The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-03-14
AMALCAMATION
SCARES OFFICIALS
OF BOILERMAKERS
Editor Dares Not Print
Articles, He Admits

Amalgamation has so frightened
the International executive board of
the Boilermakers & Iron Shipbuild-
ers' Union that strict orders have
been given to James B. Casey, editor
OF the union journal to reject all
communications dealing with that
subject, no matter whether sponsored
by officials or other individuals.
Casey notifies Charles r. Collin
son, an active member at Sutherland
Saskatchewan, Canada, that his ar
tlcle is unacceptable because it comes
under the amalgamation taboo.
The Journal EDITORS letter is giver
below, with the amalgamation part
OF Collinson's article:
Explains Ostrich Policy.
"Your two letters Of recent date,
one of them consisting of an ar
tlele that you wished published in
the Journal, and the other making
certain corrections in the first was
received, and inasmuch as the
subject matter you dealt with, Bro.
Collnson, was one that l had pre-
vlously been instructed by the ex-
ecutive council to refuse publica-
ton on, | referred your communal
cation to the executive council,
which is now in session, and they
called my attention to the action
they took at their April 1922 meet
ing in which they instructed me to
reject all such communications
dealing with amalgamation regard
less of whether the articles We're
sponsored by international officers,
district or local officers, or individ-
ual members. Under the circum-
stances, Bro. Collinson, shall have
to withhold publication of your
article.
"Regretting that the subject
matter was not of such nature
that could publish in the Journal,
and hoping that you will write on
some other subject that would be
permissible, and of benefit to our
members, and if so l would be glad
to publish same.
yours fraternally, 81. B. CASEY,
Editor Manager OF Journal"
Amalgamation Vital Issue.
Amalgamation is the vital issu
before the Boilermakers' Union, Col
Lnson shows. Membership has drop
ped off because the ineffective craft
divided system was not able to re
sist wage reductions and the elimins
ton of time-and-a-half payments fo
overtime.
The rejected article follows, i
part:
The loss of time and one-half for
Sundays and certain specified Holt
days, the unwarranted decrease in
wages utterly out of proportion to
stha. decrease in the price of COM
modities lost to our organization
a large number of members.
Poverty, a result of the forego-
ing, was also responsible in some
degree, for | know for a fact that
some of our members did not have
the money to pay our dues and so
were automatically suspended.
The unreasonable attitude of
some of our leaders toward craft
amalgamation has in the estima-
tion of many union men | have
spoken to on the subject tended
5, further to disrupt the organization
of the working class.
Tens of thousands of morgan
lied workers must be brought into
the unions. The saying "In num-
bers Is strength" cannot be denied
by any thinking worker and ANAL
gamating our unions would bring
them to their highest numerical
strength.
Jobs for Organizers.
We are often told that the rea-
son our union officials do not favor
craft amalgamation is because
some Of them would lose their jobs
which to my way OF thinking is
sheer nonsense. There are millions
of unorganized workers in America
to be lined up, and / sincerely be-
lieve that our officers have the in
telligence, experience and ability
to organize these workers.
Small chance of them being out
Of a job if their energies were
devoted in the right direction anc
as a matter of fact many more
men Of their caliber would be
needed to adequately cope with 8
situation which sooner or later is
bound to come.
Craft System Futile.
Under the handicap of craft or
ganization, however, this is impos
sible, but the rank and file arr
slowly but surely realizing thu
antiquated, inefficient and cost!
methods employed by our Graf
form Of organization. The insig
nificant efforts Of craft union Off
GERS amounts to very little in thu
aggregate.
That we must consolidate oul
forces under militant leadership Of