The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-05-27
why NOT THIS, IN
PLACE OF B IL [
GREEN'S MOVIES?
Detroit Auto Workers
In Union Campaign

DETROIT, Mich, May rs. - Police
again appeared on the scene at the
Briggs Manufacturing plant at Harper
Ave. when the organizers of Auto
Workers Union No. 1877 opened up the
MONDAY organization drive before the
thousands of workers whose interest
In the campaign is at a high pitch.
But there was difference.
At Thursdays meeting the factory
dicks attempted to disrupt the meet
ing and went down to defeat. Police,
arriving Immediately after the speak
ers had finished, insisted that the in
spector be approached for a permit.
They we're informed that the drive
would continue and that no permits
would be asked for. n
Federation President Punched.
At Fridays meeting a squad Of po-
lice were there before the speakers ar
rived and when the meeting opened
they arrested Frank Martel, president
Of the Detroit Federation of Labor,
and Frank Brunton, Secy. OF Local
127 Auto Workers Union.
While they were taking them to
jail Alfred Goetz got on the chair and
continued the meeting. Some fifty
cops soon arrived and attempted to
dispense the crowd. Goetz and four
others were arrested and held at the
station for an hou9 an a half and then
released.
Cops Not PopuIar-There's a Reason.
At Saturdays meeting some twenty
five or thirty cops were very much in
evidence When the workers left the
factory to get their lunches and saw
the COPS, their anger mounted and
they hooted and jeered. They were
prepared to take any action that might
become necessary to see that the
meeting was not disrupted.
However, it was a chastened Do
lice department at the meeting. In
stead Of disrupting the meeting they
were there to maintain order and ito
keep a passage way open for traffic"
as the officer in charge explained.
John Edwards Speaks.
John Edwards was the first speaker
and as he mounted the chair the crowd
cheered. Thousands Of workers lis
tened attentively and showed their ap-
probation Of every point made by the
speaker. Frank Martel followed Ed
wards, and when he stated that the
Detroit Federation Of Labor would
back the right to carry on organixa-
ton work with all the strength and
power that It could muster It was
greeted with a roar OF approval.
Then Goetz took the chair. He
scored the dicks and police for their
past Interference and pointed out that
this meeting was going forward
largely because the Briggs workers
had expressed Indignation in a very
material way because their right to
listen to union organizers had been
violated by brutal police methods.
Dig In for Big Job.
The campaign to organize the auto
workers of Detroit will go forward
with increased energy Everything
possible will be done to stop the dras-
tic process OF wage reductions, and to
improve the situation within the
shops. This is one of the most motor
ious open shop towns in the entire
country.
The union is not deceiving itself
about the enormity Of the task be-
fore it, but advantage will be taken of
every situation that may arise by Lo-
cal 127 and there is reason to believe
that the union will again become as
effective lighting machine as It was
Immediately following the world war.