The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 1, 1934, Page 8

Page Two—T. U. Trade Union Daily,QWorker Section May 1, 1934 The Taxi Strike As' Seen By A New York Workers in Two Trades |tne Blue Eagie, on the N. R. A label, Socialist Leaders of the A. F. L. - Pressure Salesmen of NRA in the ip to the militant efforts of the | left wing opposition, Dubinsky ‘Hardly a Shop Where The HighCo. Union Moves To Needle frades\Gvp Subway Toilers, Force Better Codes by Militant Fight By presenting with great pomp| failed to force upon the entire cloak coats and dresses with the N. R. A.itrade the accursed piece-work. The label to Mrs. Roosevelt, Mrs. Leh-| workers in the larger inside shops Trainman Reveals Minimum Wage Scale Transport Worker Transit Workers Are Seething Against Co. Unions, Low Wages By a Sécretary of the Transport Workers’ Union The taxi drivers of New York went on strike on Feb. 2 against unbéarablé conditions. Their earn- ings were low, their hours were long. They had to contend with the company unions and the black- lists. For a whole Week taxis were off the streets of the city. But through the machinations of Norman Thomas, the priest; Mr. Panken, the Socialist judge; Mr. LaGuardia, the would-be Mussolini; Mr. Ernst, Mr. LaGuardia’s advisor, and Mrs. Herrick, the N.R.A. agent, the taxi drivers were forced back to work. What steps did the T.U.U.C. take to prepare for the next taxi strike? Did the T.U.U.C, continue to or- ganize the transport workers in or- der to strengthen the coming taxi strike? No, it did not! Instead the T. U. U. C. took away their or- ganizer and released him to the taxi drivers, leaving the subway workers to take care of themselves without notice. So when the taxi drivers again went on strike, early in March, the transport workers, haying been totally neglected since January, were powerless to help and support. the taxi drivers in their fight against company unions. Sitting On Voleano That the traction workers of New York are ready to fight one can see from the actions of the mén in the 148th St. shop of the I, R. T., where they, in open defiance of the company union and at the danger of losing their own jobs, took steps to force the company to reinstate 14 men who had been fired. If responsible comrades would have taken hold of the transit workers and made a strenuous, sys- tematic campaign for the organiza- tion of the subway workers, with the solid support of the T.U.U.C., the story of the taxi strike would read differently, The threat of a city-wide transit strike in support of the taxi drivers, and for one basic demand, the; abolition of company unions, might and probably would have brought to the taxi bosses and their flun- keys the realization, that they no longer can treat the workers the same way they have been doing all, of these years. Big Six Officials Trying to Sell Amalgamation Party in Drive to Expose All Of Officials Tricks NEW YORK. — Officials of the Typographical Union No. 6 (New York) have consistently misled and hoodwinked the membership. Scales drawn up by the rank and file for the N. R. A. Code, and strike vote considerations have been side- tracked by the union officials. The International officials recently bership to increase its assessments for the international defense fund. Yet, when the members vote to Strike, these self-same officials do everything in their power to prevent it, On the ground that the union can’t afford to “waste” money on strike benefits. The Amalgamation Party has theréfore issued the slogan of a “vacation” strike, which the Officials call an “illegal” or “outlaw” strike. The membership is gradually becoming convinced that the only way they can strike is against the Will of the reactionary officials, both Jocal and international, The officials, including President Rouse and Vice-President Redmond, who are on the N, R. A. Complaince Board are trying to “sell” arbitra- tion to the membership, knowing that the membership is bitterly op- posed to arbitration, by circulating stories of “good” or “favorable” ar- bitration. The Amalgamation Party is car- tying on an active camaign to ex- pose the past and the planned be- trayals of the officials. Workers Condemn Lovestone Clique 2,000 Attend Trials Held in Three Parts Typos Arbitration, succeeded in persuading the mem-| man and Madame Secretary of La- bor, the Dubinskys, Hochmans, An- toninis and Zimmermans were con- tentedly resting om their laurels. The latge amount of publicity they got in the capitalist press on the ceremony of sewing on the first N. R. A. label could not and did not stop the bosses from introduc- ing slowly but systematically a set of schemes which aim to take away from the workers the conditions they gained through struggle. No Opposition from A.F.L. Leaders In this persistent policy, the bosses found, as usual, no opposi- tion from the union leaders. On the contrary, they met with the tacit approval of the A. F. of L.- Socialist leadership. In fact, the union leaders came forward with the necessary smoke-screen to hide the brutal wage-cutting. All these high-sounding schemes; scientific Schedulés, flat prices, gradés and classifications, etc., were fig leaves to cover up the systematic robbery of the workers. ‘The honey moon period of the NRA in the cloak and dress trades lasted just one month. There is hardly @ shop now in these two big trades where the minimum wage scal¢ is still maintained. In the over- whelmifg majority of the shops, the minimum has become the max- imum. Which in other words means that only a very small sec- tion of the workers can earn the | minimum seale by very strenuous | labor, The great majority are work- | ing below the minimum and in By MEILECH EPSTEIN (Editor of the Needle Worker) On the eve of May Day, it is appropriate to start with a} brief review of the general | situation in the needle trades. | Many needle trades workers too were victims last summer of the sky-high illusions created by/ Roosevelt's “New Deal.” The So- cialist leaders of the A. F. of L.) unions were among the high-pres-| sure salesmen of the N. R. A. Still) they could not check completely tentedly resting on their laurels. became impatient with the unbear- able conditions that prevailed in the shops. The original idea of some cases for only half of the | minimum, | succeeded in resisting the attacks on the week work. Between 15 per cent to 20 per cent of the cloak- makers are still working week-work. In the dress trade, als#@ due to the vigorous campaign conducted’ by the industrial union, Hochman and Zimmerman were compelled to post- pone the inauguration of their scientific wage-cutting schedule. The 4,000 votes polled by the op- position in the last elections in Local 22 was a mighty warning to the combination of Socialists and Lovestonites that are ruling this local, Still conditions are bécoming Worse, and only militant action by the workers of each shop, through shop committees, through the or- ganized efforts of the shops work- ing for one jobber, can and will the dressmakers put a stop to the greedy attempts of their employers and to the co-operation given to them by the union leaders. The recent lock-out by the con- tractors has emphasized the col- laboration of the union leaders with the jobbers. Their policy has driven them into a tight corner, from which further concessions to the employers is the only way out. It is of great significance that in the dress shops controlled by the industrial union conditions much better. The Industrial union ously the wage scales won in the explains to a great extent why the dress bosses are attempting to force their workers to join the I. L. G. W..U: Phil Zausner a Bum” Patron For Strikebreaking Sociali: leaders to replace strikes with N. R. A. codes could not be carried out entirely. Thej strike wave in the needle trades; By SOL SHERMAN BROOKLYN—On Sunday night, | Aprill 22, anh incident occurred in among the dress, whitegoods, and|Coney Island which shows up very the referendum of the cloakmakers| clearly the character -f the leader- against piece-work, bears testimony|ship of the A. F. of L., especially to the militancy of many tens of|the leaders of the Brotherhood of thousands of workers. In someé/Painters, particularly of District ‘ trades, where the burocracy was / Council No. 9. Me ;More firmly entrenched, they suc-) A strike was being carried on by jeeeded in preventing strikes. = | the Cafeteria Workers Union, sec- | A typical case is the men’s tailors, | tion of the Food Workers Industrial Where Mr. Hillman and his ma-| Union, in Nathans, a hot dog and chine stifled the eagerness of the! coda stand at Surf Ave. and 15th workers to strike and promiséd|st The picket was walking up and them the blessings of the code, with! gown carrying a sing explaining the result that the conditions of|the strike and appealing to the jthe men’s tailors are far from be- workers not to patronize the stand jing improvel. The situation is, iN during the strike. A large group of fact, going from bad to worse un- nd “Jake the ize Struck Shop gered and answered, “Say again and I'll show you what I'm trying to do.” that are| is doing its utmost to enforce vigor-| agreement with the employers. This} Is Maintained Of the most outstanding import- ance to all needle trades workers is the determined struggle of the} fur workers against a ring of en-| emies that is trying again to smash their industrial union and to re- vive the rule of the hated and discredited racketeering group of the A. F. of L. This gang, known as| the Joint Council of the Interna- | IRVING POTASH Secretary of the Needle Trades | Musicians Advance In Local Autonomy Fight in Local 802 Rank and File to Take Action on Members Up on Charges By SAM STONE As the fight for local autonomy | (self government) advances in Local an Federation of Musi ni e officials resort to all the slimy maneuvers in the revertoire of the A. F. of L. officialdom The 12 committeemen, members elected with instructions to revise the by-laws of the local and call a meé¢ting for the mem- bers to approve or reject the new by-laws (which give the members autonomy), were ht on charges of violating t ntimida ing order of the governing bo: The officials dragged out the trial over two Saturdays, April 7 and April 14 The officials hoped that the rank and file would turn yellow and who the], Workers Industrial Union, |promise to “behave,” but on April \tional Flr Workers Union, was de-|9 at the regular membership meet- | |feated again and again in 1931,| ing the rank and file committee | 1932, 1933. | exposed 8 filthy tactics of the gov- Jerning board (Weissman and Co. es a ctimiteee cutee fl included), and the members voted guided by the notorious McGrady,|°°Mfidence in the committee by a | Asst. Secretary of Labor, and {4 | unanimous vote. The members and \the new window-dressing, fur their committee nailed the lies of by the Lovestonites, the Joint Coun-|£4dle Canavan, the chairman of the |cil is now trying to gain a new| jlease on life. McGrady and the] N. R. A. brought about an agree-| ment between the two bosses’ as-| sociations and the racketeering] jJoint Council, The “Forward” and} | Dubinsky are furnishing the funds) | necessary to hire gangs to terrorize! | the fur workers, and the Love- | stonites are providing the revolu- |tionary phraseology that is neces-| |sary to the Beguns and Yurmans in| | their present tasks, | | Section 7A, which is supposed to |guarantee the workers the right to} belong to a union of their own choosing, is a mere scrap of paper! |for the law-abiding gentlemen of the N. R. A, the National Labor] governing board and they passed a new resolution empowering the 2 rank and file committees to go | ahead with the revision of the by- laws and the democratic election of | seven new officers to take the place of the “corn-fed” appointees, The governing board on April 16 found the rank and file committee men guilty and the penalty was declared held in abeyance. This is the further and more vicious at- tempt to intimidate the rank and file committee. Louis Weissman and the five “yellow” board members once more spit into the faces of the membership who elected them. If they deny they voted for the verdict of “guilty” let them come} out in the open and publish a Calls for Building Strong Transport Union New York By a Subway Worker Correspondent LONG ISLAND CITY, N. Y. — Via the Interborough Rapid Transit stovepipe com- mittee, rumor has it that we are to be rewarded by the valiant efforts of the brotherhood (company union) with a return of j;our 10 per cent that was taken from us by Messrs, Murray and Dowling for their high salaries while say- ing to us via their press that no ;man working for the I. R. T. was worth more than $20 weekly. This 10 per cent is to be paid to y: 7 per cent cash—3 per to old age pension fund, but not funny that this rumor is about the road just at the time that é@ Byrne Bill in Albany is about to become law. This bill is to he state-wide and is in effect to take 3 pel cent of ev s and chi - employed man’s wages weekly ree years or until a large h reserve fund has been built up and then if by me unfore- seen calamity” you happen to lose your job, you are to receive a grad- uated amount of from $5 to $15 for a period of 16 weeks and this too to be doled out by a member of a certain political party! Of course, it will be explained by our if rious company union that after due consideration and deliberation th all parties con- cerned (of cot not the rank and file—they don’t count) they have jcome to the conclusion that this idea is a great thing and so forth ~—with us again cut 3 per cent. Must Resist Assoults | Brother members and foremen of all transportation companies, let us organize into the Transport | Workers’ Union (Independent) so that now, and in the future, we can offer mass resistance to all assaults on our wage conditions, and on our very existence, to pay re- ceivers’ and officials’ salaries and pensions yearly, that if we worked a life-time 12 hours a day or night for 6 or 7 days a week, we could never hope to attain. But we have n the present way, being unorgan- id, only one alternative in the end “over the hill to the poor-house.” Think itover men, then talk to Board and the Labor Department, | OU OU The bosses are asking and are get-|Minority report or prove to the |Your pal and then do as free men ting their due reward for actively| membership that they voted for ac- | like our forebears would do: Or- supporting the Joint Council, |quittal, if not they are guilty as/|S2nize into “minute men” detach- |workers were standing around help- jing the picket. As usual, the police |were thete with their “Move on” But whenever complaint was nade about the lack of an organ- izer, the answer invariably would der a code that provides for 40c an hour with a terrible increase Without answering, the party | walked over to the stand and casu- Of New York be the same, “We are short of forces.” That was the only satis- ‘action that could be gotten. Must Spare Organizers Capable comrades could be spared to write swell editorials, long ar- ticles. analyzing the class struggle. Equally could they be spared for she organizing of workers in light ndustries, millinery, furniture and mattress makers. If ail the workers in these | Two thousand workers participat- ed at the open trial of the Love- stonites, held in Bronx, Brownsville and Brighton Beach, last Thursday evening, April 26th. The workers listened with great interest to the charges brought by the Furriers In- dustrial Union, and to the testi- mony of several workers from the |Shops. The verdict against the Love- stonites was voted upon almost unanimously. in the speed-up. | slogan. But the crowd stood there industries, and, for good measure | Although challenged to appear at one may add Ben Gold's fur work- the trials and to defend themselves, srs, would go on_ strike for six the Lovestonites did not come to Forced ‘Better | Codes, and helped the picket. Only in two trades where the! i workers broke through the dam | EAT Pareeee ou, he omer ae erected by the leadership, and 7 Sane us A st pulled over about twenty-five feet be be ape das Ge cleat and fom the stand and a crowd of six ieee qinion save considerable cot out. They started to walk 10 to hand down better codes. The Nathans, when. they were approach- Socialist leadership of the cloak 4 by ® woman, the wife of the and dressmakers union tried its ut-|Picket, who told them that since underlying causes which are re- | Should not buy anything there, and They took the credit for President sttike. In the group that got out of Roosevelt, General Johnéon, Earl| the car were Phil Zausner, Secre~ most to hide from the workers the| there was a strike at the place, they | sponsible for the more decent codes. Show solidarity with the workers on | Dean Howard, and modestly, for|tary of the District Council No. 9,! weeks, life in New York City would continue more or less the same. But if the transit workers of New York should strike for six hours only, the life of the whole city would be upside down. With a little practical application of the Open Letter, the taxi strike might nave been turned into a gigantic battle of New York transit workers against the Wall Street bankers; a battle the like of which New York has never seen, and which would knock a number of bricks off the capitalist structure. But for this she comrades weré short of forces. In its relation with the subway workers, has consistently acted the same Policy. Organizers would be as- signed and then when they became acquainted with the workers, they would be withdrawn and replaced by new organizers, who in due time would also be withdrawn. Organ- izers have comé and organizers have gone and in the meantime whatever progress has been made was striously retarded at each with- drawal. At times even to get leaflets out seemed to be quite a proposition. Distribution in genetal is a hard job, especially so in bad weather, There was no serious attempt of complete distribution in the transit linés, except in one section, where some comrades did particular good work, Hit and Miss But all in all it has been a hit and miss affair, and it now surely \s time for the workers to know. They have the right to know whether they can continue to ex- pect to receive this sott of leader- ship from the T.U.U.C. If this will be the method the comrades use to prove that they ate the vanguard of the working class, then there san bé no serious disagreement with them, except they'll be the van- ruard of the rear end. Tut duties of the T.U.U.C. are tear. Good organizers must be put to tvork to organize the transit workers in the shortest possible time. £0 the next time the work- ers decide to take the offensive against the bosses’ unions and for ‘their own rank and file unions, they will be fully prepared to battle to a victorious conclusion. EDITOR'S NOTE—The Trade Union Unity Council fully accepts the correct criticism made by the secretary of the B.M.T. section of the Trafsport Workers’ Union. No doubt we failed to correctly appreciate the importance of or- ganizing the transport workers of New York City, and allowed © changes and reteases of organ- izeri assigned to this work. Of the T.U.U.C., to be fair,! ‘been hetpeat ch: jany of the three places. They didn't have the guts to face the workers on the charges of treachery and strikebreaking against the fur work- ers and their union, Charles Nemeroff was chairman at the Ambassador Hall, and Irving Potash was the accuser. Among the witnesses were Bach and Esterman, two strikers of the Zimmerman and Scher fur shop, where the Loveston- ites are concentrating their forces to hélp the boss break the strike. H. Benjamin, leader of the unem- ployed workers told a typical tale of the Vicious splitting tactics pur- sued by the Lovestonites to break the ranks of the fighting unemploy- ed workers. Levitt and Koralenko, metal workers, testified on the man- ,euvers of the few Lovestonites to defeat the rank and file Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union. Old Cloakmaker Assails Cliqué J. Winogradsky was the accuser jin Brownsville. Blum and Bader of lthe Kaufman Fur Shop, and Gross of the Zimmerman and Scher shop were witnesses. Very impressive was the testimony of an old Sloakmaker ‘of Local 2, Levinson, who was for |7 yeats in succession a member of the Local Executive Board and for 2 years a member of the Joint Board. Levinson was aligned with [the Lovestonites during the last 2 ‘years, until he was convinced of their trickery and deception of the workers. Levinson brought out many facts that the Lovestonite clique was in many cases worse than the whole Dubinsky, Nagler outfit. |Friedenthal, another elderly cloak- 'maker, also testified. Rank and File Testify In Brighton Beach, the chairman | Was Carl, and 8. Wollih was the a7- ctiser. The fur workers Jacobson, |Teddy Albert, Zimmerman and i Kravitz were thé witnesses. A rank and file member of Local 22, who was in the audience, also testified. The witnesses made clear to the as- sembled workers how the Loveston- ites are acting as “window dressing” for the hated and _ discredited: tacketeering group of the Joint Council, to undermine the condi- tions of the workers and to spread the evil of contracting in the fur trade. . necessary forces for the light in- dustries and that not any organ- izer would do for this work, Recently a change has been made for the better, as a result of which we are sure work among subway workers wiil be carried on in a systematic and consis‘nt manne. The above letter has in affecting this ange. conrss if muct be emphastzta that it is much easiet to find the ANDREW OVeP EN 4RD, Secretary T, U. U, © themselves also. Then, instead of strengthening the workers by build- jing shop committees, price commit- tees, etc. to see that the newly won conditions be maintained, the jleaders, in their usual manner, pinned the hopes of the workers on Win Strike In N. Y. | To Picket Brooklyn Mill Today NEW YORK.—The workers of the Claire Knitting Mills returned to work with a complete victoty. A j Strike was declared by the Knit- goods Workers Industrial Union, against a discharge of one of the workers, but while on strike other demands were placed before the concern, for reinstatement of the discharged worker; weck work in- stead of piece work for winders; knitters, warbers and winders to work 35 hours instead of 37% hours per Week. All of these demands were won. All the knitters, warpets and wind- ers joined the Knitgoods Workers Industrial Union. The Union calls upon the Knit- goods workers to support the strike ef the Witton Knitting Mille. Come on thé picket line on Monday, April 30, at 7:30 a. m. sharp, at 260 Wail- about Strect, Brooklyn. — This strike was declared against wage cuts and the attempt of the manufacturer to maintain a 40-hour Week instead of the 35-hour week as. he has settled with the Union. Stop depending for news and informatio on the capitalist press that favors the besses and | js against the workers, Sttbsorine to the Dally Works, A“+-rica’s Knitgoods Workers | }and the notorious Jake the Bum, |former business agent of local 02 lof Brooklyn of the Brotherhood | The answer Of Jake was, “Get the hell out of here, what are you trying to do, pick up a man?” | The woman was immediately an- Organizer Arrested In. Knitgoods Strike NEW YORK.—The strike in the Winton Knitting Mills is still going ‘going on, J. Rapoport, organizer of |the Knitgoods Workers Industrial Union, was arrested in front of the Winton Knitting Mills on Friday, April 27, in the morning. Trial has been postponed for Monday, April 30. Terrific Speed-up in Standard Spring Plant (By a Worker Correspottdent) NEW YORK.—Here in Harlem there is a factory named Standard Spring Body Co, at 422-31 104th St. auto bodies and push-carts. The workers are hustling under terrific speed-up almost to the point of collapsing for fear of losing their piece of bread. Knowing that mil- lions are jobless, the boss pays from $12 to $18 for a 44-hour week, re- gardless of the fact that the boss week. Besides the superintendent compels the workers to work over- time every day until 7 in the evening and sometimes as late as 10 o'clock for littie additional money; 80 to 90 hours a week they have to work to exhaustion. We can expect nothing from the A. F. of L. leaders. The A. F. of L, leadets have faked us but they [have not fooled all of us. They asked $10 to $25 initiation fee and they collected about $3 apiece. If it had not been for the A. F. of L. we would have had a union and the 40-hour week. We should join the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union. The American bosses cannot buy the leaders of that union, as all who read the Daily Worker know. The general Office of the S.M.W.LU. is 35 E. 19th St. We must join out militantly the Industriel Union and struggle for better conditions. PICTURE OPERATORS SUPPORT H.R. 7598 NEW YORK.—Local 306. Motion Picture Opetators, I. A. 8. 8. unanimousiy endorsed H. R. 7598. only working class daily news- Paper. the Workers Unemployment iIn- surance Bilk = Fi = The factory is producing springs for | signed ah N.R.A. code for a 40-hour | ally started to buy and eat hot dogs | and soda. There were several painters in the bunch who were standing around to help the pickets. These workers im- mediately recognized Jake and Zausner, When they told the woman who they were, she went over to to them and said, “So you are the leaders of workers, you scabs and racketeers! Is this how you help to organize workers and improve | their conditions? My husband is | trying to fight and earn enough to buy bread for my children and you ‘leaders’ buy at a store where | there is a strike—you....” Jake and the others went on calmly eating and said nothing. The \Workers in the Brotherhood should | know who their leaders are and deal {with them accordingly. Instrument Makers Tie Up Production A Strike NEW YORK.—The 500 workers | organized into a company tinion in the General Instrument Corpora- tion at 225 Varick St. turned a lock- out into a strike last week and have tied up the production plant. The |tool and die makers, affiliated with tion of Detroit, are still at work. The lock-out occurred when the company leatned of the organiza- tion activities of the Independent Radio Metal Workers’ Union. The bosses’ action has resulted in turn- ing the company union into a union controlled and operated by the workers, Hoff, organizer of M. E. 8. A., ar- rived here soon after the strike and declared that he would not call out his membership. The independent union proposed a joint strike under joint leadership and is making some headway among the workers, de- spite the strikebreaking action of Hoff. Trip to USSR is Prize In Subscription Drive NEW YORK. — “Soviet Russia Today” announces a national con- test to obtain 10,000 new readers by June 1, of which 3,000 are to be subscriptions. The first prize for obtaining the greatest number of subscriptions will be a trip to the Soviet Union. Additional prizes consist of books, articles, statuettes, and pamphlets. The New York Dis- trict is offering prizes of its own in this contest, consisting of two weeks at a workers camp, one week at a camp, books, and an autographed copy of “U.S.8.R. in Construction.” MUSICIANS ATTENTION NEW YORK.—Rehearsals of the I. W. ©. Symphony Orchestra are held every Tussday at 7 p. m. and every Saturday at 3 p. m., at 106 E. 14th St., third floor, the Freiheit Gesanes Fartin Hall. All insiru- mentalists are invited to attend r¢ hearsals. |Lock-Out Turned Into the Mechanics Educational Associa-| In those few shops where the racketeers and the _Lovestonites !were able to send in some scabs, {union conditions were wiped out, |the evil of contracting is growing. The bosses are using the Joint Council to deprive the fur workers | who have, under the leadership of| | the industrial union, gained the highest conditions in the entire needle industry from their hard | won victory and to drive them back to the slavery that prevailed 1928, 1929 and 1930. Will Give Good Account The fur workers will give a good | account of themselves. They will deliver a final blow to the Joint} Council outfit and they will regain| their first place among the needle! | trades workers, in Leather Workers Win Three Day Sirike NEW YORK.—After a three-day strike, waged with great militancy, | the workers of the Lasko Leather | Strap Co., located at 125 Canal St.,| |won their demands for weekly in- creases of $2, equal division of work and recognition of their shop com- |mittee. The workers in a body joined the Independent Novelty, | Workers’ Union. | | They Double the ‘Work ' On Us in Hotel Edison. Maid Charges in Letter Daily Wo: : I am a maid in the Hotel Edis at 46th St. We are supposed to work eight hours a day, but after our work is done we have to help out at) night until 12 o'clock. That makes us work 16 hours a day and we! are worn out by that time. The head housekeeper keeps an} extra set of cards which we don’t! punch on the N. R. A. clock and also under different names. The night maids come in at four o'clock} and work very often until 2 a.m.) They punch a different set of cards.| They double the work on us, so| they won’t heave to hire more help. The extra card at the time-keepor’s is only a fake to cover ourselves. They done away with the house- men and we must do most of their| n work. A MAID FROM THE | HOTEL EDISON. | sey ce Editorial Note:—The worker) who wrete this letter should get in touch with the Hotel and Restau- rant Workers Union Local 419 of} the Food Workers Industrial Union, 60 W. 45th St., N. Y. C, for in- formation on how to organize for better conditions. New District Set Up . by the Metal Union | The New York District Board of} ithe Stoel and Metal Workers’ In-| {dustrial Union has announced that) | 2 Metropolitan District has bech} lestabliched. This 4 et will em-' ; brace Newark, Harrison, Hoboken, | Elizabeth ant. othes points in New} \York and Naw Jersov. hell. Build Rank and File Movement The members are now building a novement of the rank and file ac- ivities to carry on the fight for autonomy and take action if the committeemen are expelled or pe- nalized. They held three meeting with an ever larger which assured the success of the May 4 meeting to ratify the new attendance | ments and say “no more taxation | without representation.” Fight to Make Pay Raise Permanent Linotyne Boss Says Its by-laws. A volunteer rank and file | Only Trial committee of about 80 or 90 is or- ganizing these meetings and the committee is being enlarged by ex cellent fighters from the member- ship at each new meeting The Committee intends to edu- cate and organize the musicians so | that they will not be influenced by | fear and poisonous rumors. | It is; jexpected that with this new move- | ment thousands of members will stand up and fight like men for| their elementary rights of free speech and assembly and the nent to run their own union with a view to improving their lives and work- ing conditions. With this spirit | neither Weber, (National Executive) | nor the Devil can defeat the mem- bers. (Weber gets first mention.) | Problems of ILGW To Be Discussed at! Series of Forums Since the last strike many devel- epments have taken place in the dress trade. With Zimmerman’s bluff and the polished demagozy of | Hochman and Dubins he condi-| undermined. First they carried, through a stoppage of the lower-| priced garments and introdu flat prices for “one” week. This} was done without the knowledge of | the workers. It is months since the stoppage, and flat prices still pre- | vail. The “scientific schedule” was then announced, for which our of- ficials paid $10,000 from the treas- ury. This scientific schedule means unprecedented speed-up and thereby increased unemployment in} the trade. | Must Stop Flat Prices | During this period the Left Wing of Local 22 has been continuously calling upon the dressmakers to; | Linoter NEW YORK.—The Merganthaler Company has grented an additions] wate ‘ineres cent to its emnloyi vor to stem the graving influence of the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union. This additional raise was given for a trial period of one month to stop the organization of the men in the shon, so that no resistance would be shown when the raise is withdrawn. The 8. M. W. I. U. is now campaigning to make the 10 per cent raise permanent. More men are signing with the Union all the time. Trade Union Directory STEEL AND METAL WORKERS UNION The regular’ monthly meeting of the Ma- chine Shop Local 301 will be held Friday. May 4, at 5:30, Columbia Hell, 123 Court Street, Brook! Nominations will take place for ail officers of the local. Biections will take place on June 1, WORKERS INDUSTRIAL UNION Wednesday—Regular Bu: Note: — Formerly an educ: was held every other Wednesday, Present situation demands weekly business meetings. Thursday—Open air meeting at evening. Friday, 4 p.m.—Waterfront Unemploy= ment Council Business meeting. Sunday—Port Organizational Committee of Union meets at 12 p.m.; 3 p.m. Sunday, Open Forum MARINE * a MEETINGS OF UNITED SHOE AND LEATHER WORKERS UNION Shoe Trade Board meets every Wednes- day at 6 p.m. Shoe Grievance and Membership Com- mittee meets every Monday at 6 p.m. Slipper Trade Board meets every Mon- day at 6 p.m Slipper Grievance Membership Commit- ee meets every Thursday at 6 p.m n Trade Board meets every 6 pm eir Trade 6 pm Board meets “si Monday at Shoe Board meets every every Thursday fight agains* flat prices, the “scien- | 2 | tifie schedule,” for » stoppage in| the trade to bring up the wages to the minimum scaie, for the 30-hour | we for unemployment insurance, | ete. | The Educational Committee of the Left Wing has carried on a number of Open Forums, has is-| sued a bulletin and thousands of leaflets and through many other} methods has educated and mo-} bilized thousands of dressmakers against the class collaboration policies of the leaders of the In-j ternational Ladies’ Garment Work- ers. Now the Educational Committee | has organized a series of lectures) on every vital problem confronting | the dressmakers. The firs* lecture was held 1 On May 2, at 8 p.m. will speak on Trad 3) at Irving Plaza Hall, p.m Joint Council meets every second Priday of the month at 7 p.m All meetings are held at the headquare ters of the union, 22 W. 18th Bt, cera “aa BROTHERHOOD OF PAINTERS, DECOR- ATORS AND PAPERHANGERS OF AMERICA Local Union 261, every Friday, at 210 E. 10éth St., N.¥.C. Local Union 490, every Monday, at 109 E. 116th 8t., N.Y.C. Local Union 499, every Wednesday, at Labor Temple, sth St. and 2nd Ave, N.Y.C. ‘Local Union 848, every Monday, at Labor Temple, 8¢th St. and 2nd Ave., N.¥.C, Local Unoin 892, evezy Monday, at 216 E. 59th St, N.¥.C. Friday, at Hunts Y. Local Union 908, every Point Palace. Bronx, N. ¥. 11, every Friday, at 109° La Local Union B. 116th St., N. Local Union $1, every Painters Rank and Pile Protective Asso- ciation meets every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at the Lasor Temple, 84th. St. and Second Ave, Room 7 _ - In the apove Iscals there are organised groups of the Painters’ Rank and File Pro= tective Association, ee