The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-04-27
TWO MEMBERS OF
A. C. v. VICTIMS
OF NOvAK GANG
Two More Victims of
Union Thugs
Ry a Worker correspondent.


Two more victims have been added
70 the list of the gangsters In the
Amalgamated Clothing Workers Un-
lon in Chicago. The gangsters who did
the beating are we'll known TO MEM
bers Of the union--they are the five
reign of terror In the Chicago union
for years. 4a5
Their most recent exploit happened
in the following manner at Cohn
Bros. Company's shop at 1905 Green
st. 1t was decided to put on another
piece worker and divide the work
of those on the job. Stella Novak
who works there and who is the wife of
one of the Novaks, thinking that this
relationship carries with it special
privileges, raised a row about the re-
distribution of work and blamed the
former shop chairman, Weiss, for the
new arrangement.
Beat Up.
That same day, the Novak Broth
ers appeared on the scene and ad-
ministered a severe beating to Weiss.
He was badly injured The workers
in the shop were indignant They
staged stoppage of two and one
half hours, refusing to work with the
woman. The business agent, Kalman
Don, was called in. He removed the
woman from the job. But Manager
Levine, acting contrary to the wishes
of the workers in the shop and the
action of the business agent, sent her
back again. In so doing he declared,
"There is nothing in the agreement
that permits the arbitrary removal
Of a worker from his job" So
Remember the IS. @
The workers in the shop are won
dering how Levine reconciles this
statement and his present action with
his behavior last year when he ar
bitrarily removed 16 workers from the
job because they supported a left
wing ticket in the union elections.
Some of the workers expressed the
opinion that Levine's close relation
ship with the "Novak Gang" may
have something to do with the case.
Perhaps the Novak brothers know
too much for Levine to start any
trouble with them," is the way one
phrased 1t.
Another Victim.
On Thursday, at the union head
quarters a rank and filer whose name
is Bob Garlick was protesting against
the brutal beating up given Weiss on
the previous day. The Novak brothers
were there-the Office is their hang
out-and told the member, you had
better shut your mouth or you will
get the same thing" An alteration
arose. One of the Novak brothers
pulled knife, according to witness,
and slashed the face of the member
The workers of Cohn Bros. held shop
meeting, and elected committee of
five to go to the executive board and
demand the removal of Ncvak's wife
from that shop.
1t would seem that the Novak
gang, servile and useful tools Of the
Levine administration in fighting the
left wing, has become so swelled up
with the right to terrorize accorded
to them by Levine that they are even
getting out of the managers control.
Members of the union say it is un-
safe to go to union headquarters.
With the Novak brothers there, one
has no assurance that he will not be
beat up before he leaves. st,,.r.i
Members Revolted. :. -
Disgust with these gangster condi-
tons in the union is mounting high
among the membership. This last in
cident has aroused much comment in
the union and some believe that the
indignation Of the membership with
this last sNovak achievement will re-
suit in a rank and file revolt against
these and all other gangsters in the
Chicago Amalgamated. Am lars
open your eyesI Look aroundl
There are the stories Of the workers,