The daily worker., 1927-03-07
Lewis Suenders to the Coal BarOns The Save the Union
Bloc Must Take the Lead

John L. Lewis president of the United Mine Workers has
stated to the press in order Ito reassure the public
will strike in the bitunous fields on April when the
Jacksonville agreement expires.
The heartfelt for the feelings of the dear public
manifested by Lewis is in direct contrast TO ms care Tor e
terests of the miners
What Lewis has by this of his policy is
to issue blank check coal barons Knowing that if strikes
they will support from the UMWA offcadom the
operators will begin their attack and working
conditions the miners before the contract ends
The actions of machine at the Indianapolis
ton such by offcadom though 1t
adopted slogan of mo backward STEP The negotiations be-
tween union officials the coal operators Miami served only
to show that the Lewis following closely the
ators policy of agreement both sides increase of
dcon and lowering Of wage chargesore production with
Lewis has surrendered to the coal barons.
This is the inevitable result of the policy he has followed
since he succeeded Hayes president of the Union He has n
aed and carried out an expulsion campaign against all ne most
devoted militant elements in the union beginning with Alex
Howat Systematically destroyed the morale of the men,
bershp by his continual prosecutions and by allowing thousands
of miners to be driven the union fields and the industry
while the coal barons 'normalizing' production
While doing all in his power to crush the trad
tona mtancy the union membership the coal barons
expanding the nonunon fields until today they produce from 65
to 70 per cent tonnage The union has decreased
steadily in numbers losing 10000 members in the last six
months when all coal production records were broken.
The United Mine Workers faces the same problem now but
urgent that it faced three years organization
unorganized fields The Lewis machine has made the most
disastrous failure possible in this direction Not only has
organize West Virginia Kentucky and Tennessee but
has either lost entirely or seriously weakened union fields like
Ohio Pennsylvania eastern Pennsylvania Canada etc
The the Save the Union bloc TO aunch an
organization drive in the nonon territories refuse
accept any wage cut and strike cuts made The
life of the union depends struggle against the operators in
both union and non-unon fields.
says nothing of organization drive. No prepara
tons being made for such campaign except by the Save
boc this be taken only that Lewis
has surrendered this part of the union well
The UAWA will be cut to pieces Lewis is allowed to have
his way The various operators associations will start
sault wages working conditions BOTH The inevitable
rank and file strikes will be scattered and therefore ineffective
and the membership will continue to decrease.
The Lewis machine has wrecked the miners union The last
statement by Lewis is admission of this fact
We have said day after day that Lewis would betray the
the union that he would fight except
the militant membership and that his policy led straight dis
ruption and destruction
Because have told the truth about the Lewis machine and
its to the miners unon its officials and pubcs have
expelled miners who members of the Communist Party and
have accused of being enemies of the union
The miners in position to judge who fights for
their nterests>and Uncertainty is not the Lewis machine.
To the UMWA the nonunion fields must be organized
The immediate of the Save the Union bloc is to force the
Lewis machine begin the campaign and to show by the
organization of mines that nonnon in western
Pennsylvania that the UMWA is weak because its leadership
reaeonary corrupt and playing the operators want it to
play.
The "Save the Union bloc must take the lead the struggle
against the coal barons attempt to smash the union
e Al r.