The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-10-22
By NJ. Pass.

vention in Hollywood, but Mooney al
It would not be amiss to say here
that have yet to meet an active
trade unionist who does not deplOre
the necessity of strikes, and who has
nos in countless instances averted
them" Emphasis ours) (From An
nual Report to A. F. of L. Conven-
ton, December, 1880.
Probably the most confessional and
truly self-analytical utterance of the
venerable spokesman Of the A. F. of
L. was made in his testimony before
the Senate Committee on Interstate
Commerce on bills in connection with
the threatened strike of railway en-
ployees, August 81, 1916.
II know that strikes are disagree
able, that they are things that ought
to be avoided, and there are no men
in all the world who have done more
to avoid strikes than these executives
of the brotherhood They are at last
driven to the point, not by them
selves, but by their men, the men
they represent. They say, "We are
going to have the eight hour day."
They have gone farther than I be-
lieve their instructions or their ere
dentials warrant them in going, but
if they do not stand by their men,
if they do not stand by the eight
hour day, depend upon it, the men
the rank and file of the men-will
relegate them to the limbo of men
passe and unrepresentative of the
tOilers' interests, and instead of these
conservative men, who have been
driven to this point to represent the
interests and rights of their men,
they will elect leaders who will be
more responsive to deal with their
employers in way to which / would
greatly dislike to give my thought
the range" Emphasis ours).
TRANSLATE this into plain English,
workers, and read:
Don't put the blame on US, honor
able Senators, for a strike once a
leap year that we're powerless to
prevent You know we're your tried
and trusted servants. We've given
you ample proof of it. AS officials of
the Unions we've done all we could
to keep the lid on the hell that's
brewing among the ranks. If now
and then we declare a strike, it's be-
a1I S1rtfr 10 Iz fha
men. Our hearts aren't in the strike
You know it. But we can't always
put our foot down and say, No. We
might get rushed off our feet. The
men might begin to see a thing or
two. They'd find US a trifle too
friendly with you. And then what
would happen? The men would sweep
into power that damned crew of boil
sheviks that's after the scalps of all
of us concerned.
Put into a nutshell, the A. F. of
L. officials are on a relationship of
WE with the bosses and THEY with
the workers.
What inference, workers of Amer
lea, can we draw from such state
ments uttered with brazen openness
by the highest of all officials, by the
oracle of the American Federation of
Labor?
None but this: that since the lead
ers in the A. F. of l.. discountenance
strikes as weapon of the workers,
and by their own admission, enter
into them unwillingly, to obviate the
Inauguration of militant leadership
that since these officials would like
to see an end to all strikes, they en-
ter into strikes with treacherous
intent. They want the workers to
lose their faith in militant action
This is the aim, the beautiful ideal of
Green, Vol, Lewis, ct al. This ideal
realized, their sleep will no longer be
troubled.
With what passion, therefore, can
such labor leaders hate injunctions?
Of course tthey pass resolutions, rail
and make Outcries at conventions,
buttonhole politicians in Hobbies. But
to what avail and with what results
Has there been a single significant
strike in recent years in which the
injunction has not been a feature?
Railroads, Mines, Steel, Passaic,
Needle Trades, and now again Mines.
What is left for the workers to do
to break the power of the injunction?
One thing above all others: Strike
in the face of injunctions. Mass VIC
lation will break the back of injunc-
tions. No amount of legislation fav-
oring Labor is of any worth unless
the strength Of Labor is present to