The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-05-07
ISSUE CALL FOR
ILLINOIS SAVE
THE-UNION MEET
Local Flaunts Orders
of Machine
Continued from, Page Onel

Inc text Oh Jne convention call IOt-
lows:
"Belleville, ILL.,, April 30, 1928
'"To All Local Unions and Members Of
District No. u, United Mine Workers
Of America,
GREETINGS;
''The district Save-the- Union Com
mittee is hereby calling a special con-
vention of District No. IL, U. M. W
of A., to convene at Belleville, Ill.,,
May 10, 1928. 10 a. m.
"The purpose of this convention
will be to work out program to
meet the deep crisis which has been
brought upon the union by the incom-
petence and corruption of the Fish
wick administration, to place the
union in control of the rank and file
membership and remove the bankrupt
officialdom.
"The miners union faces destruc<
Etion at the hands of the coal opera
tors.
"The Pennsylvania and Ohio min
ers have been on strike for thirteen
months, fighting off the attempts of
the operators to crush the union. They
have been left to fight this battle
alone.
"In Illinois separate temporary
agreements of various kinds have
been signed by the Fishwick machine.
The members were not permitted to
vote upon these temporary agree
ments which have given away all con-
ditions won thru the hard struggles
of the past.
"This separate agreement policy
was begun by Frank Harrington while
he was on the payroll Of the Peabody
Coal Company in 1922. This present
policy was not authorized by the In
ternational or district conventions,
nor was it put up to a referendum
vote of the membership.
"The Illinois coal operators have
signed these separate temporary
agreements with the hope of first de-
stroying the union in Pennsylvania
and Ohio and as soon as this is done
to begin wage cuts here and break
the union in Illinois.
"The whole policy of the bankrupt
Lewis Fishwick machine is one of de-
struction of the union. In 1922 the
union fields produced 10 per cent Of
all coal mined. Today the union fields
produce less than 30 per cent while
almost 100000 union members have
been lost.
"To maintain itself in control Of
the union Lewis Fishwick machine
have resorted to expulsions of the
militant rank and file members, ex-
pelling local unions and whole dis
tricts, suppressed progressives voices
stealing of votes, packing of conven-
tons, and on top of it all, piled up
tremendous salary and padded ex-
pense accounts for themselves and
their appointed henchmen while the
miners are starving.
"The Lewis Fishwick machine will
not call special conventions to con-
slider this emergency, in the miners
union and take steps to remedy it,
They have crushed all democracy and
they are now resorting to mass ex-
pulsions, hence we miners must act.
Must Work Out New Policies.
"The District No. IL special con-
vention called by the Save the Union
I'm 70 oil
Gals from the rank and file who are
for the rank and file and will take
care of the interests of the union,
The special district convention must
work out new policies in line with
the interest of the membership. It
must work towards helping win the
Pennsylvania and Ohio strike, to fight
for a national agreement, to fight
against wage cuts, to fight for the or
ganization of the unorganized, to
fight for the six-hour day, five-day
week, to fight for control of loading
machine operation, to fight for aboli-
ton of penalty clauses and the dock
ing system and to fight for the build
ing Of a real miners union which wis
establish real conditions for the men..
bers
I'm the unorganized fields the men
who. were betrayed by the Lewis ma
chine in 1922 are coming out on strike
and are organizing under the leader
ship of the Save-the- Union Commit
tee. They are calling their own con-
yentions under the banner of the
Save-the Union Committee and will
not accept the leadership of the
Lewis machine.
"Thruout the organized districts
the rank and file members are hold
ing special conventions to take con-
troll Of the union. This is a great ma
tional movement.
"The rank and file membership have
demanded this special convention. The
rank and file will rule it. Elect your
delegates to, this convention. Send the
credentials to the secretary of Dis