The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-07-04

THE progressive movement in the
= shoe and leather industry in Massa-
chusetts is young movement, but it
has already much to it's credit.
After the decline of the Knights of
Labor the Boot and Shoe Workers
Union gained foothold in Lynn and
vicinity. In 1903-O5 the shoe makers
of Lynn rebelled against the BSWU.
AS the result of the "revolt" the BIS
WI was driven out of Lynn. Out of
this fight new union, the United
Shoe Workers of America was born.
This union during its existence i'm
proved the conditions of the Lynn
workers.
Lynn was $50 organized, I'D hour
week and five-day week during the
summer months were secured. In
1929 a serious attempt was made
to amalgamate all existing indepen-
dent unions into one powerful union,
the Amalgamated Shoe Workers of
America.
Due to the treachery of the leaders
in the Shoe Workers Protective Union
of Haverhill, Mass, who refused to
enter the union, this attempt failed.
In 1923-25 the BSWU spent large
sums of money to capture Lynn.
In 1925 the BSWU established it.
self by force in the city of Lynn. What
were the methods of the BSWU in
gaining control of Lynn? The BSWU
knows we'll that the shoe workers of
the country dislike their methods and
policies. For two years the BSWU
carried on a campaign thru the press
and spies in the local.
HOWEVER, this time the BSWU and
"a the Lynn Shoe Manufacturers AS
ISOLATION of Lynn did not reckon with
the mihtancy of the Lynn shoe work
ers. This "buy and sell" proposition
of the BSWU and the shoe manufac-
turers aroused the fighting spirit of
the Lynn shoe workers. A progress
sive movement to stop the cuts in
wages and the frightening of hours
was organized. The joint council of
the Lynn shoe workers became the
center of the fight. When the bosses,
thru the socalled shoe agents, APP
pealed to the union for the reduction
of wages, the progressives put for
ward a counter demand for an in
crease in wages and in certain in
stances threatened the shoe manu-
facturers with strikes. The shoe man
ufacturers have learned to fear the
resistance of the Lynn shoe workers,
altho they now had their union, the
BSWU.
Seeing that they could not control
the Lynn shoe workers, they moved
their factories to Boston where they
could get 1000 protection.
BOSTON is only ten miles from Lynn
- and the same union. Still it cost
the shoe manufacturers to produce
shoes 25 to $50 less than in Lynn.
1t is true that the BSWU constitu-
ton has a provision where it says 'if
any manufacturer has a union con-
tract, and if this firm moves to an
other city the highest price for labor
shall be paid" The Lynn council and
the six executive boards went to the
general office of the BSWU to
eliminate this emigration to escape
paying state board prices and condi-
tions. The reply Of the general office
was, eve have no right to interfere
with Boston. That is we have local
autonomy" After this remarkable
cooperation which the Lynn shoe
workers received from their gen
eral office, the Lynn progressives
realized that the only salvation for
the shoe workers Of Lynn was to or
ganize the shoe workers Of Boston
Consequently a gigantic progressive
movement was organized in Boston
on the same lines as the one in Lynn.
The next move of the Lynn shoe