The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-27
BY w. woLINER,
" W. WOLINEHI
6ec'y Joint Board Furrlers' Union,
New York.

/
was confronted with several problems
of vital Importance to the organiza-
ton, and we can truthfully say that
these problems are now considered a
thing Of the past. And now let us see
how those problems were solved by
the leadership with the full co-opera-
ton of the great majority Of the work
ers. 1e
The first problem, of restoring the
workers back to work, was an imme-
date one, and 1t was settled as such.
thanks to the apparatus that was built
up during the strike, namely, that OF
the shop chairmen and hall commit
tees. [4 ~ o..1
THIS difficult problem, which some
L times takes weeks, especially after
such a bitter struggle as we furriers
went thru, was settled within the Pc
Rod Of a few days. Workers went
back to work in the shops they were
striking from with substantial in
creases in wages and with promise
that the manufacturers felt that the
demands they suffered for and won
would be kept and cherished.
And here 1t is well to note. that an
other problem, for which the equal
division of work was extremely neces-
sary, and with which the fur workers
will have to reckon in the future, is
that of the orphans, or those workers
who had no shops when they went on
strike. -e AZ
Upon the termination OF the 1920
- strike conducted by Kaufman, Sam
Cohen, Sorkin and the Second avenue
gangsters, these workers were left
to shift for themselves. Being hungry
and eager for work, it was the natural
result that these workers would go
from shop to shop begging for a job,
there lowering the wages and in gen
eral creating a chaotic condition which
it took some time to overcome, and
was never finally remedied until the
second half Of the year 1925.
Then a lett-wing administration
took over the Furriers' Union and i'm
mediately undertook an aggressive
campaign to remedy the evils that had
piled up in the organization under the
former administration. This problem
Of the so-called orphans was settled in
way as to prove to the workers that
the leadership is heart and soul in the
interest of the workers.
THESE workers were not imme-
4 diately released to. shift for them
selves, but they kept up discipline
as even during the strike, until they
were all placed on jobs or were called
for by various firms that were in need
Of additional help at good salaries, and
are now assured Of their jobs.
The union, upon the termination of
this strike, had to deal with a problem
that was something new, altho scab-
bling seems to be something that will
continue until all the workers will
realize the meaning of the class strug-
gle. Especially in a union where the
International body, like ours, did in
directly sanction it by tolerating GER
tain elements, the majority of them of
a questionable character.
These elements were not favorable
to the strike and sabotaged it in every
possible way and manner. Nothing
being too low for them to try, their
one aim was to break the strike.
WHEN these elements were warned
w by the workers in the halls that
they were found out and should desist
from their actions, they left the strike
halls and were given a hall in Long
Island, close to the international Of
fices, where they conducted them
selves, or rather amused themselves,
by playing cards, shooting dice and
other recreations a la the strike Of
1920. For these persons were then at
the head OF the union.
nUE to a situation of this kind, the
- natural result was that those Of a
weaker nature could be more easily
enticed by the bosses to scab on their
fellow workers. After the strike all
the scabs had to leave the shops where
they were scabbing and appear before
restoration committee, consisting of
three members OF the union, with the
impartial chairman Of the industry,
for reinstatement to the union. Heavy
fines were imposed upon them by this
committee, in some cases totaling
more than they could have earned dur
ing the strike while scabbing.
THESE and other cases of similar
l. nature are being liquidated by the
union in a manner satisfactory to the
workers, and OF course here also the
Forward, in conjunction with some OF
the international officers, raised cry
that honest workers are being discrim-
mated against by the lefts.
II seems that, according to the For
ward and HIS followers amongst our
international officers, 1t is no crime
to scab during a strike where there
are no gangsters employed and where
the leaders of the strike are the most