The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-08-28

WORCESTER, Mass, Aug. 26.-
Without the blare OF trumpets the
work Of organization has been going
on steadily in this city, known thru
out the land as the mother of the
open shop" until today, a lusty young
union Of laborers marches proudly
with its more than 500 members to
challenge the d!ctatorial rule OF the
most militant open shop labor-hating
outfit known as the Building Trades
Employers Association of Worcester.
A Live Local.
The Laborers' Union, Local 60 is
affiliated with the International Hold
Carriers, Building and Common La
borers' Union Of America, and bids
fair to set the pace in reactionary New
England for militancy and progress.
A young militant and class-conscious
element is at the helm and its special
meeting held at Victory Hall, Shrews-
bury street, which was attended by
the bulk Of the membership, making it
more like a mass meeting than an or
binary business meeting, bears elo-
quent testimony to its ability to fight
and win.
The union demands a straight 60
cents per hour for all laborers. This
and other demands are now before
the employers association, who have
persistently tried to avoid the Issues
with all sorts OF lame excuses, among
which a few are: that the union is
not yet six months In existence; that
they did not hear Of such a union
being organized despite the fact that
all employers received our letters in
forming them OF the organization and
/ existence Of the Laborers' Union, etc.
Bosses Fight Standard Wage.
! One of the large contractors de-
clared that they are paying a scale
ranging from 40 to 70 cents an hour,
and because Of the great difference
In quality of workmen in this partic-
ular line, this contractor said they
had refused to consider setting a
standard wage i0f course the declara.
ton of this contractor is sheer bunk.
In the first place, no laborer is at
the present time getting 20 cents an
hour, this exaggerated statement was
meant to show thru the local papers
which carried his statement that the
boss was even paying more than the
union is asking for, II the laborer de-
serves 1t. This statement was in
tended to show how good" the boss
Is to deserving" workers, and thus
creating in. the public mind the idea
that those who do not get 70 cents
an hour don't deserve it, thus paving
the road for prejudicing the public
mind in the event Of a strike, when
the contractors will try to show that
the union is asking for unjust de-
mands, etc.
All Driven Alike.
Secondly, the scale averages about
45 cents an hour, and regardless Of
the claims as to the quality" OF work
men, every man on the Job knows
that he is not out on a picnic. The
straw boss attends to the driving of
the men, regardless of quality" A
stronger man probably endures the
driving a little better than a weaker
man, but they all do the same work.
The union is going thru with its
demands and strike will tie up every
big construction job here If the bosses
don't sober up. Negotiations with the
Employers Association are carried on
thru william L. Allen, secretary Of
that association, which will meet to
decide upon our demands, and the
executive committee Of the Laborers'
Union will meet on the following
night, when a reply from the bosses
will be had.
Support PassaIc.
AT the special meeting OF the union
the principle speaker was Brother
Kula OF Springfield, Mass, who spoke
in Italian. The meeting also unani-
mously voted to assess each member
40 cents for the following purposes
is cents for the Passaic, N. j.. textile
strikers and as cents each for the
purchase OF banner with the union
emblem for use in the Labor Day pa
rade.
The union will turn out 100 per cent
strong in the Labor Day parade and
before Joining the main parade OF the
other local unions, we will start from
our hall with band and parade past
the headquarters Of the Employers
Association to show them that we are
in business to stay. II was also de.
cided that every member in line will
carry a placard with militant and
labor-rousing slogans. The parade
will be utilized for arouslng the labor
movement in this city to the needs OF
huge campaign for organizing the
unorganiSed
VIII Give TO British.
When Joseph Jones. the British
miners delegate. comes to this city
the laborers will be on deck not