The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-10-02
omaha LABOR
UNIONS READY
FOR BONEYARD
A. F. of L. Organizers
Are Good Rum SleuthS
lRY AM A. E. Of |. Unionist. J


In fact, never in the history OF
labor unions in Omaha has or
ganized labor been in the deplor-
able condition it is in today,
and with no hope of getting out
of the rut in the near future.
Omaha labor unions, with a
very few exceptions, are mostly
in need of an undertaker-they
are as dead as they will ever be
and yet retain their charters.
The trouble with Omaha unions, and
particularly of the central body, and
the state federation, is that they have
for the past dozen years been rapidly
passing into the hands of agents of
the captains of industry. The most
notable feature of union meetings now
adays is the unanimity of these agents
in their attempts usually successful
of leading the membership off into
some blind trail whenever any ques-
ton is presented that promises to
really bring advantage to the workers.
Workers Of Ancient Vintage.
With rare exceptions, of recent
years the labor leaders of Omaha
have been men who have not been in
touch with a day of actual labor in
years. Regardless of the fact that re-
forms should come from within, the
rank and file has been betrayed so
often that it is impossible to get a
movement in that line started, and
consequently the membership Of the
unions has dwindled until there are
barely enough to hold their charters.
The funny part about these "borers
from within" is that they are all
staunch supporters of the A. F. of L.
and are continually blaming conditions
onto the Reds" Communists"
SBolshevists," etc. Not long ago the
president Of the Omaha Central Labor
union presided at a meeting that
placed a local meat market on the I'M
fair list and then went to said market
to purchase his meat supply. He and
an adventuresome machinist of days
gone by started a raid on the Reds"
In the Central Labor union for the pur-
pose of diverting attention, and after
considerable noise about the army Of
REDS" here they finally discovered
one lone delegate who admitted he
was not in accord with the A. F. Of
L. antiquated policy Of dealing with
labor questions. The delegate was I'M
r1xyfp0 fonHorn
of trumpets and front-page space in
the daily papers.
After that, of course there was no
one to blame things on, and as con-
sequence the rank and file became
more and more convinced that the
situation is hopeless until some Of
the local leaders die of old age, as
there is little chance Of ever getting
them to go to work.
They Are Slipping Out.
These so-caIled labor leaders ap-
parently are not ignorant of the condi-
lions they have brot about in Omaha
labor circles, for practically every one
Of them is planning to land a political
Job as a result of the November cleo
ton.
Several years ago Omaha unions
purchased an abandoned church prop
erty in desirable portion of the city
with the idea Of converting the prop
erty into an up-to-date labor temple
The control Of the labor temple fused
as such in the meantime) got into the
hands of the same bunch Of four-fush-
ing incompetents that have mis-di-
rected the destinies Of organized labor
here, with the result that the outlook
is bright for losing about $4,000 that
the local unions have put into the
property.
Some Wise Heads.
AS an example Of what business
sagacity those in control possess, and
how much they really care about the
welfare Of labor interests, the treas
urer Of the board has been panhandl-
ing business men for funds without so
much as making any report to the
stockholders as to who donated and
how much. Neither does he take the
stockholders into his confidence as to
what organizations meet In the temple
and what they pay In. Everything is
Jumped" and nobody except the treas
urer knows what the true state Of af-
fairs is, except that each month there
is a deficit OF around $3.50 That incl
dent ought to give your readers an
idea why labor unions are in need Of
an undertaken in Omaha.
Good Prohibition Agent.
Anyway, Omaha is a good field for
the A. +. OF l.. to use as horrible
example,"
The last organizer sent here only
stayed about a month, but in that
time he had the correct location OF
every bootlegging joint in town--and
never accomplished thing otherwise
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