The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-07-05

in their local unions.
Perlsteln Blocked Organization.
From that time until the strike was
called on February 9th, 1924, Perl
STEMS efforts were to strangle all
attempts made by the militants to
organize the industry. The treasury
Of the union has been used to put over
his expulsion policy. Nobody knows
just how much of the unions money
has been spent by Perlstein in his
rule or ruin policy. Now is the time
for complete investigation and ex-
PLANTATION.
The strike was called with no pre-
paration, and the organization is in
a much worse condition than when
Perlstein came to the city. The union
demands we're 10 per cent increase in
wages, the 40-hour week, unemploy-
ment insurance, ETC.; but every mem
Der knows that these demands were
made in spite of Perlstein, and ac-
cepted by him to save his face before
the rank and file.
Perlstein Pleased Manufacturers.
The manufacturers took advantage
of the state of chaos, created by Perl
stein and Sigman in the union, by
their stupid criminal expulsion policy.
They refused to sign up an agreement
at all. Perlstein was only concerned
in carrying on the strike long enough
to carry his machine over the con-
vention. Now that the convention is
over and the Sigman-P erlstein com
bine have rewritten the constitution,
whereby the organization becomes
their personal property, the strike has
served its purpose and therefore it is
called off, and with 1t, all promises
made that it was going to be carried
over the slack season.
The only difference in the situation
now and two months ago, is that the
I. L. G. w. U. convention is over; the
expulsion policy was endorsed by a
packed convention; the T. U. E. L.
has been outlawed; the preamble and
the constitution have been purged of
working class features, and the or
ganization dedicated to the Gompers
policy Of class collaboration. This was
Perlstein's objective. 1t has been
reached, the strike is not necessary
any more.
The Amalgamated Clothing Work
ers guaranteed $4,000 to aid the
strikers. The miners gave $1,000.
Unions in Chicago were asked to aid
and some we're assessing themselves
from 1Oc to Csc to aid the strikers
with the understanding that the strike
would be carried over to the busy sea-
son. Perlstein's promises are made
only to be broken.
The miners in convention, in spite
of their pitiful tales of starvation,
voted $1,000, thinking that the fight
was going to be carried on, while
Perlstein was taking the money know
ing full we'll that he was going to call
! the strike off, Only last week he as
sured the strikers that the union was
not going to give up the fight. This
week he calls it off.
Rank and File for Left Wing.
The Trade Union Educational
League with it's militant program had
been endorsed by the left wing ele-
ment in the /. L. G. w. U. who for
two years has been carrying on an
intensive educational campaign for
the leagues left wing measures. This
left wing had become the real leader
in the organization. There is no
question but that the last convention,
if normal conditions had prevailed,
would have been a left wing conven-
ton. The Perlstein-Sigman machine
would have been defeated and a mill
tant set of officials put in their place.
Unfortunately for the good of the
organization, the strategic positions
in the union were held by followers of
the yellow Amsterdam International,
under the leadership of Abe Cahan,
editor of the Jewish Daily Forward.
True to their rule-or-ruin policy, they
proceeded to expel, disfranchise, re-
move from Office, remove from bal
lots candidates either for office or for
delegates to the convention, all mem
bers who were or are being suspected
of being left wingers. The few who
were able to escape their vigilance
and were elected as delegates to the
convention, were ruthlessly unseated.
To make sure that they were in con-
troll they organized a number Of paper
locals in the East. With this packed
convention they proceeded to make
the once progressive Ladies Garment
Workers the most reactionary organ
ization in the American labor move
ment.
The Chicago strike meant a great
deal to the members but nothing to
the leaders. II was only useful to
strengthen their hold on the organiza-
ton. The organization is facing a
serious situation in New York. The
treacherous conduct in Chicago must