The daily worker., 1927-01-25
Anniversary OF
PaSSaiC Sees
Strike On
Some Mill BarOns StubbOrnIy
Resist; Others Yield
By ESTHER LOWELL.

by Esther LOWELL.
PASSAIC. N. j., Jan. "a. (FP)-
Passaic is celebrating the first ami
versary of its biggest textile strike
Organized labor can puff its ches
out bit for its own part in the grea
fight.
January 25, 1926, the first group o.
wool textile workers walked out ot
Botany Mills calling for the return
OF the 1OE wage cut. Workers from
the other mills followed all week.
One year of strike has taught Pas.
sale much. The strikers trudgec
through snow and wind, through rain
through the attacks of mounted DO.
lice, clubbing police, tear-gas throw,
ing police and through mill owners
propaganda. The demand for a union
grew and grew. Nothing would down
| it.
Application Of the strikers for ad-
uittance to the American Federation
Of Labor Union, the United Textile
Workers, was accepted. U. T. w.
vice-president James Starr took ac-
tive charge when local 1908 was
formed. The strike leaders of the
past months battle-Albert Weisbord
and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn particu
!arly-stepped into other fields. They
Undertook to raise funds to fight the
many strike defense cases the courts
piled up.
Strikers Relief.
Relief work had to be continued On
the spot. Alfred Wagenknecht has
remained relief director throughout.
organizing the lines. of sppnIv SO that
he strikers should not suffes >. ~.
relief stores were opened. Focd kit
chens maintained by the Unite
Councils of Workingclass House
wives fed the strikers children. Sum
mer founl the strikers kiddies pro
vided with a playground such as tn
mill owners had never thought t
offer. Some of the undernourishe
youngsters won vacations in ccuntr,
camps where they fattened and grey
ruddy.
Learn by Doing.
All the while there were strik
meetings with thousands ATTENDING
and learning about the labor move
ment. 1t was high spot in the live
of the 10000 workers who wake
out Of the many ugly red brick mill
of Passaic and surrounding textil
towns. They were out OF the stuff
workrooms full of lint. steamv, un
kempt and rearing with machiner
that drove the workers day and night
They paraded around the town an
told the world about theSl why the
were striking. They became tn
thousands of heroes and heroines 0
a movie which is still telling tn
story of their strike. arounI tn
world
Bosses Lines Break.
Finally one of the small mill
broke ranks and settled with tn
United Textile Workers union. Pas
sale Worsted's settlement was fol
lowed in a month by the big Botan.
Mill. The year rounds out with Forst
Hoffman, giving U. T. W
president Thomas Mcmahon its mos
conciliatory statement so far-a let
ter which may lead to settlement We
on the terms the other mills took
Not all the Botany workers are bacl
or the job yet because the season j
slow. There are these thousand fror
Forstmann-Huffmann out fightinI
the company union, others from Ney
Jersey Worsted Spinning and Unite
Piece Dye Works.
Partly Won.
The strike isn't over and it Ger
tainly isn't beaten. If the organizes
labor movement feels proud that
has supported so lusty fight, let /
remember to keep up its aid unit
the struggle is done and the uniol
firmly established in Passaic--th
best known town now Of backwar'
New Jersey. Neighboring Patersoi
the silk town-is buzzing with tn
plans of the Central Labor union an
. Building Trades Council committee
for a February bazaar for PassaiC
Unions throughout the country ar
helping organized labor win PassaiC
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