The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-04-28
SCAB CONTRACT
WRITTER UP BY
HARRINGTON
But Johnson City Men
Refused 1t
tspeeIaL to The paIIy workerl


since February 20, on account OF
screenings. The company asked the
miners to take wage reduction, that
the company was going to take up
shooting and drilling for ~ cents per
ton.
The men refused to take the COM
pany proposal, but some of the 100 per
centers insisted on Harrington and the
company going ahead and negotiating
new contract. So Harrington and
the general manager of the company
go together some time in February
and drew up the plan.
Harrington Draws Up scab Contract.
In that plan the company asked for
~ cents reduction and for some of
the conditions to be given up that we
had under the old contract, but espec-
tally the plan provided that the union
would not have anything to do with
those men who would take the shoot
ing and drilling job, and that the COM
pany would have the right to fire any
man off that job without explanation.
This proposition was turned down
fiat in February. But the company
want new contract and arranged
with somebody to get Harrington. So
he came down April 16 and spoke to
Local 1892.
The Usual Bunk.
He talked like all takers do: Boys,
this is a critical time. We have 31S
mines in Illinois shut down. You can
have your mine started up if you want
to, and l can help you do that. l
don't want you to take any reduction.
| am opposed to any reduction-but,
you have got to cooperate with the
operator. How are you going to help
the operator? Do it by making better
coal, so he can find a market for his
product. Our union is in danger and
you can serve" and so on for an hour
and a half.
He never said a word about the min
ers' conditions. He said not a word
about the pledges made by Governor
Small, made to the miners when
Small was seeking reelection. He
never said word about the three
year contract. He never said a word
about organizing nonunion fields.
A harrington Puzzle.
But harrington did not forget to say,
in a limiting way, that the Workers
Party members were spies" in the
union, trying to break it up. This is
the stock lie. He said that they were
paid by the operators" But he
went on to say that the operators are
not trying to destroy the U. M. w. of
A. So, the reader may take his choice
of puzzles, why should harrington
want miners to cooperate with the
operators who hire spies to go into
the union to break it up-or, for that
matter, why do the operators pay
spies to break up the union if they
are not wanting to destroy the union
This is a Harrington puzzle. He
also said there were elements" in the
union who accused MIN of many
things, but they could never prove any
thing against him. A fellow who can
lie that way about what the operators
are doing and not doing in the same
breath has a lot Of gall to ask for
more proof.
No Applause for Faker.
But as to applause, when he finish
ed, there wasn't any applause of any
kind, and the hall was packed full. He
didn't seem to make much of a hit.
Then the meeting was opened for
discussion, for local members only.
The proposition was discussed pro and
con and motion made to leave the
matter entirely in Farrington's hands
and let him make a contract with the
Old Ben Coal corporation.
A Progressive Forces a Vote.
A progressive miner, however.
moved to amend that the contract
must come back to the local union for
acceptance or rejection. The maker
OF the motion would not accept the
amendment as a part Of the motion.
but the progressive forced a vote and
the amendment carried by 200 votes
to ten.
The men here are in desperate con-
dition, but 1t is certain that IL Earring
ton brings back his scab contract it
will be turned down.
There is one small mine here that
tried the same game, but the coal
came down in one solid chunk and the
men would have to kill themselves at
that. So the mine had to shut down.
The motto of organized labor should
be-Down with class collaboration
Down with labor fakersl Long live
the Red International Of Labor I'm
ionsl
Visit Dead, Meet Dead
PITTSBURGH, Pa, April 27.-Re-