The daily worker., 1927-07-18
BIG PICKET LINE
IN FUR DISTRICT
sTARTs7TH WEEK
Negotiations WithRight
Wing Broken Off

The seventh week of the furriers'
strike starts this morning with ar
rangements being made for large
picketing demonstration. 1t is believed
that thousands of workers will crowd
the market and give evidence to their
determination to continue the struggle
to preserve the Furriers' union.
The petition that will be presented
to Governor Smith, urging him to take
action on the mass arrests and police
brutality towards the strikers, is
eagerly being signed by thousands of
workers throughout New York City.
Many workers, when they see the peti-
tions, ask for quantity of them to
take to their shops and obtain the sig
natures of all the workers.
Break Off Negotiations.
Negotiations entered into between
the New York Joint Board of the Fur
riers Union and the -Frayne- Nc
Grady committee appointed by Presi-
dent Green Of the American Fedsra-
tion Of Labor, at the request of the
aforementioned committee, have been
broken off as q result Of the refusal
of the committee to agree to the rein
statement of the expelled local unions
which include 80 per cent of the total
membership of the Furriers Interna-
tional Union.
Conference Result of Pressure.
The conference, according to state
ments made in official labor circles,
was the result of pressure upon the
A. F. of L. executive council from va
rious unions designed to establish
unity in the needle trades organiza-
tions and liquidate situation which,
because of the use of gangsters, po-
lice, injunctions and prosecutions by
the Woll- l-Frayne-McGrady committee
and the right wing in the needle
trades, is bringing great discredit up
on the whole labor movement and
making it possible for the bosses to
safely violate agreements.
Minimum Proposals.
In a number of sessions the mem
bers of the New York Joint Board,
headed by Ben Gold, proposed that
agreement be reached as follows:
l. Reinstatement of all expelled
members and local unions.
2. An election to be held for the
New York Joint Board under the su-
pervision of an impartial committee
on which the New York Central Labor
Council and the Civil Liberties Union
should be represented.
8. Following this election there
should be called convention of the
International union to which delegates
would be elected on the basis of local
union membership.
4 Ben Gold and a number of other
officials of the New York Joint Board,
in the interest of the unity, providing
the above program was excepted,
would not run for paid positions in the
union in the coming election.
5. An agreement on the part of all
concerned to begin Immediately 100
per cent enforcement of the agreement
won in the strike of last year, includ-
ing the 40-hour week.
These proposals were rejected by
the representatives of the right wing
and since they constituted minimum
guarantees for uniting the union to
which the Woll-Frayne-M McGrady com
mittee would not agree, the New York
Joint Board representatives could pro-
ceed with the negotiations only by en-
dangering the interest of the member
ship.
Colds Statement.
"The Woll-Frayne- -McGrady commit
tee exhibited in the negotiations the
same disregard for the welfare of the
needle trades workers as has charac-
terized their war upon the union men,
bership," said Ben Gold.
"The New York Joint Board will con-
tinue to carry on the fight in the mar
ket for enforcement of the agreement
and will continue to support the ef-
fort of the Unity Committee of the
Furriers' International Union for soli-
darity against the bosses and the
Strengthening of the union"