The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-09-23

Joint board decided that no discussion
would take place.
Thousands came and demanded the
right to have their say Neither the
protests, nor stormy scenes that kept
up for hours, changed the plans Of
the officials. The result was the rank
and file broke up the meeting. The
leaders. fearing that their hour was at
hand, did not allow any further call
| ing Of mass meetings.
No Confidence In Yellows.
Weeks passed, the bureaucracy con-
tinued to block the calling of mass
meetings, and thus. the favorable per-
iod for an organization campaign thru
strike, was lost The situation in
the trade became worse and finally
the clique was forced to capitulate
to the rank and file, and now too late
for strike that could possibly meet
with success, a mass meeting sup
posedly for such purpose was called.
About 1000 tailors assembled and
declared that having no confidence In
the present leadership, and knowing
their fake stoppages Of the past, they
were against a strike with them as
leaders, they therefore demanded the
resignation OF all officials and that the
joint board call for new elections.
The yellow clique sneered at this
step of the masses of, the membership,
and the Joint board which is consti-
tuted not according to members, but
according to locals, made 1t possible
to give them a majority against new
elections.
Officials Forced to Resign.
Then the locals themselves took
things into their own hands. Locals
ZOE and 1877 which represent two
thirds of the membership called an
other meeting and here a packed hall
showed that the wishes of the rank
and file were not to be trifled with.
They made it clear that the oficials
must go and so strong was the press
ure that several officials got up and
/ resigned at the meeting.
The enthusiasm that is manifesting
itself now that the workers see a
change of having real working class
leaders is. wonderful. One big shop in
the city, John w. Pecks, taking ad-
vantage of the present situation de-
clared an open shop. A hundred per-
cent strike was the result. The work
ers at a big mass meeting decided
to tax themselves a dollar a week
while the strike lasts, And the re-
suits of the collections in the shops
have exceeded all anticipations. More
over a committee was elected to make
sure that this money should only be
used for the strike. This all proves
how we'll workers respond when they
are actively brot into the fold Of the
organization. rr 1sa
Rule or Ruin.
But the end is not yet, only the 1rst
round has been won. At the last
joint board meeting, after the up
roarious mass meeting had taken
place, a motion was made that all
officials resign. This happened. New
elections were decided upon, but it is
significant that altho it was common
knowledge that several old officials
were going to run against the Com
munists, at this meeting they sudden
ly changed their minds and decided
to put up no opposition. 1t became
obvious at this meeting, that their
policy is to crush the organization il
they cannot rule.
Their reasoning is this, the season
is near the end There will be no
| work. No work means no dues. The
bosses, thanks to the efforts Of the
bureaucrats, will make an offensive
against the union and these bureau
Gratis are convinced that the lefts will
not be able to withstand the storm OF
capitalist combat. At the same joint
board the number Of officials were cut
down to two business agents and a
French organizer and the pay OF all
officials is to be cut down $40 a week.
Attempt at "Red" Scare.
On the eve OF the new elections an
other mass meeting was called by the
two big locals, and here the bureau
crazy made its final attempt to fright
en- the membership. Moscow and the
Third international were the epithets
hurled right and left by the angry
raving bureaucrats, but all this will
avail them nothing.
The broad masses of the member
ship must not slacken in this fight to
cleanse their union from all shady
elements and to make Of 1t fighting
weapon against the boss. Only with
new fighting revolutionary leader
ship will the chaos in our organiza-
ton be stopped. We know the task
is not easy, we know that the yell
lows and ths bosses will unite
against us. but we also know that
within the working class themselves
lies the power to fight and overcome
ali these obstacles.
Cleaning Up Needed.
All members must become active,
VIC must not allow only a few to do
our work. The methods and nlans