The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-22
STRIKE
SETTLED ON AZ
HOUR week BASIS
Too Much Reliance Put
On Mayor CurIey


After five weeks Of struggle the
striking garment workers Of Boston
voted to return to work on a COM
promise agreement granting them
the 42-hour week in five days in
stead Of the 40-hour week for which
they went out. This represents
gain Of two hours over the 44-hour
week they had been working. How
ever, the new contract eliminates
five holidays with pay. The con-
tract is for two years. The previous
contract was for one year only.
Some Of the larger manufactur-
ers, it developed after the meeting,
are refusing to settle so the strug'
gle is not yet over in these shops.
4O-Hour Issue.
Many Of the strikers thought they
were voting for a 40-hour week
agreement. When the agreement
was put to a vote there was no
separate vote on the number of
hours and the duration of the con-
tract. The only vote was on the
rejection or acceptance of the agree
ment. The issue was not clear to
the workers, because of the parlia-
mentary procedure followed, and
many who were determined to hold
out for 40 hours, voted for the
amendment to sustain the proposed
agreement. The writer personally
asked several who voted in favor
what they were voting about, and
they said that they voted for
the 40 hours. Acceptance was urged
by the international officers and the
strike committee; whereas the rank
and file, many Of them indignant,
had no spokesman. The discussion
was monopolized by the officials,
and brought sharply to close.
Expelled Left Wingers.
The strike was called to get an
apparent victory before the biennial
convention Of the international in
Boston on May 5. Left wingers,
the most active in organization cam
paigns and strikes, had been ex-
PEELED from joint boards, from the
union, and from their jobs in the
shops. The International officialdom
had to show accomplishments" So
the issue Of forty hours was raised,
at best an ineffective one, so long
as piece work was tolerated and
the vast majority are piece work
ers. Week work should have been
fought for.
The fight for the 40-hour week
won in New York year ago, was
carried to Boston and Chicago. In
Chicago, about 1000 workers have
already returned on 40 hours.
At Curley's Kite.
It was after the mayor had in
terceded that proposals were made
leading to a compromise. Accord
ing to one striker, "Fortytwo hours
was all that Mayor Curley could
fight out for us" Since when must
nilitants who advocate better or
der, rely on political climbers to
fight their battles for them; another
feather in the cap of the politician
who is mayor of Boston, who has
lined up behind him in his campaign
for governor all labor leaders who
aspire to political jobs. Labor
which should carry the banner of
! farmer-labor party, and go alone
with the surprisingly alive farmer
labor movement now coming out of
the west, is tied to the political kite
of Curley, the democratic mayor OF
Boston. And those like Ninfo. first
vice president Of the /. L. G w u
who from the platform proclaim
themselves revolutionists, help along
such political charlatans. Well did
one striker ask, "What are YOU do.
ing to make a reality the dream
you profess to havef" What are
they. doing? Carrying out the mos.
vicious plan Of expulsions vet con
ceived, covering anyone with vision
What answer could Ninfo give? He
kept repeating Sacrifice" and "one
hundred per cent victory