The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-04-26
The Trade UmOns--May Day, 1924

extend organization in period marked by industrial
activity.
1928 was one of the boom" years that the United
States boasts of to countries In all lines
of manufacture construction there demand for
workers. Wages increased especially in the building
trades but dssenson and dualism weakened the build
ing trades department Today there is hardly large
city that has not two building trades councils
waging war the knife each other Building trades
union membership has decreased.
Rail Transportation.
In the transportation industry the shop crafts-ma-
chnists blacksmiths boermakers, electricians, sheet
metal workers, etc. have been almost wiped out. On
only of the big railroad systems is there even
semblance organization of these trades and this is
unable to function effectively because Of the loss Of
morale the loss of the strike IN 1877 me
engineers fremen, conductors and trainmen well
organized but they have no connection with the rest
of the labor movement They really property hold
ing institutions and not unions in the real sense OF the
word
In the coal mining industry organization at stand
still The ofciadom of the United Mine Workers, IN
stead urging every coal miner in the country to join
miners be forced the industry. This is strange
strategy but stranger still when the fact is known that
these thousands members that 1t is proposed TO
The organization campaigns of the United Mine
Workers West Vrginia-poentially the richest btu
minous field in America have proved failures There
non-union miners in that state than ever
the coal mined by them is forcing many union
mines in other states to close
In the steel industry the widely-adversed organiza
ton campaign conducted under the safe and sane
auspices International unions with the bless
ing of the American Federation of Labor was nothing
short of disgrace.
was heralded as a movement that would confound Com
and other critics of the American Federation Oh
any workers Well here we are tackliug the United
states Steel Corporation Another thing: Foster did
fairly good job but be RADICAL lots of workers
were frightened away You got be conservative SO
they can't get nothing on YOU
Thus the officials who assumed charge OF the
Something like 100000 or $4,000 had been left over
by the Foster committee this a nice nest
the treasury Of the organising committee the work
started cautious publicity appeared every once in a
whie-not too often-and finally 1t was announced tnat
the organizing committee planned to proceed very Slowly
and carefully to develop some sort of an enveloping
movement that would leave the Pittsburgh district no
For long time now there has been great silence.
No publicity appears but from authentic sources
learn that these cautious committeeman have organized
almost one worker for every thousand dollars in
the treasury-6O steel workers, 100000
Joking aside, never has there been more glaring
example of the ineffcency, tmidty and general all,
around bankruptcy trade union oicaldom than the
pseudooganizng campaign in the steel industry Labor
organization is at its lowest point in STEEL
Textiles.
In the textile industry period prosperity preceded
the present chaotic condition Many northern mills
moving to the south where labor is still cheaper and
this has resulted in tremendous hardship to workers
affected by the change.
The feature of the situation that is of major impor-
tance however is that during the period no
substantial organizational gains made any
militant organizational campaign attempted The textile
workers face coming depression without any unity
organizations existing in the industry and
with possibility of maintaining even 25 per cent
organization.
Marine Transport.
In marine transport conditions have gone from bad
to worse tho work has been plentiful. The seamen's
practically disappeared and port after port
has refused deal with the longshoremens union and
has shop. There is probably more demoraza-
ton in the marine transport industry than in any other
that was at one time fairly well organized.
Lumber.
In the lumber industry there is no organization ex-
cept in the Pacific Northwest where the Industrial Work
of the World carry a sort of guerrilla warfare
with the timber barons. The great timber industry of
the southern states is entirely unorganzed and the will
of the lumber trust is law.
Metal Mining.
In metal mining there has been absolutely inn
provement since last May Day. The industry whole
is in rather stagnant condition due to the loss Of Euro
American countries-from properties owned by Ameri-
The amount of organization is negligible.
Electric Light and Power.
The electric light and power industry--one Of the
most strategicaIy important standpoint both
labor and capital because Of its vital necessity TO big
industry-is at least. 80 cent unorganized. The
gigantic electric monopoles not troubled by labor
organizers and the American trade union movement has
permitted this great industrial monopoly to develop
with but little attempt to organize It,
pIssributIve Trades.
In the complicated processes of distribution in the
United States there is little IL labor organization
The white collar slaves entirely unsympathetic
feeble organization Of retail clerks and few scattered
unions OF the oceworkers organization Is nonexsent
Food Industry.
In the food industry with some 100000 workers in |
Guiding both the basic processes Of manufacture and