The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-03-30
men SLAVE IN
12-HOUR NIGHT
FOR S19 4 WEEK
Progressives Organize
for Action

swung open each working morning
to permit 1900 textile workers to
enter the largest cotton mill in the
world, known as the Amoskeag Manu-
featuring Co., but commonly referred
to by the workers as "the poor house"
Its so buildings cover $50 acres and
they say it takes one hour and a half
to encircle the plant on foot.
Today, however, only a few Of these
81 gates swing open and Ali Bahia,
with his magic words, couldn't open
any of the gates on three days a
week.
So to $40 a Week.
The company now employs 5000
workers. As they never get full
week the pay of the cotton workers
averages from So to $40. The same
plant also manufactures worsteds,
tho to a less degree. Here workers
work II hours a night, 60 hours a
week for $40. Cotton weavers run
from Sc to 80 looms. At least 1000
F'rench-C Canadian textile workers have
returned to their former homes in
Canada in the past two years.
Opportunities for organization are
good, with proper leadership and
practical militant program.
The workers here are disguised
with the reactionary leadership of
the United Textile Workers Union
GU. T. W. which conducted the
strike of 1922. The following is
brief outline of the Amoskeag Mil
strike of 1922 and the final betrayal
by the above leadership.
81 Hour Week.
In Feb. 1919, as a war measure,
the bosses adopted the 48 hour week
After the war they were looking for
chance to rescind this and in Feb.
1929, announced the return to the 81
hour week along with a 20 per cent
cut in wages.
The workers struck on Feb. IS,
1922, and joined the only textile or
ganization in the city, the United
Textile Workers. The leadership of
this organization put up no militant
struggle but, on the contrary, blocked
efforts on the part of the rank and
file for active expression.
Vice-president Starr of the United
Textile Workers is a mason and so
is police chief Michael j. Healy. By
some subterranean method these pals
would meet and discuss plans and
how to conduct a nice peaceable
strike.
Betrayal.
Chief Healy could not get the
10000 strikers to leave the picket
line one morning, so brother Starr
volunteered his services and cleared
the grounds in a couple of winks.
Further evidence on the quietness
Of the strike is given by Mr.. Jump
in the Outlook" for April 26, 1922.
Jump wrote; "All in all, this strike
is a specimen of the species so unique
as almost to takes ones breath away.
It really reminds one of the poets
lines, "as idle as a painted ship upon
painted ocean," One wonders
whether it is anything but a dream
strike.
Vague Misleadership.
But the rank and file wouldn't
stand for the betrayal, so an injunc-
ton was secured by the bosses which
permitted only eight pickets at a
gate. The vague misleadership did
no urge mass violation of the injunc-
ton, but continues to caution the
strikers to be nice and peaceable and
obey the bosses laws.
In line with the bosses of the other
sections where strikes were in pro-
gress, Lawrence, Lowell, ETC., the
Amoskeag bosses restored the 20 per
cent cut on Sept. II, 1922. But the
strikers voted to carry on the strike /
to win the AZ hours.
The following is paragraph takerI
from the Monthly Labor Review for
May 1928:
"a committee of strikers visited /
the company on November 10, 1922, /,
and enquired upon what conditions
the strikers would be re-employed.
The company informed the committee
that if the strikers wished to return
to work at Sd hours per week and
the wage schedule then in effect ire
stored wages) all would be eligible to
unemployment except those guilty of
violence or intimidation or those
whose conduct during the strike had
been such as to destroy the possibility
Of maintaining the relation Of en-
ployer and employee with mutual re-
spect and confidence"
SO Per Cent For Strike
a wore was taken by the union on
the terms submitted by the COM
pany. and on Nov. 20, 1922. it was
announced that the terms had been
rejected by a SO per cent vote of
the strikers.
On Nov 25, 1922, just five days
later, vice-president Starr of the
United Textile Workers, recommended
to the nine locals of the Central La
Dor Union of Manchester that the
strike be declared eff, stating;