The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 13, 1933, Page 3

— He III nn LE ECE ATLL CLES ee yo DAILY WORKER NEW YORK; TUESDAY, JUNE 13, 1933 Page Three N. Y. TRADE UNION NEWS — ARREST 3 PICKETS AT COMMODORE NEW YORK.—Three strikers who were picketing peacefully at the Hotel @ommodore, which {s on strike under fhe leadership of the Food Workers’ Yndustrial Union, were arrested Fri- day and charged with disorderly con- | duct. The cases are to be heard at the 57th Street court this morning. No reply has been received from the Joint Distribution Committee, a Jewish relief agency, which is arrang- img a banquet at the hotel on ‘Wednesday night, to the information furnished by the strike committee that there is a strike on at the hotel. The Strike Committee has requested the Joint Distribution Committee not to patronize the hotel. A group of liberals, supposed anti- fascists and Socialists are also ex- pected to be present. It will be inter- esting to note whether thcy will dare walk past the picket line on Wednes- day to participate in this banquet. Meanwhile the Strike Committee is preparing further activity in order to strengthen the strike and bring it to a successful termination. An affair for the benefit of the strikers has becn organized for Saturday night, vune 17, at the Julio Mella Club, 1413 5th Avenue, near 116th Street, at 8 pm, PAINTERS VOTE FOR SECRETARY NEW YORK.—Frank Wedl has been nominated by rank and file members of Local 499 of the Brother- hood of Painters as their candidate for Secretary of the District Council. ‘There are three other candidates in the field for the same office, Philip Zausner, under whose administration more than $100,000 dollars was mis- handled; Baleizky, formerly a Zaus- ner men, a painter politician; the third is Collins, ultra-reactionary Tammany politician. ‘The rank and file election cam- Paign committee urges every painter interested in having an organization that serves the interests of the mem- bership to vote and agitate for Wedl's election. “Wedl means getting rid ef a corrupt machine in the council. ‘Vote for Wed] and elect council dele- gates in the locals to fight for the rank and file program,” the commit- tee urges. Rank and File Program | The program includes “strict en- forcement of union wages, rank and file leadership, unemployment insur- ance and relief, exemption of the un- employed from dues, no expulsion or suspension for non-payment of dues, re-instatement of 26 expelled leaders of the rank and file, establishment of an unemployment bureau to be controlled by the rank and file. Baker Conference in BronxWednesday NEW YORK.—A Baker's Confer- ence will be held on Wednesday, June 14, at the McKinley Square Theatre at Boston Road. The Social- ist Party branches, Young People’s Socialist League, Young Communist League, Communist Party, American Federation of Labor locals and other ‘working class organizations will par- ticipate in this Conference on the Bakers’ Strike. If there is a story, editorial or car- toon you think your fellow-workers Conference in July Shop Strike Won NEW YORK, N. Y., June 12.—Knit- goods workers in the Modern K: Mills who had been on strike for a} week under the leadership of the Needle Trades Workers Industrial | Union, won their strike yester They settled for a 25 per cent increas in wages, the 44-hour week, instead | of 4715 hours they had before the | strike, equal division of work, and | other demands. | Bie SRN NEW YORK.—At its last meeting, held on Thursday, the knitgoods trade board of the Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union worked out an elaborate program of action and | preparation for an extensive organi- | zational campaign for the coming | season, which wil] be the answer to | the Roosevelt Recovery Bill. The employers of the knitgoods industry are already taking advan- tage of this bill by organizing them- selves into an Association so that they can continue with their policy of wage cuts and the upkeep of the slavery conditions in the shops. The knitgoods department is fully aware of what consequences this policy will bring to the knitgoods workers, and it is ready to plunge into an intensive campaign in order to smash the new conspiracy of the bosses. With the new season approaching, beginning in August, the knitgoods | department is therefore preparing for |a broad conference which will take place on July 22. In prepara- tion for this conference, the follow- ing program of action was adopted: larger the 1. Concentration upo> shops in the industry, wit”: Knitgoods Action FUR STRIKERS TO DEMONSTRATE! NEW YORK.—The first organized | demonstration of striking furriers,| supported by other labor organiza- tions, will take place Wednesday at 7 a.m. in the fur market. A number | unions, particularly those affili-| ated with the Trade Union Unity] League have informed the strike com-| mittee of their intention to partici-) pate in this demonstration. Yester- day, all striking shops were picketed | and the few scabs who attenfpted to get into these shops were stopped by| pickets. I. W. 0. Gives Sandwiches. The sentiment among the striking| furriers is splendid. The City Com-| mittee of the International Workers’ | Order, in a statement to the Indus- trial Union promises hereafter to sup- ply the striking furriers with sand- wiches and has also undertaken to present a special program on Wed- day at 2 p.m. at the auditorium their campaign to establish a Morris Lenger Branch in memory of Morris of the J, Hollander Co, eo 8 Furriers Called to Sign Affidavits. A special committee organized by the fur trade board is now in charge workers to be presented to the Su- preme Court, in which the furriers disclaim any affiliation to the A, F. of L. and insist that the Needle Trades Workers’ Industrial Union is the only organization which may speak in their name. All fur- riers, employed and unemployed, are urged to go to the third floor of the Industrial Union to sign this affida- vit. view of establishing shop orge zation in preparation for struggle. 2. The establishment of organiza- tion in those sections where the knitgoods shops are located, such as Ridgewood, Brownsville and Wil- liamsbridge. | 3. The organization of the un- | employed into unemployed council | to participate in organization com- | mittee. 4. To cooperate with the dress department in those sections where both have shops for concentration. 5. That the question of the de- mands for minimum wage scale and other demands should be taken up at this conference, | | | HEAR PROTESTS — ON BLUM JUNE 28 NEW YORK—The State Parole Bogrd has announced that it will hear’-a delegation elected to protest the revocation of the parole of Leon Blum and his return to jail for two years because of his activity as secre- tary of the Laundry Workers Indus- | trial Union. The delegation which | was elected at mass protest meeting | will be heard June 28. This announcement follows the granting of a new hearing to Leon Blum and comes after protests were | made by numerous workers’ organiza- tions to Governor Lehman and the Parole Board condemning the rail- roading of Blum as a frame-up of the Laundry Owners Association and the Parole Board. The delegation, headed by Jacques | Buitenkant, International Labor De- fense attorney, includes Henry Shep- ahard, Trade Union Unity League; Louis Davidson of the Cleaners and Dyers Union; Herman Riengold, Douglas, and Samuel J. Berland of would be interested in, cut it ont and paste it up where they can see it. the Laundry Workers Industrial Union. D iscuss “Recovery” Bill at Mass Meet NEW YORK.—Stating that “the National Industrial Recovery Bill is becoming a serious problem for all of the unions,” and that “it is of the utmost importance for us to have a clear understanding of its meaning,” the Joint Committee of Left Wing Groups of the A. F. of L. and In- dependent Unions have called a mass meeting to discuss the question. It will be held Wednesday, June 14, | at Irvine Plaza, Irving Place and 15th Street at 8 p.m. Discuss Furrier Situation The meeting will also take up the situation in the Furriers Union, which has been the target of attack by the A. F. of L. and the bosses in their campaign t® smash militant unions. Ben Gold, secretary of the Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union, will present facts on the role of the leadership of the A. F. of L. officials in the attack. i Organized and unorganized workers of every trade and affiliation and union are invited to the meeting. LABOR UNION MEETINGS SISKIND SPEAKS TO WHITE GOODS WORKERS YOR! .—George Siskind will speak on and Its Affect Upon Torkers” at an open forum of the white coods workers this Thursday at 6 p.m, at the Irving Plaza, All white goods workers are urged to attend. SEWING MACHINISTS YORK.—Representatives of _ the Unity Council and the Metal Industrial Union will descrive the methods by which to organize a real rank and file union at a meeting of the Sewing Machinists and Power Table Setters’ In- dependent Union tonight. All workers in the trade are urged to be there, 100 W. 25th St., at 8 p.m, Tuesday, June 13. NEW on “The Inf White Goods NEW Get your unit, union local, or mass organization to challenge another group in raising subs for the Daily of the Industrial Union in line with} their policy of helping militant unions | in their struggles. It is also part of| Langer, who was killed by gunmen’ 400 STRIKE IN NEW BEDFORD PLANT AGAINST SWEAT SHOP: Batty of UTW Smothers Strike; Important of securing affidavits signed by fur A Battle With Cops for Relief for the Jobless Partial Demands Won BULLETIN. | NEW BEDFORD, June 12.— Night spinners in the Hathaway mill won their demand for one hour off for lunch today. A short one hour strike in the Gosneld mills took place for a higher price on new stock that they were running. A united front committee was formed and all leoms were stopped. The over- seer was forced to promise a high- er rate for work. . NEW BEDFORD, Mass., June 12— Over 400 girls and boys in one of the largest pajama sweatshops in the country walked out on strike last week against their miserable pay of $2.50 a week and intolerable work- ing conditions. The firm is owned by Morris and Marcus Cohen Bros, of New York, The strike was the result of the bitter resentment felt by the work- ers. when they. read.an article in a Boston paper, quoting Samuel Sam- the “girls are dumb bells to work under such conditions.” The walk- out occurred the following day. Batty of the United Textile Work- ers appeared on the scene soon af- ter the walk out and advised the workers to remain at home while he negotiated with the bosses and May- or Ashley. He also told them to wait for the Recovery Bill to pass and everything will be “alright”. But Batty is well-known in this region as a friend of the bosses and the work- ers, refusing to take his advice, pick- eted the mill. When the National Textile Work- ers Union organizer came to the mill the workers who were listening to Batty left him and came to the N. T. W. meeting. Batty drove off in his car. N. T. W. Issues Leaflet. The National Textile Workers Union issued a leaflet to the strik- ers which was distributed by the strikers themselves warning against these pretended “friends” of labor. The leaflet pointed out the past treacherous record of Batty and Binns and called upon the workers to organize the strike if they are to be successful. The strikers discussed the proposals in the leaflet for or- ganizing the strike, but after a long Machine Under Fire at Engineers’ Convention By R. V. STRAN CLEVELAND, O.—Rank and file revolt is being smothered by job- seekers at the convention of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engin- eers, now in session at Cleveland. In spite of the careful handpicking of delegates by the Grand Office, an organized opposition movement is in evidence strong enough to carry out the overwhelming will of the mem- bership for a thorough housecleaning, for complete abandonment of all financial ventures and for curbing the dictatorial powers of the Grand Office. The opposition has separate headquarters at the Auditorium Hotel, issues its own literature and in repeated votes has Shown that it has the support of a majority of the delegates. Many pro-administration delegates are forced in recorded votes to vote against the Grand Office on account of binding instructions from and file in their divisions. HERE, § A a who aré seeking to con- the opposition movement. ¢ oily peliticians are dead + thet the opposition may “get of hand.” They want them to be 2 just radical enough to throw out some of the old gang to make vacan- cies for themselves; but at the same time they want them to be fools “enough to stop there and leave free , to a new bunch of grafters to on the same old game. % tion leaders, and rank and file ele-| ments—has been evident in nearly) every action to date of the present convention. | Fight To Oust Johnston | Right on the first day, rank and| file delegates and sympathizers ar- rived dead set (and many of them instructed by their divisions) to throw Grand Chief Johnston and his as- sistants out of the chair and elect a chairman from the floor. Job- seekers hoping to ride into office on the backs of the rank and file im- médiately tried to get this idea out of the delegates’ heads in the opposi- | tion caucus. But they had not yet) succeeded in saddling the newly ar-| rived opposition delegates and were) overruled. | When the question came to a vote, however, on the convention floor, the job-seekers had introduced suf- ficient discouragement to enable Johnston, by a last minute personal attack on W. Eaton, the mover of the resolution, to secure its rejection by a narrow majority. The vote was in no sense a test vote, however, since the machine did the counting and disregarded demands for a record vote (which would have forced pro- administration delegates to vote in accordance with their instructions). To Probe Bsnk Veniure The strength of the opposition was shown immediately after this in the seating of John Dugan, W. Mason and other opposition delegates, al- ‘hough Johnston had used every pos- sible trick in the grouping of divi- eions to keep them from being seated. Rank and file sentiment was also shown in the denial of a seat to L. G. Griffing, first vice president, who was removed from office with Prenter and the rest in 1927 for their finan- cial actions. Another test was the vote for the appointment of several delegates on the Press Committee, in addition to the two Grand Officers placed on it by Johnston. The biggest test of anti-adminis- tration sentiment so far, however, has been the election of a committee of opposition delegates to investigate the relations of Brotherhood officials play of the three forces— velf-seeking opposi- to the unsavory failure of the Stand- ard Trust Bank. It has also been shown by the convention’s refusal to accept the reports of Grand Chief Johnston, Secretary-Treasurer Cas- cell qnd National Legislative Repre- sentative Laughlin. The committee to investigate the Standard Trust Bank is likely to play a key part in the present convention. ‘It consists of F. W. Logan, H. A. Madden, John McGuire, J. T. Corbett and Robert Sturgeon, all associated with the anti-Johnston forces. Their votes ranged from 531 to 478 (del- egates recording votes for each divi- sion they represent), as against a next highest vote of 280 ‘for the Johnston machine man, C. C. Living- stone. The first three of the com- mittee are former members of the Committee of Eight elected by the 1927 convention, which exposed much of the graft and financial mismange- ment and led to the ousting of Pren- ter and his associates. Realizing that the opposition have a majority, Johnston is playing a cunning game, He is yielding re- peatedly on minor issues to avoid a test, and working for a compromise and division of the spoils with some of the more corrupt opposition lead- ers. With their ald he has actually turned his and Cassell’s indictment for robbing the Standard Trust Bank into an administration victory. Whitewash Vote by Trickery. Johnston and Cassell, together with C. Stirling Smith, the bank president, were indicted by Grand Jury on the fifth day of the conven- tion for “wilful misapplication” of funds running into hundreds of thousands of dollars. The adminis- tration caucus immediately decided to introduce a vote of confiderice in Johnston, and the opposition caucus in a last-minute session was tricked into trying to “beat the administra- tion to it.’ It was actually the op- position that introduced the outrage- ous vote of confidence in Johnston (whom they had repeatedly denounc- ed as a grafter) that was passed by the convention! But it is noteworthy that when Johnston was being clap- ped by delegates after this vote, the rank and filers in the gallery pre- served a stony and ominous silence. Job Seekers Want Promot‘on Prominent candidates and possible candidates for Grand Chief and other leading offices include H. B. Ward, $7,000 general chairman on the Canadian National and boon friend and crony of the Canadian capitalist politicians; Carl Rudolph, $6,000 editor of the Journal, former stock salesman for Warren Stone and loyal henehman of the Stone, Pren- ter and Johnston machines until he became more ambitious; John Me- Guire, $6,000 general chairman on the Chicago & Northwestern; and W. Royster, salaried head of the Na- tional Pension movement. Such high-paid officials as these, who have sacrificed nothing, are trying to promote themselves and take advantage of an honest rank and file uprising, for which many working “hoggers” have sacrifice time, ef- fort and money, and have been ex- Ppelled from the Brotherhood for their pains. Such elements, and all the job-seekers who run along with them, are trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the honest rank and filers, whom they will ditch as soon as they veal climbed to office on their shoul- ers, It is this condition that is creating growing sympathy among the rank and file for the program of the Brotherhoods Unity Movement, which has been circulated among the del- egates. This calls for a thorough and immediate housecleaning, allow- ing none of the Grand Office gang to slip into office as Johnston did in 1927; for concentration on enactment of progressive legislation and resis- tance to any division of the opposi- tion by a job scramble; for repeal of Section 86 and all other laws that give czar’s powers to the Grand Of- fice; for initiative referendum and recall and other measures to insure rank and file control; for complete cutting loose from all capitalist busi- néss; for a united persion movement; and above all, for a clear-cut labor program on wages, violation of agrée- ments, the coming negotiations, con- solidations, employment, sho r.ter uels factory manager as saying that} LOW WAGES by Workers in 2 Mills discussion decided to elect a griev- ance committee of 7 to work out their demands and present them to the manager. Batty Misleads Strikers. After several days, however, Batty who succeeded in retaining his lead- ership prevented any real prepa- rations to carry on the strike. Today the mills were to be opened for those who want to return to work, The boss has proposed a piece rate which Batty told the workers to accept. The boss is withholding the piece rate price, however, until the work- ers return to the job. By W. C. McCUISTION. The Philadelphia and Machinery | Movers, Local 161, (International As- sociation of Bridge and Structural Iron Workers) were dissatisfied with the leadership of their local. The business agent and international rep- resentative ran the union to suit themselves. The president of Local 161 refused to take action on com- plaints. Despite unemployment the exorbitant dues of $6.25 per month remained the same. Payments were acknowledged without stamps being affixed in the books. Members were suspended without regard to consti- tutional provisions and allowed to work only on permit cards. The union itself was fast becoming only ‘Lessons from Oppo ‘TENN. COAL CO. ‘DEDUCTS JOBLESS RELIEF FROM PAY WorkersWho Returned Must Pay Back Relief | Given by Company | BIRMINGHAM, Ala. June 12.— | The Tennessee Coal and Iron Rail- road Co. are deducting from the pa} | of formerly jobless workers whom |they have rehired the few dollars of relief given them. during unemploy- ment. The Steel and Metal Worker Industrial Union is leading the work- ers in the demand that a stop be made to these deductions. The T. C. I. system grants workers @ little relief while unemployed, but takes it back from their meagre wages week by weck after they are rehired. This method ties the workers to the company. The men who are re- hired usually go back at lower wages, 23 to 32 cents an hour. The Steel and Metal Union and the | Unemployed Council of Birmingham | have issued a leaflet warning the | Workers that the slight increases in | steel production and steel jobs are |not permanent but due to the pros- pect of a sharp inflation and that a sharp slump is due. The demands | are for no deductions from pay enve- lopes of re-employed workers for at least 90 days, and for jobless insur- ance at the expense of the employ- ers and government. Now Tell College |Grads “Unemployment Is Good for You” ee Commencement over, thousands of jcrlere graduates have been forced |into the ranks of the unemployed within the last two weeks, While cap- jitalist educators and politicians at- tempt to console them with such Statements as: “Unemployment is good for you. If you survive this, you have the chance of being a great leader,” many of them will go back home and starve with their families or turn to the forced labor camps. Tonight the National Alumni Asso- ciation will hold a symposium on “After Graduation — What?” at the Washington Irving High School at 8 p.m, 300 FOUNDRY WORKERS IN BUFFALO STRIKE AGAINST WAGE CUT BUFFALO, N. Y., June 12.—Approximately 300 workers of the No. Buf- falo Hardware Foundry struck last Sa’ turday against a 23 and a half per cent wage cut, the second within a short period. The entire shop is out against the piece work system and for the regular pay rate. Labor Department Is Behind Deportation of Seamen says I. L. D. NEW YORK.—D. W. MacCormack, Commissioner of General of Immigra- tion, in a letter to the International Labor Defense, attempted to deny the | accusations of the I. L. D. that the | Department of Labor is behind the |deportation of seamen. arrested at |the Jane Street “Y” mission | MacCormamk “lets the cat out of | the bag,” stated the T. L. D., when in the same letter he says that “it is its (abor department) clear duty to enforce them (deportation laws), and this duty is and will be continued to be performed.” Work With Police In reply, the I. L. D. stated that it is clear that the Immigration ser- vice is working hand in hand with |the police and is an instrument of terrorization of militant workers | fighting for their right to live.” | They demanded the release of all | militant workers now being held for deportation and an end to the use |of this weapon against the working | class. | The I. L. D. called upon its mem- | bership and upon all workers and their organizations, to send demands to Frances Perkins, Secretary of | Labor, in Washington, D. C., for the jimmediate release of the seamen Jarrested at the Jane Street “Y” | mission. HOWE GETS $900 FOR EACH BROADCAST | WASHINGTON, June 12.—Colonel | Lewis McHenry Howe, who attacked | the war veterans in a rado broadcast last week for demanding their back pay, gets $900 for each of his weekly radio broadcasts, besides his regular government salary. Yesterday Howe | broadcasted an interpretation of the government’s “home loan” policy, | which takes money from the treasury | and places it at the disposal of mort- gage holders, but does not in any way ‘benefit the small home owner. sition Work in Philade A. F. of L. Bridge and Iron Workrs Local an executive committee in the busi- |ness of issuing permit cards and negotiating with contracts Membership Reyolts. ‘The administration of the local be- came so rotten that despite threats of blacklisting an open rebellion de- veloped among the members, ex- members and suspended members, the majority of whom were working on permit cards. A meeting was called which was attended by about thirty Riggers. The normal membership of Local 161 was approximately 120 members so fairly representative of the general Sentiment. This meeting resulted in the formulation of a list of ten main They Built the General Electric - Now See How the G. E. Feeds Them By a Metal Worker Correspondent SCHENECTADY, N.Y.—This ration for a family of six is a sample of how the generous General Electric takes care of their unemployed. Potatoes .. Cabbage Greens (Spinach) Onions .. Cheese, American store . Dried beans . Beef or sausage . Prunes, Calif., 50-60 . Laundry soap ry: Out of the 27,000 who were laid off, only about 900 get this measly garbage basket, as the workers call it. Lately they have cut down the evap- orated milk and substituted dry syn- thetic milk, which contains prac- tically no nourishment. |The one quart of fresh milk we used to get is also cut off. The meat they hand out is mostly given to the dogs and other animals, but is certainly not fit for a human being. Many of the workers are organizing into the Un- employed Council. City, Club, Church Denies Aid; Workers Put Back Furniture NEW YORK.—Although on the lists of the Home Relief Bureau and a member of the Seymour Dramatic Club and Saint Columbo Church, Young, an Irish worker of 311 W. 26th St., could get no aid from any of these organizations and was evicted last week, Young had a dispossess notice for three weeks, during which time he asked for aid from these organiza- tions without success. The Workers’ Committee On Unemployment is lo- cated nearby, but they also made no effort to assist the worker, ‘When Young was evicted an “initi- ative group” affiliated with the West Side Unemployed Council rallied 150 workers on the-block and held an open-air meeting on the spot. The workers decided to sénd a delegation to Seymour Democratic Club for rent. { Told by the returning delegation that the club refused to pay rent, the workers took things into their own hands and put the furniture back. - 1 of the activities of General . | Johnson, formerly of the scab-herd- AWMAHON ACTS U. S. Agent Shows Owners How to Use Labor Betrayer WASHINGTON, June 12.—Textile . | bosses have been convinced that Tho- .|mas F. McMahon, president of the United Textile Workers of America, .| and his official machine can admir- ably supplement their machinery for - | Suppression of the textile workers. This is brought about as a result Hugh ing Moline Plow Company, who is .| to be administrator of the “industrial control act”, or the “industrial re- covery bill”. Johnson arranged a series of conferences with representa- tives of cotton, wool, rayon, silk and silk-dyeing employers and Mc- Mahon, With prices rising and wages fal- ling in many cases to the vanishing point the textile owners are alarmed at the growing strike activity in wide- ly separated places. They fear this movement which is in many places now spontaneously may be crystal- lized into a powerful force. They want to head it off. So Johnson commends McMahon as an agent of the government to carry out the Roosevelt, program of trying to stifle all working class activity. Paves Way for Militia and Police. From Maine to Alabama came the mill owners. They have all had ex- perience in smashing strikes. Their chief weapons have been militia, po- lice, thugs, private detectives, court injunctions and jails. They are now persuaded that they should utilize the services of McMahon & Co, to try to prevent strikes and to place themselves in the position of betray- ers in case the strike comes anyway. They don’t need to organize a com- pany union when McMahon has such a record of using the United as a company union. ORGANIZATIONS ARE URGED TO HOLD MARINE DATE OPEN NEW YORK.—All organizations are requested by the Marine Workers In- dustrial Union to keep June 25 open. On that date the union will stage an anti-war festival. The funds raised will be used to finance the union convention in July. Tickets can be procured at the union headquarters, 140 Broad St. or the Artef, 8 EB. 18th St. Telephone TO 6-518], - this group could be considered as | (WITH BOSSES OF TEXTILE MILLS grievances and five demands. The grievances were in effect the same | practically as are found in any A. F | of L. loc Draw Up Demands, The demands were: 1, Immediate election of néw officers of the local with all suspended members. taking part in the elections with fill right of voice and vote. 2. Unconditional reinstatement of all suspended mem- bers who were suspended through in- ability to pay the exorbitant dues rates and assessments due to lack of employment. 3. Reduction of reg- ular monthly dues rates in proportion to the reduction in the wage rate. 4. The investigation to be conducted openly together with the committee elected by the rank and file of the men in accordance with -demand number 1; (ie., with all suspended members taking part in the election |of said committee with full right of | voice and vote.) 5. That the Inter- natiozal representative be sent here immediately and the investigation begun without delay. A lengthy letter containing the grievances and demands was sent |to the international office setting a date for the demanded open hearing and enlarged meeting. A sentence in the letter stated: “And should we find that such consideration and justice as we are demanding is not immediately forthcoming, there will be left for us no alternative but to split away and form an independent organization of cur own.” (Emphasis mine W. C. M.) The letter was signed, “Fraternally Provisional Rank and File Committee, Local 161” and underneath were signed the names of sixty-eight riggers who had read, discussed and indorsed this step. Here at one stroke, the names of the militants were delivered to the A. F, of L. union officials. Our com- rades who for months had been ham- mering away on the correct policy ‘of “working from within” and form- ing opposition groups within the I. L. A. permitted and indorsed this initial step of the opposition of Local 161 which immediately made the op- position struggle an exterior strng- gle, The Error. The crror was caused by two things; first, the enthusiasm of get- ting such a quick response to the demands of the opposition and séec- ondly and more vital, a lack of faith in the response of the workers to our revolutionary policy of Trade Union opposition work. A clear cut oppo- sition program should have been brought forward by our comrades from the very beginning. Would these workers have fol- lowed such a program? Most cer- tainly. Later developments proved this. In the first place the leader- ship of the opposition movement were decidedly class conscious. They were readers of the revolutionary press and sympathetic to revolution- ary organizations. The first question they asked when they approached our comrades was: “If we split away from the A. F. of L., cam we get a charter from the T, U. L.? Our comrades at this time correct- ly told them that the issue was not the splitting away but rather the consolidating of the strength of the opposition, the reinstatement of the | suspended members and the securing of rank and file control of the local. Tt was pointed out that the Riggers were merely a craft division of a much larger group of organized work~ ers in the union and that an im~- mediete splitting away could only result in their isolation. The step then of immediately making known ythe personel of the opposition can ‘ ih 300) IN CLEVELAND ~ FOUNDRY STRIKE CLEVELAND, O., June 12.—Three hundred machine and foundry work- ers walked out on strike at the Ferro | Machine and Foundry Company when | the workers realized that the com- | pany would not restore the 33 per cent cut which they took on the pro- mise that it would be returned in | three months. | The workers were inducted to ac- cept the cut by the bosses who pleaded that it would help them to remain in business. All the workers were out except the manager and | the president. Following the cut, the | workers’ wages amounted to from 10 to 25 cents an hour. The top scale was 60 cents. The strikers tied up the plant as |@ result of the walk-out. After hear- ing an organizer of the Trade Union | Unity League, a committee was elected representing various depart- | ments to confer with the boss. The IWW’'s came around to confuse and {divide the workers but without suc- | cess. The boss, realizing the solidarity |and determination of the strikers to | fight for a return of their wage cut, | delayed reply until tomorrow. Scottsboro Action | Committee Formed NEW YORK.— Representing 6,000 workers, 16 Negro and white workers from 11 workers’ organizations “in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn, formed a Scottsboro Action Committee at a Conference held Friday, June 9, at the Alteration Painters Union head- quarters, 691 Broadway, Brooklyn. The Committee affiliated itself with | the National Scottsboro Action Com- mittee. The call for this Conference was initiated by the Williamsburgh | Section, New York District Interna- ' ttonal Labor Defense, [phia only be classed as a stupid, fatal er~ ror. | Recognizing this error steps were immediately taken to broaden the | fight and to involve in participation, | members of affiliated crafts. In ad- dition to this resolutions were pre- pared but were never presented, Although sympathy and like resent- ment was manifest in affiliated crafts and other locals, this sentiment was not crystallized into concrete organi- zational support and did not serve as it should have, as a basis for the development of a large opposition movement in all of the craft locals of the union. Independent Union Formed. - Efforts to get in touch with the in- ternational representative failed and the group decided to mobilize as many members of the Riggers and affiliated crafts as possible to go to the next meeting and demand a hearing. At the meeting a small | committee was admitted but the rest had to remain outside. The Commit- tee failed to get any satisfaction. It was then decided to launch an independent union, under the name of the “United Riggers Machinery Movers and Stone Derrick Men's Protective Association”. Several cor- tractors have recognized the new or- ganization, headquarters have been opened and a club charter obtained. The constitution and by-laws paralejl those of Local 161, officers have been elected and a certain progress is be- ing made organizationally but in the main they are still on the outside. The result might have been the same if the first fatal mistake had not been made. The split might have been inevitable. One thing however is certain. If the opposition had been correctly mobilized from the beginning, if the work had been properly carried on from the insidé, if the affiliated crafts had been reached and organized in support of both the riggers and their own de> mands, then most certainly the hold of the bureaucrats of the A. F. of L. would now be materially weaker and the strength of the rank and file matertally stronger. The Tasks Ahead. The formation of the new union does not mean the end of opposition work of the riggers. They must now become the working base of a larger and more energetic opposition in the entire affiliated crafts. Daily they will come in contact with new prob- lems, problems of organization, probe lems of struggle against the steadily worsening conditions. Their task now is the task of welding unity, of build- ing a broad united front among all the iron worker and building worker crafts. They must be wary lest the friendly gestures of the contractors who have recognized them become gestures of betrayal presaging further wage cuts and worse conditions. Their struggle now becomes manyfold, they must fight against the A. F. of Ly fakers who will use every effort to smash them and they must fight against the bosses who will attack their living standard. It a upon them to become the leaders struggle, to prove that conditions can be improved and wage cutting at- tempts smashed. In summing up we come to another shortcoming. In this struggle and it has most certainly been a struggle, we have not recruited even one mem-, ber into the party or even into any of our left wing organizations. They have accepted our leadership, they; indorse our policies. They are who belong in the Communist class conscious militant proletarians aware of their class position and the necessity of struggle, wee at pe