The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-03-07

OF the United Brotherhood OF Carpen
available for the rank and file members
Wrong in the Carpenters Union?", |
Trades Worker. Evidence of this co
facts, staggering to the most credulor
Attic these facts are presented in
the pamphlet, from cover to cover, is a
ism OF the methods pursued by these
bureaucratic officials.
Not Only Story Of Corruption.
Yet it is only a story of corrup-
ton confined to negative criticism,
but it is a story as we'll of the strug-
giles Of the rapidly developing left
wing movement to infuse the organ
ization with more militant methods
in pursuance Of definite concrete OBJ.
jects of betterment of conditions Of
the working class.
Along with this startling exposure,
is presented the left wing program;
the glaring contrast itself brings out
the utter impotency Of the present
administration in bold relief.
Undoubtedly many members of the
Brotherhood have never heard Of the
strike-breal1ing activities of VIM. l..
Hutcheson in New York, during the
spring, 1915. The district council in
itiated a wage demand and ATTAINED
an increase for approximately $4,000
carpenters about 5000 being compel
led to go on strike.
Hutcheson arrived in the city and
negotiate a so-called 'agreement"
with the employers association which
in reality, completely nullified the in
crease obtained by the district coun.
Gil.
When Hutchinson Broke Strike.
When submitted to a referendum
this so-called agreement was repudi-
ated by 11,474 votes to liz. Yet
Hutcheson persisted that his agree
ment be accepted, and when the mem
bership refused to obey. he ordered
the suspension Of the district coun-
| Gil and IS local unions.
He further opened up headquarters,
recruiting breakers, in an effort
to bring the New York membership
to submission. At the subsequent
general convention held at Fort
Worth, Texas, delegates sent by these
suspended local unions were kept on
of the convention hall with the helI
Of police.
The scab Chicago Agreement.
Assuming full authority for the
wage negotiations in Chicago, during
the summer of 1924, Hutcheson signed
an agreement which is point for point
even to the minutest "details of con
templated working conditions, tho
Lands award, in protest against which
141, 900 trade unionists Of Chicago
demonstrated April 20, 1922.
Yet when militant members exposed
this agreement, five were arbitrarily
expelled as has already been mention
ed in various articles in the DAILY
WORKER. However in this new
pamphlet these issues are dealt with
at length and in detail. Documents
are reproduced fully substantiating
every criticism made.
The povery of documentary trade
union history in this country has be.
come automatic. Statistics of wages
and working conditions of the various
trade unions are hardly available ex
cept thru the scant figures submitted
at conventions. The official trade un
ion journals are entirely immune t,
the currents within the movement.
The Official Journals Are Censored.
They are, as a rule, closed to the
rank and file and never give anything
but the dry-as-dust official version and
conception of the movement, sprinkl
ed with a few technical details but
never rejecting the actual life of the
organizations. The rank and file oppo
sition to the arbitrary rulership main
tanned by the trade union administra
ton machines find no expression il
these journals.
The last elections of international
officers in the United Brotherhood o.
Carpenters and Joiners marked turn
ing point in the history Of this union
For the first time left wing candi
date for general president appeared