The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-08-04
By ]. S. a Striking Miner)

United Nine Workers or America
is the backbone of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor; but if member OF
the American labor movement would
look up to the so-called official
Headers" of the American labor move
ment to keep the backbone OF the
movement from being broken then we
the rank and file would soon find our
selves without any movement to talk
about as far as the American Fed
Grafton of Labor is concerned. 1 am
not making this statement to disrupt
the present labor movement but on
the contrary to lend my voice in max
ing it stronger.
AS we look over the American labor
n movement we see only one organ
ization with a significant membership
IN the American Federation which IS
aEgnnized on an industrial basis, which
Is the only basis on which union
can prosper today, that one organ1za-
ton is the United Mine Workers of
America. We can plainly see that
craft unions were beneficial in the
past, but it is just as plain to see that
they have outlived their usefulness.
But the so-called leadership of the
American Federation of Labor, who
are autocrats, does not want the rank
and file to see that industrial unions
are the only unions which are any
benefit to the workers. Green, Lewis,
Vol and Co. want to destroy the use
fl1lness of unions for the workers.
I'VE can plainly see that their scheme
W is to turn all unions into effici-
ency organization to insure the pro
fits for the bosses. In order to make
efficiency unions out of the present
unions of the American Federation of
Labor they must destroy all correct
ideas of industrial unionism, if they
are to succeed in their program, they
will have to drive all the progressives
out of the American Federation of
Labor-which is absolutely impos-
sible. Then in order to keep the work
ers under their control the henchmen
of capitalism such as Green, VOL,
Lewis, etc, will try to force the work
ers back many and many years by
forcing the acceptance of efficiency
unionism.
WE see that the leadership of the
w United Mine Workers of America
has good weapon in it's hands but
they do not want to use it. We have
seen that the English trade union
leadership had the necessary weapon
to win the miners strike but they re-
fused to use it. Because in using the
weapon which the rank and file
placed into their hands they would
show to the world that the strike in
which the rank and file took the init
ative and the so-called labor leaders
tried to avoid, was proper way to
fight. The fight against militant trade
unionism is an international problem
and as we saw the capitalists force
the workers of England back for re-
endorsements, we see the capitalists
in this country on the warpath to de-
stroy all militant trade unionism and
they have their labor lieutenants at
the head Of the American labor move
ment, the same as the English CAPT
talists have their labor heutenants at
the head Of the English labor move
ment.
WE see again today the rank and
w file urging the officials of the
miners union to call a national strike
for a national settlement. This SEN
timent is practically everywhere in
the mines, union mines where there
is strike, where the union mines are
working, in the anthracite, and in the
non-union mines. Everywhere the
sentiment is "a national strike for a
national settlement for all mines, and
no separate agreement with districts
or individuals" The miners want a
contract to expire at one time for all
the miners. We see this sentiment
manifesting itself through different
ways. I will enumerate few so as
to show on what | base my argument:
If a member of the United Mine
Workers is asked if national strike
for a national settlement would be
better than the present policy of our
union, the great majority of the rank
and file would say YES.
2.-The sentiment is expressed
through resolutions which are present
ed to the meetings Of local unions
of which most are suppressed by of
ficials who are paid by the bureau
cracy of the United Mine Workers OF
America, but some Of them manage
to reach the International Executive
Board of the miners union. say this
because only on the 22nd of July {
meeting held jointly by seven miners
local unions passed resolution unan
imously requesting the international
Executive Board of the U. M. W. Of
A. to call national strike for ma
tional settlement. No district or in
dividual settlement.
Through spontaneous strikes II
the anthracite.
Through spontaneous strikes il