The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-19
LEFT WING PUTS
DEMANDS BEFORE
3RD CONVENTION
Shiplacoff Pleads for
Bosses Peace
"a Q Worker Correspondentl

Conditions in the pocketbook I'M
dustry for the majority of the work
ers are bad. There are workers
who have not worked for as long as
years. Other work part time The
manufacturers are very arrogant
and provocative. Workers working
two or three days a week must work
fast, according to the latest speed
up and efficiency methods. The
manufacturers are daily pressing
down the present standard of living.
UnioR Officials Do Nothing.
The union officials do not show
any desire to remedy this situation
or to better the conditions of the
workers. On the contrary they
always follow in the footsteps of
the A. F. of L. leadership, by uniting
with the manufacturers against the
workers.
Due to the conscious effort of the
Union officials to intimidate the
workers their militant spirit is
almost broken. The workers do not
take any interest in the union.
Union meetings are poorly attended.
At the last convention of our union
only about 10 workers came as visi-
TORS out of a membership of about
1000.
This month we are witnessing our
third bi-annual convention" 1t is a
convention in name only, and farce
in reality. In our union no delegates
to the convention are elected, where
I'll the paid officials and various
union committees get together and
call themselves the convention.
Our manager, Shiplakoff, who
helped Sigman and McGrady in their
attempts to break the Cloakmakers'
and Furriers' Unions, pursued the
same policy in our union. Most of
the leading left-wingers and old
members of the union were sus-
pended indefinitely and fined heav-
lily. Workers who are not 100 per
cent. with the right-wingers can not
ran for office. Others are terror
lied, taken off their jobs and fined
for any little thing or for no reason
at all.
At the present Convention" the
ieft-wingers were eliminated" This
shows why at the present "conven-
ton" no concrete demands to the
manufacturers were proposed The
40-hour week, which, according to
our present agreement, should have
been negotiated at about this time.
was not even mentioned. Instead.
Shiplakoff, in his managers report
to the convention, pleads with the
manufacturers to be kind to the
workers, appeals for peace in the in
dustry, and proves to the bosses
statistically that it pays them better
to have a union shop instead of a
non-union shop. In other words,
making out of our union a company
union.
Left-Wing Control.
Over two years ago, before the
present agreement with the manu-
facturers was signed, the main sec
ton of our union was headed by
left-wingers. Even at their right
wing controlled Convention" the
left wingers were we'll represented.
And, as result of the growth of the
left wing in our union as we'll as in
the other union, the manufacturers
were forced to give us a 10 per cent.
raise in wages and promise the 40
hour week for this year.
On the event of the present "con-
vention," the left-wing issued a
Journal in which they pointed out
to the workers the concrete demands
which must be put forth and fought
for before signing the next agree
ment with the manufacturers.
The left-wing in the journal called
upon the workers to adopt a mill
tant policy toward the manufacture
ers and to rally around the left-wing
demands:
l. Forty-hour week.
2. FOrty-four weeks guaranteed
work year.
3. An unemployed insurance
fund paid by the bosses and con-
trolled by the union.
4. Minimum scale for the gen
eral helpers, packers, examin-
ers and beginners.
5. One scale for the mechanics.
s. Democracy in the union.
Z. Reinstatement of all sus-
pended members.
This was a surprise to our union
officials, who expected to rush the
convention without any concrete de-
mands to the manufacturers. And
as result of the left-wing demands
enumerated above, Shiklakoff and
his gang decided at the last session
cf the convention" on July /, to
have another session, three weeks
later, in order also to discuss "trade