The daily worker., 1927-03-10
Gain
Control Over
Large Shop
Arrest Three GangsterS For
Attacking Workers

httOIAlRAS WI RCA ,
The uniOn-smashing campaign of
the united forces OF reaction in the
international Fur Workers Union and
the American Federation Of Labor
met with a twO-fold defeat yester-
day, when the largest fur shop in the
world, A. Weckstein & Sons agreed 30
recognize only the furriers' Joint
Board; and when the InternationaYs
crew of notorious gangsters was ut
terly routed when they made an at
tack on a group of fur workers late
yesterday afternoon.
1t had been planned by the special
committee in charge Of "reorganiz-
ing" the fur workers Joint Board,
that the shop of A. Weckstein should
be forced to register in full with the
international as soon as its new head
quarters opened. Since this is the
largest fur shop in the city, and in
fact the largest in the world. this
would make the enrolment campaign
sound successful from the start.
Terror Fails.
Gangsters were brought to the shop
last week to terrorize the workers.
and the boss also used his influence
in behalf of the International. But
the result Of this persecution was that
50 Of the workers came out on strike
last week and the others soon fol-
lowed.
Refusing to go back to work while
the gangsters remained in the shop,
the workers have remained on strike
until yesterday when Harry Week
stein, member of the firm, met a
committee elected by the shop, and
agreed to recognize the Joint Board
and not to try to force workers to
register with the rights or in any
other way interfere in the union dis
pute.
Draw Up Dispute.
The workers then agreed to return
to the shop today, after they had
drawn up the following resolution
which was signed by each of them:
"In view of the fact that Harry
Weckstein, of the firm of A. Week
stein g. Sons, officially promises to
the shop chairmen and to the shop
committee that he will no longer in
terfere in the union politics; that no
one in the shop will dare to force the
workers to register with the new scab
union: and that the Joint Board is
recognized by the firm of A. Week
stein G. Sons.
Therefore be it resolved, that we
workers agree to return to work with
the understanding that as soon as this
promise Of the firm is broken, the
workers Of the shop, together with
the Joint Board will adopt the neees-
sary measures to preserve the Sc
curity and the liberty of the workers. +"
Defeat Gangsters.
Early yesterday morning, $50 men,
bers of the Defense Committee
marched through the fur district on
the watch to protect workers from
being terrorized by the sluggers.
About five o'clock when the com
mittee was again on duty to prevent
any workers from being forced to
register at the ten cent union, they
We're attacked at Sixth avenue and
29th street by an International gang
which included Sam Mintz, who was
once charged with murder, has been
mixed up in a number of shooting af-
trays, and was arrested last year for
an attempted attack on the Joint
Board treasurer.
Murderers in Crowd.
Another member of the group was
Harry Norman, known as "Kid
Ashley" who was held on a murder
charge in 1920; "Ruby" Levitt who
has a notable prison record; and
Willie Rosenfeld, who not only has a
police record but is at present under
graft charges in connection with his
former union activities.
Two of the gangsters were arrested
during the attack, Mintz being dis
covered with an open knife in his
hand. A. Reicher, leading member
of the Furriers' Trade Union Group
was also arrested.
Isadore Flaxman and Morris Taub-
er, two of the fur workers who were
attacked, were taken to the hospital
for treatment of severe cuts. But the
gangsters were so completely routed
in the fray that they will probably
think twice before they try these ter
rorist tactics again.
Each morning, noon and evening,
the Defense Committee will be in the
fur district to protect workers, and
to warn the international that it can
not force the workers to register. So
far the ten cent union headquarters
are deserted except for the famous
nannsinre