The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-08-12
Garments UNION
drive SPREADS
into HAMMOND
Plan to Organize Entire
Calumet Region

The strike of car makers
which has been in progress for
the last four weeks against a
rs percent reduction in wages
Is assuming greater Importance
owing to the decision of {. K.
Hogan, organizer of the Broth
erhood Of Railway Carmen, to
put on a drive to organize the
car builders of the Calumet dis
trict.
The campaign in Hammond,
Indiana, started Friday night at
an organization meeting held in
Strobela's Hall, corner Of Nor
ton and Columbia avenues, held
under the auspices Of the car
mems union.
The meeting was attended by about
a hundred car builders employed inl
the Standard Steel Car plant. The
company was represented by a man
employed as clerk to one Of the Off
cials at the plant whose duty it is to
see to it that the workers do not be-
come organized.
The meeting was opened by the
declaration Of E. K. Hogan that the
only solution to the problems con-
fronting the car builders Of the dis
trict was to organize them land pre-
vent them scabbing on each other to
the advantage Of the bosses.
Mass Addresses Strikers.
The first speaker was Barney Mass,
organizer for the Young Workers
League, who made powerful speech
outlining the necessity of the work
ers organizing themselves SO that they
would be able to fight the wage reduc-
ton and open shop campaign being
carried on by the companies. He took
as examples of how workers can bet
ter their conditions thru organization
the clothing and mining industries.
He was followed by Tom Bell of the
Workers Party, who showed the folly
Of the workers attempting to better
their conditions by fighting in isolated
sections against the well-organized
owners Of the plants, who unite all
their forces against the workers.
"unlon VIII Stick" Hogan.
e. X. Hogan, in a fighting speech,
declared that the Garments union was
in the district to stay until the car
builders had been organized. Review
ing the 1919 organization drive, he de-
clared that the bosses had only pre-
vented the organization of the work
,ers Of Hammond by the use of their
thugs, who killed five workers at that
time. But he urged the workers to
recognize that defeat in the past
was no reason for giving up the fight
to establish union. Regarding the
present campaign, Hogan stated:
"The union that / represent is in this
fight to stay until the car makers of
Hammond are organized into a solid
union"
Low Wages Bring Child Death.
Reviewing the conditions under
which the workers labor, he pointed
out that the company houses were the
graveyards Of working class children,
and that the companies kept wages
on common low level because of the
competition and scabbing that went
on among the workers in the various
plants. and that the present plan of
the bosses was to lower their wages to
still lower level.
Many Join Union.
The result Of the meeting was that
many of those present gave their
names to the organizer as being will
ing to become members of the union
To the DAILY WORKER Hogan ex-
pressed his satisfaction over the out
come Of the meeting, saying: 1.-THE
sentiment among the men for an or
ganization is better at the present
time than it was two or three years
ago, when we were in here before
The organization campaign is to be
spread to Pullman, Michigan City, be-
sides Hegewisch and Hammond
Hegewsch Strike Still Solid.
The fourth week of the car build
ersh strike in Hegewisch finds the
ranks of the strikers still unbroken.
A new development in the conduct of
the strike is the collection of funds
from the shopkeepers of the town for
the support Of the strikers and their
families. Friday was the first time
that his was taken up, and it will be
continued on larger SCALE
Donations Made to Strikers.
The following have donated to the
support Of the strikers: Joe Yalo-
WITT, dry goods; Sarenac grocery,
Mike Blavich's cigar store, ]. Ball,
dry goods; Dave slavick, dry goods;
Baltimore barber shop. A Friend, and
= KoIanowski pramised that he would
donate groceries to the strikers.
These Didn't.
The following were visited, but re-
fused to support the strikers, In spite
Of the fact that they rely principally
upon the strikers for selling their