The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-26
BOX MAKERS OF
N. Y. FIGHTING
The OPEN SHOP
1000 Strikers Solid for
AllDemands
BY ROLAND A. GIBSON.

NEW YORK, Oct. 24.-Four thou
sand paper box makers have been on
strike in New York City for over two
weeks. The struggle has been char.
acterized by the usual police intimida.
ton and employers frame-ups, but the
ranks of the strikers are stronger to
day than when the strike began and
each day brings the settlement Of
more open shops.
Bosses Know Enough TO Unite.
When the general strike was an
nounced to begin, October the three
employers associations having juris-
diction over different branches Of the
paper box industry got worried. They
decided to merge into one association
for the duration Of the strike and put
forth united and determined effort
to crush the union. The Paper Box
Manufacturers Association was the re-
suit.
The officers Of the union have every
reason to believe that this association
was responsible for anonymous leaf
lets issued to strikers last week. The
leaflets purported to come from dis
satisfied union workers and criticized
the leaders Of the union for their con-
duct of the strike. Anyone who has
attended the strike meetings knows
that the strike is being intelligently
and militantly conducted, which is a
very logical reason for the employers
resorting to such tactics.
Negroes In the Strike.
William Pickens, field secretary OF
the National Association for the Ad.
vance Of Colored People, said at the
same meeting that this was the usual
thing" in time Of strike. "Set one
group OF workers against another" Is
the motto of the employers, he said
That's what they've done with US
colored workers, but now both white
and colored workers are coming to
realize that only thru solidarity can
the interests Of both be advanced"
Mr.. Pickens praised the union for
admitting Negroes into the union with
out discrimination and declared thai
"the cement Of labor is better thar
any consideration of race or Ian
guage."
Bosses Boast Of Police Aid.
How the police are being used t.
serve the interests of the employers
is clearly shown by the following
statement made in bulletin Of this
| Paper BOX Manufacturers Associa
ton: "The police work, is becoming
more and mare effective daily. Tit
usual number of wagons are working
in and out of the 'hotbed section witt
the proper police protection IA cop
for every chauffeur) and more plants
are operating as open shops with par
forces" Dos
The demands Of the union are very
modest when compared with the con
ditions which other unions have OBJ
tanned for their workers in recon
agreements. A 44-hour week, time
and half for overtime, double time
for Sunday work (which is contrary t.
state law, intellectually, a minimum
scale Of wages and IS increase in th'
weekly rate, and recognition Of the
union-these are the demands which
the employers refuse to grant.
Non-Union Shops Awful.
Conditions in. the paper box industry
are worse in New York than in mos
other industries. In the non-uniol
shops, in Brooklyn particularly, girl
work from a. m. to Z p. m. for s.
and $40 a week, with only half hou
for lunch. The minimum wage in tn
union shops is SIS and an eight-hou
day prevails. The employers haY'
been tempting their workers since th'
strike with offers of $I5 and $40 |
week. Some have fallen for the blum
but more and more are acceding t.
the offers of the union pickets instead
About Is shops have already settled
with the union on its terms. Thes'
shops involve about 100 workers, owe
half of whom were formerly unorgan
lied and terribly exploited. Even nov
the industry is less than half organ
Iized in the city.