The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-01-15

a larger scale. The B. & O plan was
the beginning Of the merging of the
lighting labor unions with the "com-
pany unions" with the principles laid
down by the open shop" associa-
lions. Now these union officials take
another step toward company union
ism, such a big step that even the
greatest company union advocate of
all. w. w. Atterbury, is going to be
won over to support 'our" union Of
ficials.
WHEN AtterDury begins to accept
W the policies OF our officials, it is
time for the rank and file to begin
to change these officials and their
policies! Because ii means that the
officials have surrendered to After
bury.
It is not surprising that the Off
Gals of our unions have taken this
latest step. They have been fighting
against the demands of the member
ship for amalgamation of the railroad
unions into a powerful industrial I'M
ion which could fight against the en-
ployers. They have been fighting
against labor party. They have
turned from the membership, and to-
wards the employers. They have set
up B. & o. plans. They have gone
into the insurance business on a CAPT.
talist basis. They have gone into the
banking business, using our money in
order to become business associates
and cronies of the great Wall Street
/ masters of America. They are being
absorbed into the ruling class, into
the machinery of American imperial
ist exploitation. Now they are taking
the next logical step, demanded by i'm
perialist exploitation, that of tying
up the workers organizations to pre-
vent strikes.
THIS step comes at time when the
L railroad workers are suffering the
most extreme abuses. In the past two
years, while railroad traffic has been
| the greatest in history, the workers
have been driven harder and harder
The number Of workers employed has
been going down, the amount of traf-
fic to be moved has been going up.
In two years, the number of shop
men who have been put into the I'M
employed army number $4,000; the
train and engine service men are IT,
600 fewer than in 1923; the pay roll
of the shop men dropped IA per cent
during the time when the traffic in
creased 20 per cent. And in spite of
the per cent increased secured by
the transportation brotherhoods, as a
sop intended to try to win them from
solidarity with the shopmen and main
tenance men, their actual earnings
have been almost exactly the same as
before, while they move the greatly
increased volume of traffic.
The railroads are earning terrific
profits, so that they pay dividends
on all their watered stocks, the prices
of which are mounting skyward. And
at such a moment, when there should
be a general forward movement, a
general united wage demand by the
unions, backed up by complete soil.
darity of the unions with a strike
threat as the final word-at this mo-
ment the union officials betray the
workers with the "no-strike law"
pAILRoAD workers! There is only
~ one way in which you can prevent
this betrayal. Organize yourselves in
to rank and file committees. Protest
against the Watson-Parker bill.
Pass resolutions in your local
unions and lodges. Send these pro-
tests to your officials, to the congress
men, and to the labor press. Hold
mass meetings. Distribute leaflets and
papers explaining the slavery-features
OF the bill. Demand the formation OF
a labor party based upon the unions.
Launch great nationwide movement
for amalgamation OF the railroad un.
ions. Prepare for a general forward
movement for wage increases and bet.
ter conditions. Set up joint commit
tees Of the rank and file OF all rail.
road unions, on every road, at every
railroad center and division point, in
every shop.
DREPARE to put at the head Of your
unions, officials who will fight
against the employers. who will soil.
dify the unions, who will force the EN-
ployers to respect the labor move
ment. Fight to abolish the y. & o.
plan and company unionsm. Fight to
establish real labor unions on the rail.
roads Of America-unions which will
win the better conditions earned by
the labors OF railroad workers. and
unite the railroaders firmly with the