The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-08-26
INTERNATIONAL
JEWELRY union
DISINTEGRATES
Anarchist Greenstein
Turns Reactionary
BY cHAs. SCHWARTZ.
Secretary, Boston JeweIry Workers
Protective Association.

NFoTWSTlJ LOCdl NO. D ]. - W. vi
The International Jewelry Workers
Union was a small but lively organ
ization. It embraced the most class
conscious and most militant section
of the jewelry workers. Built up in
1915 as result of the three months
brilliant struggle in New York,
under a radical, militant leadership
consisting of socialists and syndical-
lists, which reduced our hours from
81 to AZ per week. 1t rapidly spread
turnout the country, bringing improv.
ed conditions to jewelry workers in
the farthest sections Of the North
American continent.
Giving Up-onee.
The /. ]. w. u. took full advantage
of the postwar prosperity in our
trade, and with New York in the lead
again has established, without any
difficulty the A hour week. In the
same period of time, due to the ag-
gressiveness Of the new union men,
who took the slogan, 'In union there
is strength" seriously, we raised our
wages from 800 per cent to 400 per
cent.
The crisis of 1920 found the New
York jewellers entrenched again in a
six months bitter struggle for the
seven hour day. The New York jew
elry manufacturers made up their
minds to fight to the bitter end, and
with the powerful ally, the crisis, de-
feated the workers.
From Anarchist to Reaetionary.
Mr.. A. Greenstein, the secretary-or-
ganizer of Local 1, New York, was an
able leader but was hated by the
members for his despotism and auto
cratic behavior. Hence, they got rid
of him But thru wilful maneuv-
ering he became the general secretary
OF the newly formed l. ]. w. U.
Then he became respectable and
from pretended anarchist who was
at the head of the 1916 May Day
parade in New York carrying the red
flag (coinciding with the day OF our
first victory over the bosses) he
. turned into a fervent supporter Of
safe and sane trade unionism.
His main task was to befuddle the
minds Of the rank and flers by a cam
paign Of SANDER and persecution
against the reds" thru the columns
of the Jewelry Workers monthly bull.
letin, of which he was the sole edi-
tor and, censor.
Butt in his eagerness to keep the
job, he violated every rule and clause
of democracy in the union constitu-
ton, The last act was the calling off
of the 9Th general convention that was
to be held in July, 1923, under the
fiimsy pfetext that there were no
funds, altho the locals made practical
suggestions to meet this situation.
Membership RevoIts.
The explosion occurred in July,
1925, when the locals in and around
New York refused to pay any more
per capita tax unless the convention
was held. But Greenstein would not
call convention to sign his own de-
feat, so he just "whistled" and when
the funds ran low he turned the "busi-
ness" over to a lickspittle of his. Mr..
J. Isenberg and went into real bust
ness.
This successor supported by an
Executive Board OF deadheads who
feared the militants in the trade
unions more than their own doom.
have assumed the position of "Me and
Gott," meanwhile losing local after
local which got tired of paying dues
to an autocratic dues-collecting
agency, constantly sabotaging every
effort toward unity. They do not even
keep their locals informed as to what
happens to their funds.
May Call Conference.
The militant locals that have con.
tinually warned the general member
ship as to Greenstein's intention of
running If he could not rule, are con-
templating calling a conference in the
near future of all seeded locals.
which, 1t is claimed, number more
than the International, in conjunction
with those locals of the |. ]. w. U.
who see the need Of unity, to work
out a plan Of re-establishing the once
powerful International Jewelry Work.
ers' Union.