The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-13
BY ISRAEL AMTER.

- had in the use of shop bulletins
for the work of the shop nuclei has
been unique, and has served as one Of
the most powerful factors in vitalizing
the nuclei and in reaching masses OF
workers who otherwise at present are
almost inaccessible to us.
When one considers the fact that
the word Communist is either taboo
among large sections of the workers,
owing to the vicious propaganda that
has been and is being carried on in
the capitalist press, the church and
school, to say nothing OF the govern
ment itself, and that among other sec
lions the word is practically unknown,
but the workers have been led to hate
It, one will grasp what 1t signifies to
a worker when he picks up a shop bull
letin of the Workers (Communist)
Party with the words Issued by the
Workers (Communist) Party Nu-
cleus," of such and such factory.
Workers Take Bulletin Eagerly.
The workers instinctively know that
it is a document that the boss does
not want him either to keep or read;
that there is something about it that
may cause him trouble. Therefore he
instinctively puts it into his pocket,
to take home or to discuss when he is
sure that the people are all safe"
This has been the experience in the
distribution of the shop bulletins in
District 6. Shop bulletins have been
issued in several large auto and metal
works in Cleveland, steel works in
Massillon and Youngstown, mines in
southeastern Ohio. One, the Spark
Plug" of the nucleus in the Fisher
Body Ohio works, has become the Of
fetal organ of the workers Of this
plant. The workers quote from the
Spark Plug, Thus last week the trim
mers in this plant went out on strike.
Before striking they went to the
Cleveland Federation of Labor to take
up the question of organization. Dur
ing the discussion worker rose and
said, What we need is industrial not
craft organization, just as the Spark
Plug said this morning" On another
occasion, when the same group was
meeting, an official of the Cleveland
Federation of Labor told worker not
to read the Spark Plug, as it was try
ing to disrupt the trade union move
ment What the hell do you know
about the Spark Plug. It's a dam fine
paper, and l read it." was the reply.
shop Nucleus on the Job.
In the Chandler and Price machine
shop the bulletin was distributed in
side the plant by the nucleus, and out
side the plant by few comrades OF
the street nucleus. The internal dis.
tribution was very good, but as the
plant is very large all departments
could not be reached. Workers took
the bulletins and went into the fac
tory. In a short time workers came
out of the factory in their work clothes
and asked for more bulletins. Some
of the Office men also came out, and
declared to one of the women COM
rades: "If you were man we would
beat you up" Undaunted, the com
rade continued to hand out the bulle-
tins till they were gone.
Inside the factory remarkable things
took place. The workers Immediately
recognized the half-illegal nature of
the bulletin. They knew that altho
the paper contained nothing that the
Workers tCommunist) Party cannot
.o,x o,,o,.i,, rt;II 4lo an plOyaro lrrour n
is the product Of their enemy, and any
body who harbors anything that comes
from the enemy puts himself in a Sc
rious position. The workers eagerly
read the bulletin whenever the fore
man or superintendent were not
around. Some of them were discov-
cred reading it and had it violently
torn from their hands. Wherever the
foreman found the bulletin lying
about they were hastily gathered to-
gether and destroyed.
In the factory in question one old
man, long an employe in the place,
adjusted his spectacles and began to
read, tracing the lines. THAT is fine.
That's right" he said, cleaning with
satisfaction. Then he put it into his
pocket, intent on reading it once more
at home.
Deal With shop Bulletins.
What have the bulletins dealt
with? They have dealt with the con-
ditions in the factory-wage cuts, long
hours, speed-up, time settlers, whose
function 1t is to speed up the men.
Facts are given in the bulletin
about as many departments as posi-
BILE. As the series of bulletins goes on
more features are added-foreign-born
councils, labor party, etc. Each issue
of the bulletin contains an announce
mani about Tho DAILY WORKER