The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-07-24
MACHINISTS TO
FACE PROBLEMS
in CONVENTION
Left Wing Will Fight
to Save Union

ton of Machinists faces the
gravest crisis in the history of
the organization at the coming
national convention in Detroit
on September is. Due to the
reaction and backward outlook
of the Grand Lodge officers,
headed by William n. Johnston,
the union has steadily lost In
membership and effectiveness.
At the same time the left wing
in the nnachlnists' union is
strong and aggressive.
If the militant left wing pro-
gram is adopted at the ma
chinists convention, the great
est opportunity for organiza-
Ition Of the unorganized, for de-
veloping shop councils, for
amalgamation, and for other
rank and file measures, awaits
the machinists union. If the
Johnston machine triumphs, reaction
will practically dissolve the machin-
lists organization before another con-
vention rolls around. This is the opin-
ion of Andrew Overgaard, chairman
of the International Committee for
Amalgamation Of the Metal Trades.
Johnson Looks Backward
1.-THE membership in the Information.
al Association of Machinists- has stead
lily dwindled under the Johnston
machine until now it is little more
than 75,000," said Overgaard. "At a
time when the machinists are facing
a grave industrial crisis, Johnston
looks backward, in trade union matters
and politically, when the only thing
that will save the machinists union is
an aggressive policy"
Unemployment is rife in the metal
trades, especially in the heavy indus
tries. Along with the unemployment
is the accompanying open shop plan
and the workers in these industries
are unorganized. Most Of the shops
that are organized are the small con.
tract shops which don't amount to any,
thing in the industry, with the excep-
ton of few in Chicago and New York.
Strikes and Lay-offs
I'm New York the machinists in the
Hoe manufacturing company have been
on strike for year and the Grand
Lodge officials have done nothing to
Ihelp win this strike. The machinists
in the Overland factory, and most of
the automobile factories of the country
have been laid off by the thousands. In
Detroit and Toledo and other auto
mobile cities the factories are threaten
ing to close down completely August 1.
And Johnston and his appointees have
done nothing to meet this crisis in the
Industry.
Johnston has been faced with the
problem Of stemming the backward
drift Of the Machinists organization
by carrying on national campaign to
organize the unorganized metal trades
workers. Instead he has succumbed to
the bosses wishes by championing the
B. and o. plan of class collaboration,
and by deserving the workers on the
political field in the interests of the
La Toilette middle class"
Too Many Open Shops
Most Of the shops are run on an
open shop basis. At the present time
competition is so keen that the con-
tractors cannot pay union wages, and
send their work to the scab shops. The
unorganized shops must be organized,
and the open shops" abolished in
favor of the unionized shops. Johnston,
on the other hand, seems content to
let the union shops sink to the level
Of the open shops"
"At the present time in the union
Johnston pays much attention to the
$50 called life insurance, which the
Grand Lodge officers think is so very
important. They boast about the life
insurance given by the union. The
rank and file, however, is interested in
lgetting some benefits out Of the union
while they are living. If the average
union man cannot get higher wages
from the union, instead of a death
benefit, he takes the attitude that he
might as well drop his card. The
logical insurance at this time Of de-
preston, is unemployment insurance
instead Of life insurance. What the
worker fears most is that he might
lose his job, and his family be caused
to suffer.
Left Wing To Fight
"The left wing at the machinists
convention will fight for a national
campaign to organize the unorganized
workers. To this end they will advo-
cate that Johnston be stripped OF his
appointive power, the amalgamation Of
the metal trades, formation of class
farmer-labor party, and will oppose the
B and plan of class collaboration"
Tomorrow Overgaard tells the Daily
Worker about the B. and O. plan of
} class collaboration. and will give the
position OF the committee for amalga-
} nation Of the metal trades on this i'm
portant issue which will be argued out