The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 3, 1926, Page 3

THIS PAGE Is Devoted to the Activity and Interests of the TradeUnion Educational League (T. U. B. 1.) North American Section of the : RED INTERNATIONAL OF LABOR UNIONS (R. 1. THE T.U.E.L. Represents the Left Wing of the Labor Movement. L, U.) Ite 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: ers’ Government. AMALGAMATED REACTIONARIES RAISE FALSE ISSUES TO SAVE CLASS COLLABORATION POLICIES By BEN GORDON. The Amalgamated Clothing Workers’ Union leadership who in past years have led the organization a few steps ahead of the reactionary unions. in progressive measures, have today taken up the cry of the reactionary officials of various unions that the Trade Union Educational League is a dual union. This old worn-out song of dual unionism revived by the Amalgamated at this time sounds like the last trumpet call The assertion that the Trade Union ¢————______—________ Educational League is a dual union is made to justify the expulsions of milit- ants from the organization, victim- izing those who propagate amalgama- tion, independent working class pol- itical action, the shop delegate system, and the class struggle as against class collaboration, Seek Fake Issues. The general executive board of the Amalgamated at their last quarterly session was confronted with a prob- lem of vital importance to the organi- zation; namely, to bring internal peace in the New York organization which would bring the New York or- ganization out of the present state of chaos, that the present bureaucracy thru their policies and tactics have plunged the organization into. Real- izing that the New York membership is awakening to this fact, the bureau- eracy in search for an excuse for this chaos picks-up the old cry of “out- side” interference and that the T. U. E. L. dual union, hoping by this charge to shift the blame onto other shoulders. $ The Advance in an editorial on Jan. 8 definitely charges the T. U. E. L. with being a dual union—unless, they say, the old dictionaries -have gone mad and they further promise not to discard the old dictionaries. We accept the old dictionaries and after consulting one for a definition on dual unionism we found that any or- ganization working within a labor union that performs the functions of a labor union becomes a dual union. A union comes into existance prim- arily for the purpose of solidifying the workers in their struggle against the employers, the capitalist class and to deal collectively on questions of hours, wages and conditions, and force the bosses thru the use of the union’s economic power to grant the demands of the workers. This is the essence of a trade unionism. No organization can be a labor union unless it per- forms these functions. T. U, E. L. Not a Dual Union, The membership of the Amalgame- ted who adhere to the principles of the Trade Union Educational League do not perform such functions, and the general executive board has not shown one instance where the workers in the Amalgamated Clothing Workers or in any other union, who are members of the league, have made any direct demands upon employers, carried on negotiations with employers, signed any agreements or performed the func- tions of a trade union, The Trade Union Educational League teaches the workers certain progressive principles. It teaches them to be militant, It encourages them to take moré interest in their union, to actively participate in every phase of the life of the union. Surely, you can- not call this dual unionism, J. B, 8. Hardman in an article en- titled “Constructive Radicalism in the \ Needle Trades,” appearing in the La- bor Herald, official organ of the League, in the issue of May 1922 points out that the radicals who ac- cepted the principles and the leader- ship of the league are coming into the conventions of the Amalgamated Clothing Workérs and the Interna- tional Ladies’ Garment Workers with a truly constructive program for these organizat)yns, The league of 1925 has the same principles and objectives that it had in 1922, The Amalgamated in 1922 did not condemn the league as a dual union. Why do they do ft today? The reason is very simple, Militants For Class Struggles. The Amalgamated leadership has succeeded in orientating the organi- before admitting defeat, expelled or discriminated against. Whole locals that took the initiative in fighting the administration, because of these policies, were reorganized and their leaders expelled. The admini- stration has resorted to slugging and terrorism in an effort to silence the THE DAILY WORKER Page Threé who, fought these policies were either to these policies. And it so happens that the rank and file leadership in this opposition are either members of the league or adhere to the principles of the league. At this.late hour for the Amalga- mated bureaucracy to condemn the Trade Union Educational League as a dual union is ridiculous, The Amalga- mated Clothing Workers leadership knows only too weel that no other or- ganization has done more to kill the dual union idea in this country then the league. But our leadership finds itself in a pretty tight position, par- ticularly in New York and Rochester, they have revived the cry of dual unionism, to justify their misleader- ship, By declaring the T. U. B. L, a dual union they hope to expell all militants by simply decreeing that members adhering to the principles of the league or belonging to the league or who find themselves in op- position to the administration, are seeking to destroy the union. By these means the bureaucracy hope to have easy sailing with their class collabo- ration policies, Bureaucrats Should’ Learn Lesson. Bureaucrats in other needle trades unions have tried the same stunt. Sigman in the International Ladies’ Garment Union and Kaufman in the Furriers’ Union, Today the league, in both of these unions, is a legalized organization because the membership realize that the league has helped them in their struggle both against the employers and the bureaucracy. The league is not a dual union, The league has a definite function to per- form in the American labor movement. Tho you can count the age of the league on fingers of one hand, yet, it has succeeded in many instances to awaken the militancy on the workers, in their active participation in the life of the union and more than once by its agitation and education of the workers stopped the labor bureau- militants who voiced their opposition cracy from selling out the workers. RANK AND FILE LABORERS ARE ON WARPATH Fight Against Crooked Cleveland Officials Mismanagement in Cleveland’s building laborers’ organization during 1923-24 resulting in the depletion of the treasury approximately on $84,000 which was partly concealed thru pay- ment of fictitious funeral and doctor fees, etc, and’ in' general discontent on the part of the membership. Recog- nizing the dissatisfaction prevalent and the necessity for keeping it un- der control, the officialdom induced Charles Smith, head of the old trades council to become president. To in- sure his election tellers were appoint- ed by the officials, no watchers from the opposition were permitted. On the day of elections, December 26, 1924, police were called to clear the hall of all members excepting appoint- ed tellers. Immediately several oppo- sition candidates’ wrote the interna- tional office protesting against this procedure. The international wired back, stating nothing could be done as the local was suspended since October, 1924, because of mnon-pay- ment of per capita tax, yet per capita tax bills were presented to the local at regular meetings and ordered paid. This resulted in a split. The international granted a charter to the new Local No, 66. Old Local No. 10 continued functioning with Charles Smith as head, despite the ruling of the international executive board, who revoked his card, then Smith got a court injnngtion prevent- ing interference from /the interna- tional, : Amalgamation Sabotaged. At the recent Atlantic City conven- tion the president of the building la- borers’ international presented a plan for amalgamation to committees of Locals Nos. 10 and 66. This plan was accepted with the understanding that an e officers and neutral headquarters would be arranged for; instead a committee was placed in charge of affairs consisting of an or- ganizer of the A. F. of L., secretary of the Cleveland Federation of Labor and an international organizer of the building laborers and a business agent of the former Local No. 10, No rep- resentative from Local No. 66, This committee in charge removed all officials of former Local No, 66 from office excepting one business agent and placed a manager over the local whose card had been revoked by the international and who still carries no card. This manager and committee in charge immediately dis- continued meetings, levied an assess- ment, raised dues, bought six new automobiles without consulting the membership which again developed discontent, Rank and File Protest, A committee was formed which ar- tanged for membership meetiug in or- der to protest against this procedure, hand bills were gotten out, on the strength of which the injunction was granted restraining members from meeting, The injunction was issued at noon Saturday and at six o'clock MacNamara was arrested, charged Serie ei Sa a@ committee of five was elected to present samé to the committee in charge of Local No, 310. Arrange- ments were made to meet this com- mittee who consisted of Duffy, rep- resenting the A. F. of L., Malley rep- resenting the Cleveland Federation of Labor, Smith, representative of the Building Trades Council, who finally told us nothing would be done, until the international president came to town when they would submit a com- plete report to him and it would be entirely up to him to do as he saw fit, with this report. Smith in one breath says, “We are good trade union members at heart,” and in the next breath said, “Charges would be preferred against us.” MacNamara, according to their BRITISH MINORITY MOVEMENT GROWS SAYS TOM MANN Letter from London Is Packed with News By TOM MANN. LONDON—(By Mail.)—As part of the general cuts in wages of seagoing men following upon the forced reduc- tion of one pound a month to sailors and firemen, when the shipowners in- formed the wireless operators’ that they would also he reduced by twen- ty-two shillings and sixpence a week, the wireless operators refused to ac- cept, and one thousand two hundred and fifty are out*on strike resisting the same, \and Others are leaving the ships as they airive in port. A board of trade regulation has sti- pulated that qualified wireless opera- tors must be ¢arried as per official decision according to size of vessel, but in order to help the owners as against the men in this struggle, the board of trade regulations have been suspended and ships have been allow- ed to sail with incompetent operators or with none at all, with most dan- gerous consequences to the vessels and all concerned. The report comes to hand of the Marina, an Italiam ship of 6,400 tons, abandoned at the Azores, and it is feared many lives have been lost. A ship, the Camito, passed a lifeboat crowded with the screw of the Marina and it is these that are believed to have been lost, the Camito carried only a junior first trip operator and was unable to signal to other ships in the vicinity. Organization of Women Workers. In order to carry out the decision and instruction of the Trade Union Congress, the general council of the congress has decided to carry on a re- eruiting campaign of “Into the Unions,” dealing specially with those unions that cater for women mem- bers. As in the case of the men dur- ing the last two years there has been a considerable falling off in the mem- bership of the women members of the unions, the tide has turned again now and a stimulus is to be given to it. The total number now organized of both sexes is five millions, one mil- lion of them being females. There is a good prospect of a substantial ad- dition being made in the number or- ganized as all left wing sections be- lieve thoroly in’the necessity for in- dustrial organization and are carrying on an untiring eimpaign towards “one story, has already been removed from the organization and yesterday they took him off the job. MacNamara’s case was immediately ‘placed in the hands of the I. L. D. Resolution Adopted at Meeting. Whereas, no meetings of Local No. 310, Building Laborers, have been held to date, and officers were appointed without the consent of membership, assessments levied, dues raised and foul smelling desease breading quar- ters arranged for us in a basement not fit for a pig sty, and Whereas, the Cleveland building la- borers have for a long time been the victims of mismanagement and abuse of power on the part of a few czars who have contrived to keep them- selves in power in spite of their fail- ure to conduct the union in the in- terest of the membership; therefore be it Resolved, that we, the membership of Local No. 310, in mass meeting assembeld this 24th day of January, declare it high time to place the management of the organization back were it belongs in the hands of the membership, and in charge of respon- sible and competent officials who will hold the organization above their per- sonal interests and who will follow a progressive policy as demanded by the conditions in the trade; and be it further Program of Demands, Resolvde, we eall upon the commit- tee in charge of amalgamation and such officers as may be elected to ¢ar- ry out the following program: 1. A membership meeting must be called not later than January 30. 2, Complete report of committee in charge of amalgamation to be made at the meeting, 8. Immediate arrangement for elec- tion of all local officers, delegates and committees to be held under strict control and supervision of the mem- bership, 4. Immediate consideration of next agreement on wages, conditions and working hours. 5. No secret agreements of any kind, All settlements to be made in the open and not behind the backs of the membership, 6, No favoritism in handing out jobs. Members longest out of work or in worst financial condition to be given preference, 7. Immediate secure of new head- quarters with sanitary day room for men to congregate in, 8. No discrimination against any progressive member, New York Union Meetings. NEW YORK, N, Y., Feb. 1.—The Bronx Plumbers Helpers Club meets every Thursday night at 8 o'clock at Mac.|*he Bronx Labor Lyceum, 3693 ‘Third Namara was at the meeting and the}Ave» Bronx, Come to every one of following resolution was adopted and, APM! sonnet) ot espana LN secaogaanemad i these meetings hundred per ceft'in union.” The unions'im his country would be glad of more itiférmation from Ame- rica in regard to the strike of the an- thracite miners, practically no inform- ation comes thru the press on this very important subject. It is vital to the best interests'of the workers that information shotild be broadcasted on such matters. i The Outedme of Strikes. Fifty-nine men, in the anthracite dis- trict of South Wales have been sen- tenced to various terms of imprison- ment for participation in the recent strike. Now a vigorous campaign is being carried on,.demanding their re- lease and that of the twelve Commun- ists. i The Australian government failed to deport the officers of the Seamen's Union, the high court deciding that it was contrary to the constitution to do so. The union has now granted to Mr. Walsh, the Seamen’s Union offi- celal, a year’s holiday to admit of a visit to Hurope. Minority Movement Grows, The activities of the Minority Move- ment are resulting in many adherents of the various trade unions (none others are eligible) and, naturally, too, the endorsement of a militant policy, The Minorjty Movement stands for world wide ;international unity, and they form part of the Red Inter- national of Labor,Unions, The British Minority Movement ex- tends the hand of fellowship and in- ternational brotherhood to all fellow workers in the United States, recog- nizing the urgent necessity for a clos- er organized relationship than at pres- ent exists and is wishful to do all that ought to be done to make this international unity’ possible. We are very largely of the same race and language, as we certainly have the same ecohomic interests, On this side of the Attantic we most sin- cerely hope that’ the year 1926, may witness a coming’ together of the workers on both )wides for concerted action, not against:the workers of any other country but in preparation for that final conflict with capitalism that all informed persons know full well is coming and in which we must take part, intelligently or otherwise, St. Louis Plumbers . Smell Rat in Board ST. LOUIS, Feb, 1—The reorgan- ized plumbers examining board under St. Louis open shop mayor examined and licensed 68 plumbers from Sept. 21 to Jan. 15, more than twice the number licensed during the same per- jod a year ago. The mayor and his open shop cabinet reorganized the board and removed’ the secretary of the plumbers’ union for the avowed purpose of removing the board from union influence. Labor men believe the new board is perating with the employers to flood. St. Louis with plumbers and beat down wages, - . NOVA SCOTIA MINERS, STARVED, TRICKED AND LIED TO, FINALLY USE DIRECT ACTION TO GET FOOD By J. B. MacLACHLAN, GLACE BAY, Nova Scotia, Jan. miners of Glace Bay raided six stores for something to eat. being written three more stores are the hungry hundreds of miners, who have been robbed, lied to and tricked by employer, and especially by the new tory government of Nova Scotia. This time last year the tory press about “starving miners” and condemning the liberal government which did that if the+ nothing. They claimed tories were only returned to power then things would be otherwise for the miners, Political Promises Fail. The last days of June saw the tories elected, and from that day to this they did absolutely nothing to “force” the company, the British Empire Steel corporation, to work their mines even an hour more than suited Besco to work them, Meantime the miners continued to work less than half time and live on half rations. June passes, July, August and all the other months un- til New Year arrives and the tories have done absolutely nothing for the miners. Invite Government to Explain. Then on the last Sunday of the year a meeting is called by the despairing miners, and members of the new tory government were in- vited to attend and answer to the infuriated miners why they were not getting more work and why the promises made during the June elec- tion were not kept. Only the attorney-general of the province attended the meeting, local- ly known as John C. Douglas. He talked to the miners telling them how much he would like to do for them, but had not the power, the govern- ment must live up to the law, and the law did not permit giving relief to the miners, nor allow them to ih as | Besco to work their mines, No Answer to Miners, The attorney-general sits down and at once a miner, pale with hunger and pent-up emotion, shouts at him: “Where is the four days a week that you promised us? The last two pays I drew only brought $1.80; this coming payday I won’t draw a cent.” Quivering with anger the pale miner sits down unanswered, only to have his place taken by a second miner, who hisses thru his teeth at the at- torney-general: “You come here and ask us to send a committee to Besco and ask them to give us more work, when in the same breath you tell us that you and your government cannot make them work their mines. How in h—— are we going to make them open their mines?” This miner sat down like the other, unanswered, to have his place taken by many more miners shouting ques- tions which were never answered, fhe attorney-general of Nova Scotia sit- ting with the blank face and sagging chin of a fool who is suffering from a bad attack of the discussional lock- jaw. A resolution is then passed tell- ing the government that the miners are tired of promises and that if the government does not come across with work or full rations before the week-end, that they, the miners, would take what they need wherever they could find it. More Delay and Suffering. A week passes and the government does nothing. Evidently the fool with the lock-jaw has carried his ailment into the ranks of government. The miners call a second meeting on Jan. 3, and again invite members of the government to be present. The meet- ing is called for three o’clock in the afternoon, and not a member of the government shows up. The meeting is like an open powder keg. Miners in despair tell their story of working two days, and in some mines no days at all, and when a few dollars had been earned, it had been deducted from their pay envelopes by Besco for 15.—(By Mail.)—On January 3, the While this is being emptied of their foodstuffs by was howling its hypocritical head off the miners must pay for before they ca get bread. Again this meeting of miners in their hunger was advised to put off any action and give the rotten government until nine that evening to provide relief. The meet- ing was then adjourned to nine p, m, Mayor Offers Excuses. At nine p.m. the theatre was packed to the roof and hundreds of miners unable to get inside waited. in the biting, frosty wind, hudded to- gether in alleyways and store door- ways. A telegram was read from the tory government telling the miners that they were going to try and get a coal order from the C. N. R., and that if the town would give relief, the gov- ernment would back up the bonds that the town would sell to raise the money. The mayor of the town was present, and pointed out to the miners that it would take some time to put such bonds on the market to raise the money, that the first thing that the law called for was a ten days’ notice of a rate-payers’ meeting to authorize the borrowing of the money. A motion was put that the mayor and the district officer of the miners’ union go at once to see the wholesale dealers, and have them open up their stores that night to supply those who had nothing to eat. This motion was carried, but it was plainly evident that the mayor and the miners’ union offi- cials were afraid to leave the meeting to visit the wholesalers as the plat- form vacated might be the signal for the meeting breaking up and raiding starting. “Only Fools Have No Breakfast” It was a funny situation for these men on that platform. To stay where they were was to refuse to do about the only and the last thing to avoid a raid; to go meant that the meeting would break up and:raiding start. One move either way and the powder keg would blow up. At last these few faith- BATTLE RAGES IN WW, UNION TOSEAT O'HAGAN Progressives Rally to Support Program NEW YORK, Feb, 1.—The reac- tionaries in the Marine Transport Workers’ Union of the I. W. W. here have organizde their forces in an ef- fort to prevent Joe O’Hagan from taking office as national secretary of the union after his election by an overwhelming in a refer- endum of the membership, Slugging .and the capitalist press are being used against the progres- sives gathered around O'Hagan. The program on which he was elected 1s progressive and fits the needs of the transport workers, This program caused the bitter attacks of the reac- tionaries on O'Hagan to prevent him taking office. The following circular issued by the Progressive Rank and File Committee of the union explains the situation: To All Marine Transport Workers: You should be informed as to the situation which has,developed in the Marine Transport Workers’ Union, 510 I. W. W. No sincere and class con- scious worker will believe the slander- ous lies which have been circulated with the aid of the capitalist press. The truth must be told to the raak and fila, On January 1, 1926, Joe O'Hagan was elected as national secretary of the Marine Transport Workers’ Union by an overwhelming majority in a na- tional referendum, O’Hagan was elected on the basis of a progressive platform calling for: 1, More attention to the economie demands of the marine workers, A more effective struggle for better conditions such as the three watch system, ship committees controlled by the rank and file, decent wages, better sanitation aboard ship and proper legal defense and protection, 2. Greater efforts to organize the unorganized marine workers, 3. The establishment of close bonds of international solidarity with marine workers thruout the world. 4, The formation of one powerful industrial union in the marine in- dustry as a united front against the huge power of the shipping trust. ful men to the working class left that meeting of hungry men in search of food. They had gone about five minutes when some oné shouted, “Aw, hell! What’s the use waiting round here.” In an instant the hungry crowd were on the street, one miner shouting, “Only a fool shall have no breakfast to- morrow.” One Resisted—in Hospital, The merchants who were raided acted humanely towards the miners. One said, “Well, I suppose they need the goods more than I do,” and opened his door and let the crowd in. Another merchant said, “Well, that was the quickest turn-over I ever made, For months I have had my soul worried out of me trying to meet my debts. Now it’s all gone and I can go home and sleep soundly for once.” Only one store had an owner who was foolish enough to try and resist these thous- ands of hungry men. He’s in the hospital today, Meantime the raiding continues, A new fear has taken possession of the men, the soldiers will be sent in, the only solution that grit and tory stupi- dity knows for the correction of hun- ger and despair; so the miners having started, cannot but try to lay up some- thing against the coming tory stupi- dity. The miners are learning slowly and exceedingly painfully that the gloved hand of toryism that they grasped so warmly in June last year, was the hypocritical mailed fist of capitalism. Since writing the above the total one or more of the dozen things that | stores raided has risen to eleven, BIG INSURANCE MEN REVIEW THE TREND OF COMPANY UNIONS AND INSURANCE OF “HANDS’” LOYALTY By LELAND OLDS, Federated Press. The checkoff from wages to collect regular insurance premiums has be- come an important feature in the increasing use of insurance by employers to tie workers to the industry. This! is emphasized in a review of the insur- ance year by President I, M, Hamilton of the Federal Insurance Co. He says: “Another very important development in life insurance which gained greatly in popularity and in volume during 1925, and was granted in 1925 for the first time by many important com- panies, is known as the ‘salary or pay- roll deduction insurance,’ One Happy Family, “Under this plan, thru the co-opera- tion of insurance company, employer and employe, the most desirable forms of insurance are made available to em- ployes with little formality and so that upon request of the employe the em- ployer regularly each month will pay for the employe the premium upon his life insurance. This method of plac* ing insurance within the family, so to speak, is gaining greatly in popu- larity both with the employes and e~- ployers and bids fair to result in what aptly has been termed an immense increase in mass insurance,” Employers make no outcry against employing the checkoff for this kind of insurance, In fact, it is being de- veloped in their interest to insure y not only the life of the worker, but also a faithful employe. It is grossly inconsistent for them to oppose the checkoff to pay union dues. This other checkoff covers the most important kind of insurance, the insurance of d@ cent living conditions to the workers and their families, Boost for Company Unions, The general trend toward co-opera- tion of labor and capital along company union lines is the main thot in the year-end review of another high in- surance official, Henry Bruere, vice- president Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., sees the prosperity of the work- ing people as the most discussed cir- cumstance in the present economic lite of America, A sub a day will help to drive capital away, 5. The abolition of gangsterism and gag rule in the organization and the establishment of free speech and freedom of opinion in the Marine Transport Workers’ Union, 6. Co-operation with all other marine workers’ organizations, local-' ly, which are engaged in a sincere effort to carry on the class struggle against the ship owners, on the basis of the immediate issues which con- cern the marine workers. 7. For a union for the marine trans- port workers and by the marine trans- port workers. Because O'Hagan stands for these progressive demands, the reaction- aries have launched a vicious attack against them, aided by gangster ele- ments and the capitalist press (Daily News). Every effort is being made to remove him against the expressed wishes of the rank and file. Marine transport workers! an’s fight is your fight. He stands for your interests. Attend the meet- ings of the Marine Transport Work- ers’ Union and demand that O’Hagan be duly seated in accordance with the provisions of the constitution and the vote of the membership. Demand that the national office immediately settle the entire controversy so that we may get to work to build up the Marine Transport Workers’ Union, 510 I. W. W. into a real fighting ore ganization in the interests of the marine transport workers against the forces of the international shipping trust. Progressive Rank and File Commit tee of the Marine Transport Workers’ Union, 510, I. W. W. ZEIGLER MINERS FAGE TRIAL FEB. OND AT BENTON Corrupt Union Heads Aid Frame-up O’Hag- 1, L. D. News Service, Thirteen of the twenty Zeigler min- ers, indicted as a result of a conspir- acy on the part of the reactionary officialdom of the miners’ union and the coal operators will stand trial on Feb. 2, in Benton, Mlinois, on charges of assault with intent to murder, Not since the Mooney frame-up haa such as obvious plot been hatched to railroad union men to jail, The un usual feature of this case is, that the reactionary officials of the miners’ union are the ringleaders of the conspiracy, The International Labor Defense is fighting the case, Unite Chicago Upholstery Locals, Locals 100 and 110, Upholsterers® International Union, are amalgamated to form a new local numbered 105 in order to concentrate union organizas tion among the carpet and lnacleum layers in Chicago, . ‘ oa ee ¥ oe Sd