate in a capitalist society is strikingly illustrated by a gruesome accident which hap- pened on New Year’s day at Pasadena, Cal. On this day Pasadena holds its annual celebration of the tournament of roses. Thousands of people flock to Pasadena to view this parade. It is+ a day of recreation looked forward to by all. A Parade of Ambulances. lections on those grandstands en- abled him to make a trip around the world. He is the owner of several The parade started at 11:30 in the} puildings and no doubt draws a com- morning. About 12 o'clock a crash|fortable income from the rents, But was heard and down went’one of the| what should prevent him from making several grandstands burying the peo- a yearly haul with rotten lumber dur- ple under the debris. Immediately the ing the yearly festival? It is alright streets ‘were crowded with ambu-j under capitalism. lances. Within several hours the hos- Communists and I. W. W.’s must rot pitals were filled. Two died from the} in shock, Thus the tournament of roses came to a tragic end, On investigation, the writer learned that the owner of the grandstand, a certain Mr. Mahoney, living at South Pasadena, was the owner of several of those stands. The year previous the profits obtained by him from the col- the penitentiaries charges of being “dangerous to life and property.” Anita Whitney is fac- ing a 14-year sentence for no. other reason than that of having raised her voice in protest against graft and in- justice. But capitalism goes on and the making of profits is given legal protection. | AM NOT WANTED! By a Worker Correspondent. PITTSBURGH, Pa.—It was a foggy and damp Pittsburgh morning. The first rain of the new year baptized the unsheltered unemployed who were walking toward the employment office of the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing company. 1 was one of this army of misery, which at 8 o'clock in the morning was already waiting in line in front of the building. At ten my turn came for filling out an application blank. Among the innumerable whys... and whens... which had to be answered, | missed two ques- tions and | could’t help wondering why they were not down there. One ia, “Why was I born?” And the other, “When would | die?” After filling out the notorious questionnaire, | was led to the third floor of the bullding which resembles more a capitalist court than an employment office. Mr. “Judge” was there, spread out in his com- fortable chair. It is my turn to sit in the “defendant's chair” for cross- examination. So | sat down and handed him my application card. After glancing at the card “his honor” asked: “Your name J.... 2” “Yes sir,” “Worked here before?” “Yes sir. At Department a-16.” After a moment's search he pulled ouf my récord card from the files, He read it and threw me a mean took. Then in a loud voice he commanded me: _ “YOU GET OUT OF HERE. YOU ARE NOT WANTED HERE, UN- DERSTAND? GET OUT AND STAY OUT?” “Why? What is the matter?” | asked in a surprised fone. “You're a trouble maker. Go on . Get out!” Eleven o’clock and | was out again, travelling back along the same road | had started from at 8 o'clock that morning.» ‘The rain was stil! pouring. Pittsburgh was still foggy, and smokey and | was still jobless. My “crime” was unforgivable. | had urged the 40 to 50 cents per hour slaves of Morgan-Westinghouse to organize and better their condi- tions. 1 have lost the right to earn a living because we workers stil! tolerate the capitalist system. DAILY WORKER ARTICLE FORCES MESSINGERS TO OUST MANAGER By RUFUS P. HEATH, Worker Correspondent. *C. B, Emery, manager of the new Messinger lunch room at No. 3 West Grand Ave., who was exposed in an article in The DAILY WORKER by the writer on Dec. 21, has been discharged from the service of the company for being incompetent and for mistreating the employe: The DAILY WORKER article exposing Emery’s mistreatment of work- ers, showing up his discriminations and his forcing them to eat their meals in the basement, brought about so much indignation and complaints from the men that the company was forced to take a stand in the matter, and on the third of January Emery lost his job. on frame-up The Need of Organization for Millinery Workers By A Worker Correspondent HERE appétred in last week's issue of The DAILY WORKER an article telling aout the conditions of the women workers in the millinery shops in Chic I eagerly watched the reaction of“some of the millinery workers to thi article, Some of the girls read it with enthusiasm and ap- preciation, “It/#'fust like in our shop,” they id. “¥erything is true.” Others still ‘utifer the hypnotic in- fluence of the Christmas gift present- ed to them by the boss, did not think that the boss isquite so unjust. Those workers went’#s far as to say they do not consid it necessary to or- ganize a union‘ The Holiday Spirit. The giving ‘Of, Christmas presents to workers by the bosses reminds me Rugsian tradition: -to kiss one’s slave in the name of Christ on Easter eve, ** A notoriously savage genera! in the army used to come to the soldiers’ barracks on Easter eve and kiss every soldier on the lips saying piously: “Christ has risen,” The soldier would have to reply: “Praise God, for Christ the lord is reborn.” Next day if a soldier in meeting this general didn’t stop twenty feet in front of him with the salute of honor, the general inflicted upon his last night’s “brother” a lot of misery, Some of the millinery workers re- ceiving a present and a few words of flattery from the boss forget the past year of underpay and long hours of They forget that every year there is the same ceremony of pres- ents and compliments but also the same disappointments when the holi- da: re over,, They forget that after ten and twelve hours of work during the busy seasomethe boss piles home- work on to the hand-workers, I have talked» with millinery oper- ators who deny this. operators cannot take their machines | now, home with them so that lets them |started, it is evident. out of the additional slavery, But the hand-workers know that this is a fact, almost exclusively 5,000 non-literates ) Of course the {not only during the season, but even suppose that precisely the literates and professional sense of the word) are ca- pable of successful work upon a news- paper. The reverse is the case; the news- paper does not awaken to real life or capacity for continued life until 500 or tions to the work of five leading and per- manently active literates.” Lenin: “How Are Our Newspapers to Be Made In- to Real ‘Organs of the Labor Movement?” on the road with their salesmen to seat competition. The hand-worker works hard all day to accomplish the desired result, But because of the un- usual requirements very little is achieved during the day and so. the boss asa matter of course packs, up a bundle of homework for them. Those who want proof of this can see it on the corner-of Wabash and Madison. Working Overtime, Some girls console themselves with such. reasoning: “Why during the season in the clothing industry, the workers, also work long hours and sometimes on Sundays too.” That is true, But it is also true that because these workers are organized they are paid time and a half for overtime, The, millinery season is short. The operators belonging to the union make their year’s expenses during the sea- son. How much do the unorganized hand-workers make? I challenge those who are opposed to the union to an- swer, Some workers think because they are complimented by the bosses for their skill, they are favorites and they do not need the protection of a union, Those workers forget that there can be no friendship between the spider and the fly, As long as the boss gets cheap labor he will be polite..That’s one of his tactics for underpaying his workers, While we spend the day and part of the night in toil, the boss plans how the more to economize on our labor and how to prevent us from get- ting together, The manufacturers are organized. They come together, to discuss way and means to keep us from each other. Let those who oppose organization analyze the siguafion carefully and not tho the season has not yet Between seasons the manufacturers design complicated new styles to send Lenin Says: “It is a complete misapprehension to the literates (in the add their contribu- excuses for the bosses. The;employ:, ers. have: their organization ,an@ we maust strive to build ours, ve <he nt tent me nee try to console themselves with making |