The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-05-31
BROOK YIN SHOE
WORKERS FIGHT
COMP ANY TRICK
On Strike Over Plot
to Wreck Union
BY SAMUEL w. LEVIcH
(Workers CORRESPONDENCE

NEW YORK CITY, May 2e.-The
3. W. S. Shoe factory, 235 Powell St.,
Brooklyn, N. Y, Is at stand still.
All OF the forty-slx workers, who were
coming profits for the four bosses,
who own the factory are out on strike.
The history Of the strike runs as
follows: On April 80, 1925, as a re-
suit Of an argument, one Of the four
bosses threatened the shop chairman
with hammer. On the same day all
the workers walked out in protest.
The bosses asked for a settlement, the
shop crew held trial and forced the
bosses to pay two hundred dollars for
the two days lost time.
A Nice Little Conspiracy
In the meantime, the bosses framed
up neat little conspiracy, which ex-
ploded on May 10. On this day the
four bosses called twelve workers
whom they hoped they could seduce
and use as scabs to smash the Shoe
Workers Protective Union in their
shop.
The snealzy bosses presented to the
workers a neat little plan Offering
them partnership in the business on
condition that they ~ invest one
thousand dollars each in the bust
ness; ~ They accept a reduction in
wages In order to put the business on
more sound basis; (3) Increase the
hours Of work for the sake of ex-
pediency and "a they should abstain
from participation in any strike.
Should any one Of them join in
strike called by the union, he auto
matically loses his one thousand dol
lars investment in the business.
The same day the workers discover.
ed this conspiracy, thanks to the eff
hcient and live shop crew. On May
IL the workers met, the whole con-
spiracy for breaking the Shoe Work
ers' Protective Union in this shop
and the trap set by the bosses for the
twelve workers in order to be able
to use them as scabs against the in
terest Of the union and particularly
against the interests of the workers in
their own factory, were discussed by
the workers.
On May IA strike was declared
which became Immediately effective
one hundred per cent. The main de-
mand Of the workers is for a new
agreement, since the bosses violated
the old agreement by a conspiracy
against the workers. This new agree
ment demands protection and security
against repetition of such a conspi-
racy on the part of exploiters.
The writer asked the shop chairman
why he has not presented a demand
in his new agreement for reinstate-
ment Of all workers. The shop chair
man only smiled saying that such
points are unnecessary since the bos-
ses know very we'll that if even one
worker were fired, the workers as
a whole would not return to work un-
der any consideration. The writer
further inquired from the shop COM
mittee as to what assistance they got
from the press.
he was told by the strike commit
tee that the only paper giving them
support in their struggle in the F'rei-
heit of New York. They said that they
sent committee to the Forward ask
ing that an article on the STRIFE re
placed in their paper, but the yellow
socialist Forward of New York true
TO its role as a traitor to the workers
and lackey of the bourgeoisie re-
fused to support them on the fiimsy
ground that Comrade Cosgrove, a
member of the Workers Party is their
organizer.
The strike committee told the
writer that so far as they are con-
cerned the yellow Forward can go
to hell with its yellow sheet together.
Stand BY These Fighting Workers
The workers of the B. W. S. Shoe
factory appeal to all shoe workers of
Greater New York for support in their
struggle against the conspiracy of the
bosses to smash their union.