The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-09-17
UNIONS Send IN
200 REPLIES TO
LOCAL CIRCULAR
Progressives Stand on
Militant Program

rf~ AiANiSAbAOAS VI q SIOWIAS ISNOlC
against the reactionary administra-
ton of VIM L. Hutcheson, president
of the Carpenters International
Union, was seen here by progress
siye members of the organization
following reports received by the
: Defense and Reinstatement Com
mittee of former Local 376.
f--Nearly 200 replies favorable to
I the appeal sent out by the com
mittee to union locals throughout
the country have been received, it
was announced by Morris Rosen,
former president of Local 376.
Rosen is to present the appeal of
the local before the coming con-
vention of the International to be
held at Lakeland, Florida, Septem-
Der %.
Outgrowth of ReactiOnary Drive.
The Defense and Reinstatement
Committee Of Local 376 was formed
following the countrywide drive
four years ago by the Hutchinson
administration against all progress
sivism within the union ending with
the destruction of the local The
appeal by the local which came be-
fore the Indianapolis convention of
the International four years ago
was railroaded by Hutchinson at its
closing session in one of the storni-
est scenes in the history of the or
ganization.
Since then resentment against the
policies of betrayal carried out by
the Hutchinson machine has been
spreading. Recently, the Defense
and Reinstatement Committee of
Local 376 sent out review of its
case to several thousand locals
throughout the country. To date,
nearly two hundred replies have
been received by Nathan Rosen,
secretary of the committee, 174
Grafton St., Brooklyn. Thousands
of copies of the appeal have been
sent to many of these locals at their
request for distribution among their
members.
Many in Direct Support.
Among the replies are numerous
letters declaring direct support of
the appeal of Local 376. Others in
dictate that they will instruct their
delegates to fight to give Morris
Rosen a hearing at the Lakewood
convention. A third group, evidently
not wishing to declare themselves
at this time indicate that their dele
gates would like to meet Rosen dur
ing the convention to discuss the
issue further.
The replies both as to character
and number are considered of the
greatest significance by progressive
carpenters.
Rosen, who ran for president
against Hutcheson four years ago,
predicted that there would be a
strong progressive opposition to the
machine at this years convention.
PrOgressives Gaining.
1.-THE issues which the progressive
carpenters are rallying around are
becoming increasingly more vital
for our trade" Rosen declared.
"Non-union conditions are spread
ing. No less than IS per cent of the
! building trades workers are today
! working below the scale. We find
q progressive loss of job control by
the workers, lowering wage levels
and the increasing use Of non-union
materials. In our International, in
spite of the fact that the use of
snon-union trim is prohibited by our
constitution, the officers of the or
ganization wink at the practice and
workers who protest against the
violation are removed from the Job. "
The burning issues of the trade
Rosen stated are organization of
the unorganized, amalgamation of
the building trades unions, reinstate-
ment of expelled members and loc-
ais, elections and conventions every
two years instead of every four as
at present, rank and file control of
the organization.
The progressives will make q
much better showing this year than
in the past, Rosen predicted, owing
to the fact that they are much bet
ter organized