The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-07-22
Continued from preceding page.)


render in the struggle for the de-
mands which the membership de-
cided to fight for and are pursuing a
completely irresponsible policy, They
called you out on strike presumably
in order to fight for a program of ten
demands which would have brought
some definite improvement in the
present miserable conditions in the
cloak industry. AS a matter of fact
they called you out on strike for
nothing. They accepted two weeks
ago the recommendations of the
Governors Committee and the Of
ficials are bargaining behind your
backs over an agreement that they
intend to sign without your know
ledge and consent.
The officials are talking a great
deal in the strike halls about vic
tory for the cloakmakers in this
strike. In reality you have won no
victory at all but severe defeat.
The union leaders would have you
believe that the concessions Of the
sanitary label to be controlled by the
Joint Board Of Sanitary Control is
great victory. On the contrary 1t is
a matter of little or no interest to
the workers in the industry so long
as the union itself does not have the
right to investigate the shops and
the books of the manufacturers and
1obbers.
The union officials are making
much (too) of the unemployment
insurance fund which they would
like to have you think is great
victory for you, although they them
selves know very we'll that this fund
is Of practically no value for the
cloakmakers as long as the general
conditions Of the industry remain in
their present chaotic state.
Then, there is the demand for a
minimum Of fourteen operators in
the shop. This is being represented
to you as a great victory for the
union although the union officials
know full we'll that this condition
can never be realized In the shops
as long as the practice Of sending
out work to submanufacturers con-
tinues and there is no guaranteed
yearly minimum period of work for
the workers in the shops.
The union leaders state that the
union will now be, able to investigate ,
the books of all manufacturers and
jobbers. But this is nothing new.
Now as before the union will be able
to examine only certain books Of the
manufacturers and jobbers and only
upon definite complaint. So that
upon this point too, nothing has been
won In the present strike.
These are the statements that the
union officials have the effrontery
to make to the cloakmakers as If
they did not understand full well
the conditions in their own indus
try, the conditions under which they
have been working during the last
few years and the ten demands
which formed the basis and the issue
of the present strike.
Brothers and Sisters:
Do not let slip this opportunity to
raise your voices against the be-
trayal which is being perpetrated
upon the workers in this present
strike. NoY while you are still in
the strike halls, now is your chance.
When you have gone back to the
shops it will be too late. Then you
will be forced to work again under
the same old wretched conditions as
before without even the opportunity
OF raising your voices collectively
against this treason to your inter-
ests. Now you can still insist on
your right to prevent the officials
from signing an agreement without
your knowledge and consent.
THEN you WILL BE VOICE
LESS AND PoWERLEssl"
The union officials are using all
sorts Of arguments to keep you from
discussing the agreement. You don't
need to discuss it, they say, because
1t is only the old agreement with
certain notifications. You must
answer them that the old agreement
has expired and that no new agree
ment has yet been made or will be