The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-02-10
Central Labor Union
in Pittsburgh, Pa,
to Hold Election
CONTINUED from page y

in most vicious campaign to smash
the trade union movement in this i'm
portant industrial district as we'll as
thruout the entire country. Take for
example the two basic industries of
this district, coal and steel.
The gigantic steel industry is prac-
tieally unorganized and the steel work
ers are at the complete mercy Of the
steel magnates.
The coal operators are systematic
ally trying to enforce the 1917 scale
in one mine after the other. The
miners are putting up a fight here
and there, each mine fighting its own
battles. A reduction in wages in the
mining industry is bound to have it's
effects upon the wage scale in other
trades. 1t must therefore be the con-
Germ not only Of the miners but of the
entire labor movement.
Turnout this region armed deputies
are hired by the operators to protect
scabs to intimidate men loyal to the
union. e
The chamber of commerce thru its
various hirelings is attempting to or
ganize dual unions in order to help
the open shoppers in their campaign
against organized labor.
Our Tasks.
The only way to meet existing con-
ditions is for the trade unions to
solidify their ranks and to carry on
an energetic and militant struggle
against the organized forces of the
employers. The trade unions must
adopt definite program of action
which would stop the offensive of the
employers and would put new blood
into the organizations. The Central
Labor Union, as delegated body of
the various trades, must become the
initiator, the leader, the prime mover
in this campaign.
Organize Unorganized.
The Central Labor Union must
initiate and encourage a campaign to
organize the unorganized. A vigorous
organizational campaign will be a
powerful weapon against the attempt
Of the open shoppers to smash the
trade union movement and against
dual unionism, which the chamber Of
commerce is trying to promote. A
campaign against the use of armed
guards by the operators and against
the outrages of the state police, an
other agency of the employers, must
be started Immediately.
The so-called sedition law which
was passed during the war hysteria
is one of the mightiest instruments of
the employing class to be used against
the workers at all times, especially so
during a strike. Have We done our
share to have this vicious strikebreak-
ing law repealed? Our answer must,
unfortunately, be-No The Central
Labor Union must take up this vital
problem and carry on a. campaign
which would defeat the sedition law
decisively and forever.
For Labor Party.
In order that our struggle against
the chamber of commerce, against
the united forces of the open shoppers
and their agents, state police, armed
guards-and the various anti-labor
laws, may be effective, we must
strengthen and build the labor party
movement. In this city the labor
party was stolen from the wage earn
ers by the crooked politicians of the
old parties. Our trade union repres-
entatives on the labor party committed
crime against the labor movement
by turning over this mighty weapon
of labor to the politicians of the open
shoppers and the chamber of com
merce.
The Central Labor Union must take
the initiative to clean the ranks Of
the labor party and make it what it
really should be-a party of the work
ers and for the workers. This year
when we are to have state elections
this question becomes one of utmost
importance. Are we again to turn over
our labor party to the republican and
democratic parties, the parties of the
open shoppers, of the coal barons and
steel magnates? The labor party can
and must be made one of the strongest
weapons in the hands of the workers.
The Central Labor Union must full
fill this task.
Delegation to Soviet Russia.
The question of sending delega-
tion to Soviet Russia to investigate
the conditions there is an important
one and OF vital concern to the labor
movement. The yellow press, owned
and controlled by the same open shop
pers that are out OF smash our unions
is practically the only source of in.
formation thru which we can learn
what is going on in Russia Can we
expect these yellow sheets to tell the
truth about Soviet Russia where the
employing class is deprived of its
power? Soviet Russia plays an i'm
portant part in world commerce and