The Daily Worker Newspaper, February 16, 1926, Page 5

| neta LOCKOUT UNION AUTO SERVICE STATION WORKERS Mechanics Insist on the Right to Organize By a Worker Correspondent PITTSBURGH, Feb. 14. — Three Jarge’ automobile service stations in Pittsburgh locked-out all mechanics’? belonging to the machinists’ union, A few months ago the machinists’ union Started a campaign to organize the auto mechanics, whose conditions were daily becoming worse due to the vari- ous speeding-up systems and to wage cuts, Nash Fires Union Mechanics, Following the election of officers for this newly formed local, the» Nash agency fired the president, financial- secretary and treasurer. A represent- ative of the machinists’ organization immediately called on Mr. Gray, man- ager of the Nash agency, to have the three discharged officers reinstated. He was told by the manager that it was not three, but twerity-four men whom he: fired out of twenty-eight the remaining 4 being bosses, He also €eclared that. the Nash agency had the names and addresses of all the members in the local. This self-imposed “guardian” over the workers claimed his employes had no right to join the union without ask- ing his permission, Paige Company Follows Nash Lead. The Paige agency notified its work: ers to bring in their union books in- side a week or they would lose their jobs, Not one of the mechanics turned in their books. One of the Nash workers secured a job with the Oldsmobile, but when he reported for work he was told to bring in his union book and tear it up in front of the foreman. Determined to Keep Union, The locked-out men are fighting for the right to organize, and are deter- mined to keep their organization and build it. THE DAILY WORKER Send In a story—make It short, yours! Awakening of China,” by James H, unusual book, worth prison, *« Write---Rush---Order a This Week’s Prizes! No, 1—First prize will be a new book now on the pres: No, 2—Bare and Shadows,” by Ralph Chaplin, as a second prize of a book of beautiful working class poems written In Fort Leaven- No. 3—Makes an attractive third prize: “The Russell-Scott Nearing Debate” on the Soviet form of government, “which your story appears! give the facts, and a prize may be “The Dolsen, A beautiful edition of an Bundle of the issue in MINERS’ LOCAL UNION DENOUNCES SLANDER OF “PROGRESSIVE MINER” BY LE) 7 IS HENCHMAN, FARRINGTON By a Worker Correspondent, SPRINGFIELD, 1, Feb. 14—The members of Local Union No. 494, United Mine Workers of America, at their regular meeting protested against the attack made on the Progressive Miner, the official organ of the Pro- gressive Miners’ Committee, which was made by Farrington in his official family sheet on Jan. 30. In the discussion, following the reading of Farrington’s letter, miner after miner took the floor and pointed out that they were not going to let Farrington tell them what to read and what not to read. It was shown that even Farrington at one time contrib- uted money to the Progressive Miners’ Committee, but that was before Far- rington became the henchman of John L, Lewis and a tool of the coal oper- ators. It became necessary for, Far- rington to change his opinions to suit his own petty political ambitions, It was also pointed out that the Pro- gressive Miners’ Committee did not intend to form a dual union, but to build the Mine Workers’ Union and to clean up the corruption that is now going on in the Miners’ Union, After the discussion, the following motion was adopted by a unanimous vote: “That this local union instructs its secretary to notify Farrington that we protest against the position and attack that he has taken relative to the “Progressive Miner,” the official organ of the Progressive Miners’ Com. mittee.” . DISTRICT EIGHT CIRCUIT SCHOOL STARTS TONIGHT IN GARY, IND. Tonight, the District 8 Circuit ns with the class in Gary, Ind. at 205 Eighteenth street; Tuesday the South Bend, Ind., class meets at Hungarian Workers’ Hall, 1216 W. Colfax St..and ‘Thureday the Milwaukee class at Miller Hall, 802 State St. All start at 8 p.m, The subject matter is the second term of the codt'se in “Elements of Communism.” The first lesson will deal with the Industrialization of the East and the relations between the working class and the peasantry. The instructor is William Simons, Secretary of the Chi- cago Workers’ School, who taught these classes during the main part * Shs of the first semester. —_—_— The Daily Worker is a bigger paper today—and stronger. A better spokesman and a stronger weapon in every - stru; of the workers in America. to get new subscriptions. well they did.) shoulder to the job, THE DAILY WORKER, 1113 W. Washington Bivd., Chicago, Ili, Wipe Your Brow and Rest Yourself The Lenin Drive Is Over But Don’t Lay Down Your Tools! The Campaign Continues Thanks to thousands of loyal thinking workers who have contributed their time and energy and their funds (Tomorrow we will tell how BUT—The Campaign Continues To build “Our Daily,” to better serve the working, class is a never ending task that must be done in every day of the year. In this we must have your help, The Daily Worker grows or not-—it lives and thrives’ or it slumps and dies—only on your efforts. lis tae The same loyal, hard working, fighting workers who have built The Daily Worker in this drive will continue building. But they will welcome your help! Put your Speak to workers for “Our Daily” —get a sub. Put it on this blank. Rates: Outside of Chicago: Per year $6.00 Six months Three months In Chit Per year Six months Three months oA Sit cs 14th A. C, W. OFFICIALS HELP BOSS FILL SHOP WITH NON-UNION MEN By a Worker Correspondent Fifteen back makers of the vest shop on the second floor of Alfred Decker and Cohn, tailoring shop at North and Lawndale, quit work on Friday, Feb. 12, because it was im- possible for them to make a living on the low wages they were re- ceiving. Even with working over- time they could not bring their wa higher than $22 and $23 a week, The workers of this department have complained again and again to their shop chairman and to the union business agent about the cuts in wages with every readjustment of which there were a number with- in a short time. On Friday the workers waited on Kraft, the labor manager. They told him that it was impossible to continue working at such low wages. They asked him to consider giving them a higher price, but he refused to d with them and told them to take their hats and coats and go. The vest makers’ section of the union d proved of the men’s ac- tion and sent the firm’s other union men to take their places. But these union workers refused to work at such miserably low wages. The officials went even further than that. They permitted the boss to distort the clause in the union agreement which gives him the Privilege to employ non-union help when the union cannot supply him with the help needed, and now non- union men are working there, How long will we, the members of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers’ Union, put up with such in- justices? Isn’t it time that we put men in office who will work for our welfare and not for the bosses? Workers Must Rally to the Defense of the Zeigler Miners (Continued from page 1). ants, must receive the support of every class conscious honest work- er in America, Motion for new trial has already been made by the In- ternational Labor Defense. Workers! Smash th onspiracy against the Zeigler miners and the American labor movement! Rally to the support of the Inter- national Labor Defense in this trial! Demand the immediate end to the frame-up methods of the corrupt unlon officialdom! Central Executive Committee, Workers (Communist) Party of America. C, E. Ruthenberg, General Secre- tary. CORRESPONDENTS’ CLASS The Lewis Surrender. . 1. Wotk to be resumed at once with the same wages provided by the ‘expired contract, which means defeat of miners economic demands. 2. After Jan, 1, 1927, the parties may propose modirication In the wage scale in writing, and attempt to agree to the same, but the miners must continue work until 1980, irrespective of fallure of the negotiations, 3. Falling to agree, the contro- versy shall be referred to a board consisting of two members, whose decision shall be final. 4, The miners and operators shall agree to a reciprocal program of cooperation, and efficiency. 5. The board of conciliation shall Proceed to equalize wages, in ac- cordance with clause 12 of the agree- ment dated Sept. 19, 1923, 6, Except as modified herein the terms and provisions of the award of the anthracite coal strike com- mission and subsequent agreements made in modification thereof or sup- plement thereto, as well as the rul- ings and decisions of the board of conciliation, are hereby ratified, confirmed, and continued during the term of this contract, ENDING AU- GUST 31, 1930, Don’t waste your breath, put it on paper. STATEMENT OF THE INTERNA- TIONAL LABOR DEFENSE. The conviction of eight out of the thirteen defendants in the Zeigler trial should be a rousing call to the whole American labor movement to come to the defense of these mill- tant miners. These eight men face from one to fourteen years impris- onment only because they were the outstanding leaders in the struggle of the Zeigler miners against the campaign of the ‘coal operators to reduce their wages by robbing them on the weight of the coal they min- ed, and in the fight to eliminate the ku klux klan from the union to pre- vent it from wrecking the organiza- tion. These men were framed-up by the most reactionary’elements in South- ern Illinois only for those reasons: (Continued ffrom page 1) entered into the ht with the feeling that the resourceg'and influence of our powerful union Would be thrown into the fight. thu We went to “Win. We were de- termined to end ofce and ofrever the termined and once and forever the attempt of the ‘mine operators to crush our union ard enslave us. John L. Lewis in dozens of statements and speeches admitted that the 10% in- crease was meager and inadequate. John L. Lewis showed time and time again that the hard coal’miners were always, even whem working, in a state of semi-starvation. John L. Lewis pic- tured the suffering of the miner; ex- posed their terrible living conditions; and pointed out the enormous loss of life that takes place annually in the mines, We, the rank and file miners, were ready to fight to the end—to victory. We put up the longest battle in the history of the anthracite. y We are fighting to save our union and prevent our becoming virtual slaves. Now, when victory is within our grasp; when the whole labor move- |ment of America is aroused by our struggle; when organized labor is ral- lying to our supbort; when tens of thousands of dollars have already been raised to feed our families and remove the spectre of want and free }our hands for a fight to the finish; at this moment, in the midst of the battle, John L, Lewis betrays the strike; John L. Lewis sells us out; John L, Lewis gurrenders to the enemy. Anthracite minefs! Brothers! We have been betrayed! We cannot as men accept the slave agreement al- ready accepted and proposed to us by John L. Lewis. ,. As fighting miners we must repudi- ate the terms of syrrender at the tri- district convention. Every delegate that ‘has at heart the interests of our union and our intéfests as miners and as workingmen will repudiate the five- MEETS TONIGHT AT 8; TO DISCUSS NEWS STORY The Chicago Worker Correspond- ents class meets tonight at 8 p. m. in the jorial room of The DAILY WORKER, 1113 W. Washington Bivd. A brief review will be made of the mimeographed instruction pa- pers given cach student last week and the class will proceed to the next lession which will treat of the different types of newspaper writ- ing and stress particularly the most common type, the straight news story. A number of manuscripts will be read for criticism, . se The New York class in Workers Porraeneneanty meets tonight a Pp. m, at the ‘ankers, School, 108 E, oe meme year contract; the damnable scheme of “wage adjustments”; the bosses’ whole rotten agreement that was sign- ed by Lewis! ‘We must stand by the last demands of the tri-district convention, We must continue the fight for the ten per cent increase, We must reject all fake arbitration and conciliation boards, We must demand the check-off in the anthracite. Down with the slave agreement. Refuse to allow them to hang a five- year contract around your necks. Do not let them drive us back to the mines at the same slave wages that we struck against six months ago. Down with the traitorous scheme of “arbitration,” Repudiate the ninety-day clause, We miners must show them how we { Open: Letter to Anthracite Miners Progressive Miners’ Plan. 1, No compromise by arbitration or otherwlae on the demands of the tri-distriot convention. One agreement to cover the whole coal mining Industry. No government ald to operators. 2. Full recognition of the unlon, the wage Increase demanded and better working conditions, A mini- mum wage not less than full union scale. 8, The six-hour day and the five- day week, with unemployment re- lief furnished by the state or fed- eral government, disbursements to be made through the unton ma- chinery, 4, Abolition of the’ board, 5. Nationalization of the mines with workers’ control, 6. A 100% strike by withdrawal of the maintenance men, a national general strike of all coal miners and an alliance with the railroad work- ers to block scab coal, conciliation Boston Strike Settled. BOSTON, Feb, 14,—A two weeks’ strike against the Commonwealth Clothing Co. conducted by the Amal- gamated Clothing Workers brought the company to terms with the un- jon. Their crime lies in the fact that they stood by their fellow workers. Their prosecution ig a part of the attempt to smash the miners’ union, and is a direct challenge to the whole labor movement in this coun- try, The International Labor Defense, which has been in charge of these cases from the beginning, intends insify the work for thei: lease and will not rest until every one of the men indicted is free. Mo- tion for new trial has already been made. Their cause is not their own, but the cause of the entire labor movement, and all workers must come to their aid. Their noble struggle deserves the support of all workers, and this sup- port must be given quickly. The International Labor Defense calls upon all of its branches and sup- porters, and upon the American can fight. We miners must show them we can win. The whole labor move- ment will rally to our cause. The eyes of the workers’ of America are on the delegates at Scranton this Tuesday, | Anthracite miners! All together! Let us fight for the tri-district de- mands, Down with the Lewis betrayal! Down with the proposed settlement! Down with the five-year contract! Down with arbitration! Anthracite miners! Let us make it a 100% strike! Pull out the main- tenance men! Let us stick together and defeat the bosses and their boot- lickers who sold us out. Let us an- swer the betrayal! Delegates to the tri-district conven- tion! On Tuesday you vote for the sell-out and slavery or for the tri-dis- trict demands, and victory. Do not shackle us to the mine owners for five| long years. Do not allow the Lewis machine to make our union—the U. M. W. of A.—a part of the bosses’ ma- chinery. Do not make us hang our heads in shame before the labor move- ment of the whole world. Vote against the Lewis betrayal. Vote for victory for the anthracite miners, Progressive Miners’ Committee of the U. M, W. of A. — ATAINFATNANC E SCAaS 3 wijatyon & — Pinchot-Lewls Plan. 1. Five-year contract. 2. Men to go to work after con- tract Is signed, 8. Wages fixed for five years—ne- gotlating on all other demands. 4. Check-off, 6. Arbitration limited to raising wages. 6. No means for avoiding dead- locks Union Painters’ Art Exhibit Ends Tonight The Second Annual Decorative Art | Exhibition of Painters’ Local Union No, 194 at the Garfield Hall, 10 South California Ave., closes tonight. The exhibition has been divided into seven groups: Painting in ofl (landscapes and marine); flower paintings; sketch- es, designs, ornaments and decora- tions; decorative furniture; portrait and figure painting in any medium; water colors, cartoons, pen and ink and charcoal drawings; graining and marbleizing. Three prizes will be awarded in each group at the exhibition. Among the cartoons are somie drawn by Arne Swabeck. organizer of District No. 8. Workers (Communist) Party, giving the capitalist system several solar plexus blows. Shall Zeigler Miners Go to Jail? working class to rally to the de- fense and send funds to finance the appeal which Is being made. Quick action is imperative if these men are to be free. The International Labor Defense. (Signed) James P. Cannon, Executive Secretary. Page Five The Issues at Stake in Coal War The Operators’ Plan. 1, Five-year contract. 2. Mining to begin at once. . Present wages and other con ditions until changed by negotla- | tlon or arbitration, 4. No check-off, 6. Arbitration | golnts without reservation. 6. Means provided to avold @ | of all disputed deadlock, | Stvihaboonker Police | Seek Wages from Boss NEW BRITAIN, Conn., Feb. 14.-— |New. Britain police are trying to col- lect 40 from Reginald Towers for “special protection” of his brick- yard during the fall strike of clay worke: Towers claims that it is the city’s duty to furnish police pro- tection when he needs it. He refus- es to pay for the supernumerary po- lice hired by New Britain to act as private guards for Towers in his ef- fort to break the brick workers’ strug- gle for union conditions. Philadelphia Union Demands, PHILADELPHIA, Pa. Feb. 14-— Dressmakers of Philadelphia. in the International Ladies’ Garment Work- ers voted approval of demands for 10 jper cent increase in wages, . joint | board of sanitary control, cash secur- ity from contractors to insure enforce |ment of agreement and unemployment jinsurance. An intensive organization campaign has been in progress and | these demands are the result, A strike will be resorted to if employers do not grant the union agreement. b Considers Bid from Germany. GENEVA, Feb. 12—A special ses- sion of the league of nations asem- |bly was called today for March 8 to consider Germany's application for membership. The Fight Was Just Starting (Continue from Page 1.) Short time removed the fear of starvation and left the miners free to conduct the strugglé against the coal operators Knowing that their fami- lles were being taken care of by labor. HE strikers were developing an ugly mood, the demand for the with- drawal of the maintenance men was grievance committees had becoming general. The three amalgamated their forces, elected a joint secretary, invited the |. W. A. to organize and direct the relief work. They had, with only a few dissenting votes, gone on record against a settle- ment, of the strike on the basis of Lewis. the agreement now entered into by The joint grievance committee had demanded the withdrawal of the maintenance men, and unanimously went on record for a fight to the finish for the demands of the strikers as formulated at the tri-district convention, amongst which were a 10 per cent Increase in wages, $1.00 per day for the day men, no arbitration. EVER were the. strikers ag solid and as militant as they are at this moment, yet this is the time that Lewis choses to end the strike, turning victory into defeat. The magnitude of this betrayal probably will not be recognized by the majority of the miners, until they actually feel the effects of the agreement. Friday, Feb.'12, will go down in labor higtory ranking with that of the British miners’ “Black Friday.” With the rank and file and large sections of officialdom, rallying to the support of the miners, victory was almost assured. The betrayal had to come now, a month from now it could not be done, and it is yet to be seen whether Lewis can get away with it now or not, If the miners can be fooled into accepting this ruinous agreement, it means, that the nearly six months’ heroic fight has gone for naught. Six months of terrific struggle, six months of suffering with victory in sight is to be turned into defeat if the miners accept this agreement, Siege local in the U. M. W. of A, must protest against this betrayal. In the anthracite districts the delegates to the tri-district convention, in the interest of the miners, in the interest of the union, in the interest of the working class must repudiate this agreement of betrayal. They must demand that the struggle continue until the coal operators yleld te all the demands of the miners. Miners of the anthracite repudiate the Lewis coal operators’ agree- ment. Fight for the demands as formulated by the tri-district convention. NO LONG TERM AGREEMENTS, NO ARBITRATION. BRING OUT THE MAINTENANCE MEN. 100 PER CENT WILL ASSURE VICTORY. TRADE UNION EDUCATIONAL LEAGUE, HOW LEWIS EARNS PROMOTION J. W. JOHNSTONE, Acting Secretary,