The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-02-27
STRIKE NEAR AS
|. R. 7. FIRES ten
MORE union men

Continued from Page One)
one man, Pat Connolly, expells men,
bers without zrzzal or hearing; then
the company which uses Paddy Con-
molly as a mere rubber stamp, fires
the men for being expelled from its
own pet creation"
No Help Here.
In the meantime, union officials
were still seeking their long promised
interview with Jimmie Walker. The
mayor who is known to be working
hand in hand with traction interests
continued to play their game by stall
ing off the meeting another day. The
excuse he gave was that he had an
appointment with a dentist. While
the mayor makes such lame excuses,
workers are being fired, the union is
being struck dangerous blow, and
the ranks of the men are being de-
moralized. This is the purpose of
Walkers delay.
The next step, it is believed, which
the traction-controlled mayor will
make is to stall off action by means
of conferences" with the union off
Gals. The mayor will pretend to be
very considerable and sympathetic just
as he was in 1926 when the striking
motormen went to call upon him. He
will stall off all action long enough
for the company to prepare it's full
attack.
On Saturday The DAILY WORK
Err carried a warning to the thou
sands of traction workers who are
now reading this paper. The DAILY
WORKER has duty to perform to
the working class and especially to
the traction workers in this critical
hour.
Must Strike.
1t repeats this warning more en-
phatically now. It's predictions of two
days ago have already been borne out.
The DAILY WORKER said Saturday
that the marlborough traction Off
|cials had only contempt for such a
reasonable" policy as the Amalga-
mated officials are boasting about.
This is seen in the discharge of 10
more of the best "key" men on the
lines.
No self respecting worker or honest
labor leader will permit workers to
be fired without using the only de-
tense weapon possible under the cir
cumstances: strike.
Same As 1916.
This situation is not new one;
the game being played by the trac-
ton barons with the conscious or I'M
conscious support of the union Off
Icials is almost step for step the game
played in 1916 For this reason The
DAILY WORKER reprints here few
paragraphs of the history of that per-
iod:
(The marlborough had made an
agreement to recognize the union.)
From the very first moment it be-
came evident that the PETERBOROUGH
had only agreed to settlement in
order to gain time for its customary
understanding preparations.
Yellow Dog Contracts.
yellow dog, individual contracts
were distributed on the lines imme-
diately as the union officials had
agreed to arbitrate the differences
which still remained between them
and the company. Workers were
forced to sign these yellow-dog con-
tracts on the pain of dismissal. Scores
were fired for refusing. The men
complained to the union, but Fitzger-
aid, the Amalgamated vice president
in charge, hesitated and did nothing.
"In the meantime the marlborough
began the work of herding it's strike
breakers with feverish haste. The
men were all for immediate action.
But the Amalgamated officials with
their 'reasonableness' and 'modera-
ton and desire for arbitration
showed themselves unfit to save the
situation by proper policy.
Spontaneous WaIkout.
Fitzgerald permitted the days to
go by with verbal charges of bad
faith on the part of the company.
The PETERBOROUGH proceeded to build
quarters in which to feed and house
it's strikebreakers and established re-
cruiting stations in the principal CT
ties, particularly in Binghampton and
Chicago.
"In the meantime the traction
workers had begun spontaneous
walkout by the hundreds in protest at
being asked to break in strikebreak-
ers. Four hundred mechanics quit
work at Van Cortland Park when or
dered to build barracks for them. Still
the union officials dallied. 4 advised
against strike Fitzgerald reported,
because l gave my word to Mayor
Mitchell that we would not act with
out giving him chance to return
from Plattsburg.'.. (Now it is
WalkerD
Could Not Reach Mayor.
"The mayor could not be reached
either by telephone, wire or messen-