The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 21, 1934, Page 3

DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, MONDAY, MAY 21, 1934 Page Three Chicago, lil. Seamen Organize to Fight for Relief Demands Win Recognition, Gain Partial Demands, j Plan March r — Daily Worker Midwest Burean) CHICAGO, May 20.—Over 150 sea- men have registered with the Sea- men’s Relief Committee, sponsored by the Marine Workers Industriel Union. The organizer of the M. W.1.U. was elected permanent general chairman of the S.R.C., composed of 25 men and also chairme committees. The commitiee is to report to the men every two weeks for re-elections. The Federal Emergency Relief Administration officials tried to split the unity of the men Friday morn- ing by refusing to recognize their committee, which was sent to sit with the case workers, instructed that the “seamen are always right.” ‘This committee had been recognized ‘Thursday. The men responded by throwing up a picket line and forc- ing the official to meet with them in the Union hall and setile the grievance to their satisfaction. Then the government made attempt to bar all men now rece an ing state relief from being carried| over to Federal relief. These men were only getting two meals a day and had to do forced labor. The men forced the authorities to trans- fer all state men to Federal relief. Friday, over 150 men jammed the hell for a meeting at which they elected their committee of 25. They voted unanimously to march into the FER.A. headquarters Monday morning if the officials didn’t take them out of the flop houses by that time. The government had offered to put the men in rooming houses with a two-dollar a week food al- Jowance, until a permanent project 1s established. The men demand # minimum of 50 cents a day for food. At the end of the meeting, 60 men staying at the flop house marched in a body to smash the elothes-ruining sulphur fumigatien rule of the flop house, and also to parent their being locked out for ing late, it being an hour and a half after “closing time.” They put up a real struggle, and got their beds without the fumigation, and forced abolishment of the ‘closing time” rule. Negro longshoremen have come to the hall to ask for a meeting to launch an organizational drive among the dock workers, This Meeting will be held this week. 200 March in Everett, Wash. Stop Relief Cuts ~ EVERETT, Wash., May 20.—Two hundred unemployed workers and farmers, members of the Relief Workers Protective Association and the United Farmers League, striking Jongshoremen and other workers marched on the relief bureau here on May 16, stopped a two-thirds cut in relief and won full relief for striking longshoremen, Many smaller demands, such as forcing the welfare department to continue disbursing clothing and commodities, were also won. Jobless Workers Sent to Prison Farm NEW YORK.—Another group of single unemployed workers were sent | ® to the Greycourt, N. Y. prison farm yesterday swelling the number which have been sent from the Municipal Lodging House to 400. The men are aid $1 a @ay from which is taken ard and lodging. Tugboat Men Strike BUFFALO, N. Y., May 20.—Tug- boat men walked out on strike here, flemanding increased wages and Yhorter hours. The strike is ex- pees to spread to other ports on Great Lakes. WORKERS’ ENEMIES EXPOSED Steve Tucker (Szakaes) of Wau- kegan, Ill., has been expelled from the Communist Party as a opportunist and traitor. All work- ers and workers’ organizations are warned to have nothing more to do with this turn-coat and agent of the capitalists. Steve Tucker Party in the in- terests of the Steye Tucker (Szakacs) the fact that not so long ago he ‘accounted” for over $60 of Party and other workers’ organizations’ Jail 3 for Conducting H.R: 7598 Campaign in Rhode Island PROVIDENCE, R. I., May 20. Three unemployed workers, William Riley, John Webb, and Ferrando Ciumo, were jailed f stickers with the endorse the Wo’ Insurance Bill (HR R. I. legislature to instructing Senator: men to work and vote for its pi | sage” to be pasted on the ballots in} the May 18 special election here. | The Right to Live Club has been conducting an extensive write-in campaign on the Workers Bill in the election. The election laws state that “ni ballot shall be di red de because of any distir thereon.” Bridgeport Relief. Workers Paid $5.60. For 2 Weeks’ Work | Leaders of the Soeialist| Party Behead Fight of Jobless By J. J. SOLVENT |. BRIDGEPORT, Conn., May 20.— The warnings of the Unemploye Council and the Communist Part that Bergin, the Socialist Commis- sioner of Education, had thrust himself into the leadership of the relief workers only to sabotage their fight for $12 cash and supplement- ary relief was born our when the city relief workers received only $5.60 and a box of groceries after two weeks. Instead of answering the Relief Board with a general strike and urging the workers to demonstrate for their demands, Bergin is advis- ing the men that there is no use taking any action against the city administration because there is no money available to pay them their full demands. His plan is to first organize the relief workers and the unemployed into one workers league and when they succeed in doing that, then they will appeal to the state for better “social legislation” for the unemployed. Meanwhile, the workers in Bridgeport, because of the inactivity of their leaders, are wary of joining this league where they have to pay 5 cents a week dues and get no action in return. Many of the workers realize that only through a program of action can they force the city authorities to come across with more relief. They also realize that all the talk about the city not being in a posi- tion to meet the workers’ demands is so much socialist leaders’ bunk. The money is there, the manufac- turers and bankers are making plenty of profits and they can be forced to come across by a united fight of the relief workers and the unemployed. Some of these workers will demand at the mass meeting that action be taken and they will find that the majority of the work- ers want the same thing, The Unemployment Council and the Communist Party provided a program of action for the relief workers which most of them now realize was the only correct one for them. That is why some members of the executive committee of the Relief Workers League as well as individual members are coming to the headquarters of the Unemploy- ment Council for advice as to what next steps to take, etc. The answer of the Unemployment Council as well as of the Communist Party is general strike of all relief and/ unemployed workers for $12.00 in cash at once. Postal Workers Hit Jim Crowism In Wash, Hotels White Delegates Walk Out When Negroes Are Barred WASHINGTON, May 20.—White and Negro post office workers walked out in a body from two Jim- Crow Washington hotels when Ne- gro members of a New York dele- gation from the National Associa- tion of Substitute Post Office Em- ployees were barred by the Local and Everett Hotels here on May 17. ‘The delegation, together with other N.A.S,P.O.E. delegations from all oyer the country, had come to see President Roosevelt and Con- gressional leaders to seek passage of HR. 6560, providing for immediate filling of vacancies in the post At the Everett Hotel, several Ne- groes in the delegation were re- fused accommodation. The group then. went to the Logan Hotel, where they discovered that William A. Bailey, a Negro sub clerk in the Grand Central post office, New York, and vice-president of the N.Y. local of the NAS.P.OE., had been ejected five hours after he registered with another group of delegates. The second group aroused the other delegates, most of whom gation, now numbering over 70, left the at 1 o’clock in the morn- went to the Salvation the New York delegation. JERSEY TO HOLD PICNIC On June 10, 1934, three sections of Dis- trict 14 Communist Party, Essex, Union and Middlesex Counties, will hold a joint | James P. McCurdy, President | This article, the tenth in a series by Marguerite Young, Daily Worker staff correspondent, deals with attempts of the A.F. of L. to smash the seamen’s relief project. By MARGUERITE YOUNG WO months after seamen assumed control of relief, of the Baltimore Federation of Labor hurled a public at-| tack against the marine work- ers’ administration. He ac-} cused: “They had a dinner of tur- key and cranberry sauce. ... They even had their own barbers to shave them.” Workers, having won the right to administer government relief and cleanse it of graft, are able to serve turkey and cranberry sauce and to supply barber’s services to men who formerly existed on wormy oatmeal —and the leader of a “labor” or- ganization publicly whines about the living standard of the y new r also raised the Red 2 in this assault, the rawness of which shouts from every word} of the account of it even in the} capitalist press. I quote. from the) Baltimore Sun of March 2, 1984: “Communists are in charge of the administration of federal relief funds for the unemployed seamen along Baltimore’s waterfront, par- ticularly at the foot of Broadway,’ James P, McCurdy, president of the Baltimore Federation of Labor, charged last night at a meeting of local 241, Barbers Union. He said: “The situation has grown so that Baltimore is known among Com- munists as the chief Communist center for seamen. Word is being sent out by local waterfront Com- munists to all ports in the country that the Communists control the waterfront, at least as far as relief goes, Communists are coming here from other ports. ““The seamen would not work if they were given a few hours of la- bor each: day. And why not? I know they had a dinner of turkey and cranberry sauce. They had every- thing paid for them. They even had their own barbers to shave them,” Part $f Campaign Against Seamen It was no accident, of course, that the Baltimore Sun had sent a re- porter ‘to write up this particular local union meeting, although such local meetings are not customarily covered by the papers, This was a part of a campaign against the sea- men’s administration in which the A. F. of L. leaders have cooperated with the press, the police, the ship- owners, charity welfare racketeer- ing outfits like the Seamen’s Church Institute, the Y.M.C.A,, and finally the federal government, since the beginning of the movement. As for the specific lies:—Commu- nists were “in charge” only insofar as the seamen elected Communists to their leading committees. The inquiries among the rank and file on the waterfront, I searched dili- gently for any trace of eviden that the seamen fell into the mis: takes of such tactics. It wasn't there. They did, of course, defend themselves against scabs, but as for workers—we have seen how they swiftly reversed the policy of even applying the name, “Standard Pete.” Standard Oil's ee eS role of the A. F. of L. faker that Baltimore officials of the I. 8. U, the I. L. A. and the central jabor body choose—everything for the shipowner, everything against the professional | “scab,” to workers shipping the} IN SHORT, it was the traditional | to scab on | Friday, May seamen both in and outside of their) West Eldara own membership. Their moves fitted | line, struck for recognition of the| And the strike continues solid! into anti-worker plans of the ship-| Centralized Shipping Bureau and Labor Rouses the Waterfront X.—A. F. OF L. LEADERS ATTACK THE BA LTIMORE SEAMEN owners step by owners boycotted trol of rel: the Centralized St did they; and finally they added| open st ‘0 their record. | As ar two Balti-| more il today. | in April and rred in support of| the The I. S. place the st i work Fi y, last | 19, the crew of S. 8S. of the Black Diamond g of the united] w lishment of the Marine Union code. I. L. knocked off n| urday @ mass picket own around the pi W.I.0. seamen and L.L.A.| longshoremen. President Ox of the I. L. A. came out to the dock and ordered the stevedores back to work. Many refused to obey. Ox} nt up to an M. W. I. U. picket, <« Phil, and picked a fight. Walter Stack, M. W. I. U. leader, rushed forward to separate them. Oops, mobilized on the pier, arrested the} three. Ox, however, was freed im- mediately upon identifying himself; the other two were jailed But the seamen immediately or- ganized @ protest demonstration, (To be Continued) (Continued from Page 1) continuing attempts of Mike Tighe, strike struggles. The letter of the S.M.W.I.U. na- | tional board to the Committee of ‘Len of the A.A., follows in full “To All Lodges and Members of the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel, and Tin Workers of North America, “Do the Committee of Ten in Charge of Offensive Action, “Brotherse “The National Board of the Steel & Metal Workers Industrial Union recognizing the need of unity of all workers in the coming strike, pro- posed to the Convention of the A. A. on May ist an appeal for united action of bothe unions, based on the economic demands raised by your convention, Propose Joint Committee “Mike Tighe, your president, re- fused to read this appeal to, the conyention or to inform the dele- gates of it, He proved again by this action, that he opposes the yresident of the A.A., to prevent the | oy Steel Union Calls for United Strike e have on other posed to your Interna @ united front of the steel workers to gain higher wages and better conditions and they haye always stood opposed to the unity of the workers, “The coming strike has the possi- bility of developing to an action in- volving even more workers than the great strike of 1919, Every honest leader and every worker must clearly see that the success of this strike depends, to a large extent, on the united action of all unions in the steel industry. “We now propose to the commit- tee of ten in charge of offensive action, set up by the convention, that a joint meeting be called im- mediately of your committee and | an equal committee from the Steel & Metal Workers Industrial Union | to work out plans for joint action for the strike. Demands of Strike “We make the following proposals BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 20.— The seven Scottsboro boys held in Jefferson County jail here, estab- lished solidarity with seven white and Negro workers recently impris- oned by sending through subterra- nean channels the following reply to a letter smuggled to them by these workers, telling them “Don't you all worry for the I.L.D. will be Communist Party aided them also, as we shall see later, but every de- cision concerning the fight for con- trol and the running of relief and the Shipping Bureau was ‘made by the rank and file on the waterfront. That the Communists were “send- ing out word that Communists con- trol the waterfront” and that “Com- munists are coming here from other ports” were pure fabrication. What the seamen did, as proved by leaflets and literature which I saw, was to urge seamen everywhere to follow their lead—to fight for control of relief in their own port. That the seamen “would not work” is in the. same class: the seamen always have fought and will fight against forced Jabor; but they willingly performed the collective work necessary to keep the project in shipshape, and they constantly offered and still offer to work AOVWETE and any time a non-scabbing job at their trade is available. The seamen sent a committee of twenty-five to see McCurdy about his attack. His answer was that he was “trying to protect our organiza- tion of barbers.” From Greenstein I learned also that the A. F. of L. leaders charged the seamen with “using intimidation so that a man who would eat in a with you, for they have been with us boys for three long years.” Their letter follows in full: “Dear Comrades, I received your note and was glad to hear that you all was doing all you can to see we poor boys but sorry to know that you all got in jail, but I hope that you all will come all right, and I have seen the girl yesterday but sorry that I did not have time to talk with her and I they have been with us boys for three long years, from Charlie Weems, Roy Wright, Ozzie Powell, Olen Montgomery, Eugene Wil- liams, Willie Robertson.” The seven recently arrested work- ers are to go on trial Thursday. They will be represented by C. B. Powell, local lawyer, and Alexander E. Racolin, International Labor De- fense lawyer and Scottsboro investi- restaurant that wasn’t sympathetic to Communism was threatened with a beating; so that men who took jobs other than through the Cen- tralized Shipping Bureau were beaten up.” During almost two weeks’ constant UMWA Officials of W. Va. Outlaw Sirikes in New Agreement Resentment of Local Unions Should Now Be Organized By FRANK BORICH FAIRMOUNT, W. Va. — The new West Virginia Dis- trict, Agreement, signed by| the United Mine Workers of America officials and Ld secret for weeks, was finally made public. The reading of | the agreement at the local union meetings is causing mass revolt among the miners. The new agreement contains all the basic provisions of the expi agreement, only picnic at Willick’s Farm in Linden, New Jersey. The program includes sport events, |dancing, refreshments of all kinds, and a qe speaker. An Sree which will American and Russian music is ‘being provided for the dance. Every ef-| such Gomes 0 makes a ot gator, who was arrested Tuesday, but was later released without charges, Judge Abernathy’s court is noto- rious as a kangaroo railroad court, but the defendants are aware that Scottsboro Lads ‘in Solidarity Greeting to Jailed Communists the vagrancy charges filed against them are merely a stall to hide the accusation of Communism, and are not going to deny that they are Communsts but will affirm it vigor- ously despite the danger of sentence of one year on Alabama's vicious chain gangs, and threat of addi- tional fine of $500, which will pos- sibly mean 27 months on the chain gang. Steel Union Calls for Contributions To Fighting Fund NEW YORK.—The Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union, in connection with the coming strike action in the steel indus- try, has appealed to all organi- zatidhs and individuals to con- tribute to the $2,000 Fighting Fund. The Trade Union Unity League points out that the steel workers now stand before the de- velopment of big strike struggles in the steel industry, and the raising of this fund is necessary for the proper organization of these strike struggles. All funds should he sent at once to the Steel and Metal workers Industrial Union, Room 511, 929 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa, Cleveland Workers Win Concessions CLEVELAND, May 20. — The 270 workers of the Simmons Mfg. Co, returned to work last week with a general 10 per cent wage increase and a minimum pay of 40 cents an hour for the workers in the lower brackets. for discussion at such a meeting, nd as a sis for joint action: That the following economic ads in line with those adopted | ne A.A. convention to become} the main demands of the strike such as: “a) For the 6-hour day, 5-day week, “b) $1.00 per hour minimum wage for common labor, other trades to he increased in propor- tion, © Abolition of differential be- tween North and South, “d) Against the speed-up, “e) For Unemployment Insar- ance Bill H.R. 7598, now before Congress. ‘{) Equal rights for Negro workers. “2.—That this joint meeting issue a joint statement to all steel work- ers in the name of both unions to prepare to strike and to immediate- ly set up rank and file committees. warning the workers against Mike Tighe and the International offi- cers who will attempt to defeat the strike through maneuvers such as not bringing forward the economic demands adopted by the conven- tion and by the use of arbitration, ete, National Conference Proposed “3. That this joint meeting issue a call for a national conference to popularize the strike and to effect the coordination of the broad strike moyement. “We further appeal to all lodges of the A.A. in order to insure the development of the strike and to guarantee its successful conclusion that the A.A. lodges together with the locals of the S.M.W.1.U. where oth exist in the same mill, set up joint committees of action immedi- ately without waiting for any fur- ther negotiations in order to pre- pare and carry through the strike and effect the united action of all the workers in the mill. “In those places where both unjons exist in the same mill, we propose that in regard to the de- mand for recognition of the union we shall fight for a joint agreement to cover both unions, in addition to the demand for the recognition of a democratically elected mill committee to be elected by all the honest workers. Our understand- ing of a union shop is that the workers of such union shop have the right to join any union of their choice where more than one union exists and the abolition of the com- pany union. In proposing this policy and expressing our proposals for united action we emphasize that our position is for one militant union in the industry which can only be realized by defeating the burocrats and their policies. “We make this appeal for united action to the committee of ten and to all lodges and members of the A.A. in full confidence that every worker and every honest leader will work untiringly to establish this unity. You must judge those who come into the leadership of this strike by their attitude toward the unity of all the steel workers and Chicago, Cleveland United Steel Meets Prepare Strike Action Threaten Troops Against Striking Minn, Drivers Terror Rages as Olson, Farm-Labor Governor, | Protects Seabs | (Special te the Daily Worker) MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., May 20— The, truck drivers strike has tied up the whole commercial transporta- tion system in Minneapolis, with an estimated five thousand on strike. Militant picket lines of strikers, of| Unemployed Couneil members, Com- | munists and workers of other or-| be ganizations are holding trucks attempting to enter A reign of terror is beginning develop against the strike hundreds ef workers taken off th picket lines and arrested. The A. F. of L. leaders succeeded in prevyent- ing the Twin City street car men from joining the strike; they are also doing all in their power to stall ail the St, Paul truck drivers from joining the strike, Trotzkyites are doing police duty for the A. F, of L. leaders to point out the Communists and try to pre- vent them from joining the workers on the picket line. V, Dunn delivered @ provocative speech against the Communist leaders, urging the strikers to use personal violence against them. The Communist Party, ‘Trade Union Unity League and the| Unemployed Council are calling a mass solidarity: meeting to mobilize | for the strike at Block 20 Minnea-| polis on Sunday 4 p.m. The Com- munist Party warned all the strik- ers to watch out for strikebreaking | moves of arbitration by the Labor| Board. Bronx Tenants to Spread Fight on Jim CrowLandlord NEW YORK. — Plans were adopted last Wednesday night at the meeting of the House Commit- tee of 1636 and 1640 University Avenue, Bronx, for a mass fight against the jim-crow attempt of Bronx property owners to force 14 Negro families to vacate their homes in the two buildings. The tenants decided to canvass thehouses on Prospect Avenue, owned by the same landlord, which are occupied by Negro fami- lies, to organize these families to support the struggle against their jim-crow nae: Representa- tives of the League of Struggle for Negro Rights and the Inter- national Labor Defense were pres- ent at the House Committee meet- ing. The two organizations have de- cided to organize a campaign to collect signatures in the neighbor- hood in protest against the anti- working class segregation policies of the property owners. They also decided” to jointly call a protest mass meeting at Paradise Manor, Jerome and Mount Eden Avenue, for next Friday evening, May 25. The meeting will be addressed by a representative of the House Committee, and Charles Kunz, at- torney, who is in charge of legal action to supplement the mass fight against the attempt to evict the Negro tenants, and Charles Alexander, of the L. S. N. R. Last Wednesday several of the tenants appealed to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People for aid in the fight against segregation, and were rebuffed by the N. A. A. C. P. Attorney, Andrews, who told them that “nothing could be done” because they had no leases. The such unity are dangerous to the strike and must be ruthlessly cast aside. those who stand in the road of} yy. ouse Committee rejected this legalistic attitude of the N. A. A. C. P. and voted unanimously to continue the fight. Mine Committee to adjust griev- ances; the right of the operator to rationalize his mines with an open. provision for a wage cut; the right of the operator to sell coal to the The most outstanding new feature of the agreement is that it robs the miners of almost 50 per cent of z a House lights, $1.75; Mining lamp, $1.60; Doctor, $1.50; Dues, $1.50; Burial Fund, $1; Water, $1; Wash House, $1; Checkweighman, $1; Extra electricity for washer, 0.75; Garbage, 0.60; Blacksmith, 0,60; Extra electricity for radio, 0.50; total, $45.78. Then there are additional charges that do not come under the regular monthly deductions, such as: Initia- tion Fees to the U.M.W.A., special assessments, deposit of $2 for the garbage can, assistance to the com- pany base-ball teams, etc. Local Unions Lose Treasury When the mines are working every day the best a miner can average is $100 per month. And of this $45 goes regularly to the company. But most of the mines already work three days a week or 12 days a month. This cuts the monthly in- come of the miners to about $65 per’ month. Making $65 a month the miner actually gets $20 to live on with his family. ‘The second outstanding feature of ‘the new agreement is that it robs the miners, that is the local unions, of their treasury. Under the old agreement the company checked off the dues and turned it over to the local union, and the local union, in turn, paid the dues to the District and International Offices. Under the new agreement the company con- tinues to check off the dues, but it Ofiice of the UM.W.A. There is al the group of miners in most of mines that do not belong to the U.M.W.A. and therefore do not pay dues. The District Secretary-Treas- urer of the U.M.W.A. has a com- plete record of all the miners em- ployed in each mine. He considers them all as members of the UM. W.A. The share of dues belonging to the local unoins, because of this consideration, is used, in most cases, to pay dues to the District and In- ternational Offices for those miners that do not belong to the UM.W.A. Locals Voice Opposition ‘The agreement as a whole, and these two new features in partic- ular, have caused a bitter fight in every local union. Some of the locals have voted not to pay dues to the U.M.W.A. officials. The Osage local, until recently the stronghold of the U.M.W.A. officials in Scotts Run, voted to pay no more dues and to send committees to other local unions with the request to do the same. The entire crew of the U.M.W.A. organizers is busy attending local meetings, intimidating and attack- ing every voice of protest against the anti-strike and highway robbery agreement. Where a motion to ac- cept the agreement is passed, in- dividual miners are withdrawing from the U.M.W.A. The basic weakness in this mass Allows Deduction of $45 Per Month from Miners’ Pay perspectives. Because of this situa- tion the well organized Bittner ma~- chine is able, in most cases, to force the endorsement of the agreement. Where this is impossible it is able hers’ Ind Steel Workers Give Demands to Bosses os Today (Daily Worker Midwest Bureau) CHICAGO, May 20.—A rising sen- timent for unity of all steel workers, 1 the preparations for the strike Ss that. grow nearer daily, make the steel district from South Chicago to Gary seethe with ac- tivity. Roll Turners Take Part Priday nighi the United Roll Turners of America, an independent union of key men in the steel Plants, voted to endorse the June $ Anti-Company Union Copference, which takes place at Indiana Har- ber, and to send six delegates. The strategic character of these men can understood when we realize that ly 3 1 uurhers in Thursday, Steel and Metal Work- epresenta- tives went of the malgamated As ation of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers (A. P. of L.) and forced, over the opposition of the leaders, the presentation of their program, for consideration of the local, Propose Joint Action With A. Ae The S. M. W. L U. proposed that joint committees of both unions go to the bosses Monday to present the demands of the A. A. Convention and concrete local demands. It is also proposed that recognition of both unions and elected shop com- mittees be demanded, Even if the A. A. leaders stop joint action, the 8. M. W. 1. U. committees will demand recogni- tion of the A. A. as well as their union. Lay-offs have struck the Illinois Steel and Republic plants heayily. Hours have been shortened recently in Wisconsin Steel. The open hearths in Hilinois Steel are almost completely shut down. Lay-Offs Aimed Against Union The Republic Steel mechanical department laid off 17 men re- cently, everyone of them a member of the A. A. The fact that no non- union men were laid off, though only a quarter of the men are or- ganized, shows that the lay-offs are moves to smash the unions. In the 10-Inch Mill in Republic ten days ago an A. A. organizer was fired. Workers responded with 4 complete stoppage of work in the whole mill for ten minutes, and the organizer was rehired. On May 13, 60 workers of one of the plants met and presented demands to the boss last Monday for a bonus starting from the first ton rolled. A mass meeting will be held at Croatian Hail, South Chicago, on Monday, at which Phil Raymond of the Auto Workers’ Union and Jos Weber of the Trade Union Unity League will speak on the fight for better conditions. A fepresentative of the A. A. will be invited to speak, ‘Shag tee Cleveland Unity Meet CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 20.—The Steel and Metal Workers’ Industrial Union of this district has issued a call, signed by Frank Rogers, dis- trict secretary, for a Steel Workers’ Unity Conference, to take place Fri- day, June 1, at 7:30 pm. at the I, O. O. F, Hall, E. 55th St. and Lexington Ave. The call is ad- dressed to all labor unions, workers’ fraternal organizations, and ta clubs, lodges and societies. “The steel workers throughout the country are preparing their forces to make demands upon the steel companies for more wages, shorter hours, and recognition of their union,” states the call. “Present de- velopments point to a strike in the steel industry. In Cleveland the Steel and Metal Workers’ Industria? Union has launched a big campaign to.organize the steel workers.” “Fraternal differences, union membership, political affiliations, religious beliefs—our manifold differences must be forgotten in this great fight to organize the steel workers. We must unite and join brotherly hands of all work~ ers against the powerful steel trust. The steel workers in ail or- ganizations should be encouraged to prepare for action—to support the union demands—to join the union.” The call for the united front con- ference urges that all local unions and organizations elect three dele- gates each to the June 1 confer- ence. Executive committees are urged to take this action where there is no time for action by the entire membership. The call fur- ther urges all organizations to give wide publicity to this conference, and urges contributions—individu- ally and from organizations—for the success of the steel workers’ strug- to prevent any organized action| gle. against the agreement. Thus the whole fight of the miners against the agreement is without a definite perspective. Must Organize Opposition The main responsibility for the existence of this situation, as we pointed out on one previous occa- sion, lies with those militant ele- ments who remain outside of the U.M.W.A. and upon those withdraw- ing from the U.M.W.A. at present. A correct policy in the present situation would be to refuse to pay dues to the U.M.W.A. officials and defeat the check-off, to reject the agreement and its various provi- sions, to formulate demands in each mine to supplement the agreement and to develop a fight for these demands, to broaden the movement from the local to a district wide scale for one unified fight of all the Theatre Workers Win Their Demands from Warner Bros. YORK, Pa., May 20. — Theatre workers in the four movie houses belonging to Warner Bros. won their demands of 15 per cent, shop recognition and no discrimination, in a strike that had the support of almost the entire town. About 1150 operators of the Nirnberg Shirt Company went out on strike last week, after the president of the union had been Hed. Y na sei be orkers were being = low code specifications. The Amal- gamated Clothing Workers of America has charge of the strike. Jail 150 Who Defy Picket Injunction miners, not only against the agree- fight of the miners is the lack of sends them directly to the District organized opposition forces, with a definite immediate program and ment, but also against oe eee licy of officials o! 7A, Age one out the line of the NRA, TOLEDO.—One hundred fifty workers have been for ieriies the pany’s in mass ¥ injunction against and here or