The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-08-09
SHOE WORKERS DISTRICT COUNCIL EXPOSES UNION
WRECKING GANG IN CONTROL OF GENERAL OFFICE

In order to familiarize the rest of
the workers in the shoe industry with
the recent wholeale explosions car
ried out in the New York district by
the Fitzgerald-Nolan machine from
the general council Of the Shoe
Workers Protective Union, the Dis
trict Council, whose charter was re-
voled as the first step in the actual
wrecking of the organization, has is
sued the following statement to the
membership of the organization,
which is a damning indictment of the
union-wreckers in the organization
who pose as labor leaders:
To all locals and members of the
Shoe Workers Protective Union;
Brothers and Sisters:
You have undoubtedly heard that
our charter has been revoked by the
General Council, also the charters Of
Locals So, lasters and wood heelers;
81, filters; 55, felt slipper workers;
and GO, children's shoe workers. These
locals have declared their intention to
back up the District Council. In this
statement we are presenting our side
of the case for your consideration.
Why Have We Been Expelled?
You surely know that the situation
for the workers in our industry, par
in the eastern states is a
very bad one. Thousands are out Of
work as a result of the too long hours
we have to work with modern ma
Many factories are being
erected outside the unionized centers,
because the bosses never satisfied,
want to make still greater profits by
their plants with still
cheaper unorganized labor.
This situation in the industry has
produced a condition in the New
York market which makes the bosses
absolutely ruthless and brutal in the
treatment of their workers. Speed
up; reduction of wages; lengthening
of the hours, is the objective of the
Because of these unfav-
orable conditions in the industry the
growing strength Of the employers,
who are backed by big capital, we
have been advocating a program of
of all existing shoe
workers unions into one industrial
union in order to make united front
against the bosses. We have been ad-
vocating that the entire strength of
the organization be modified to or
ganize the enormous army of unor-
ganized workers that surround us so
as to make it possible to maintain
at least what we have in union shops
and what is more important improve
our conditions by organizing this
great army of unorganized workers.
Knowing that the present general
officials in control of the national ad-
ministration are selfseeking individ-
uals playing politics in the organiza-
ton for their personal gain, instead
Of being servants of the workers,
whose interests they are supposed to
represent, our District Council sup
ported one of our able general or
ganizers, PASCAL Cogrove for gen
eral election. Fitzgerald and Nolan
fearing that Cosgrove might be cleo
ted took him off the ballot and
later forced him out of the organiza-
ton. We, desiring to maintain the
unity of the organization, submitted
under protest to this outrageous
treatment of one of our best repre-
sentatives.
The employers evidently having
been made aware of this attitude of
our general officials and profiting by
the large number of unemployed,
caused by over production in the in
dustry, began to attack the union de-
handing wage reduction, provoking
us with discharges and lockouts, etc.
We fought back and several of the
shop strikes were unsuccessful. The
rank and file being aware of the ac-