The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-01-06
WEAKNESS, LACK
OF ORGANIZATION
BOOM TO BOSSES
By ANNA E. DAVID.

Modern industrialism was marked
by the development of machinery, the
building of factories and the growth
Of the modern proletariat. Men,
women and children are exploited
ruthlessly in this highly industrlalized
capitahstic country Of ours.
Offer Less Resistance.
1t does not matter to the employing
class whether it is men or women,
adults or children, that they exploit.
However, due to the political back
wardness of women and the helpless
ness of the children, these groups
of workers offer less resistance to
the oppression of the capitalists than
the men workers.
The women workers are more sub
missive, more easily intimidated, as
a result of the age-long social and
economic enslavement and their COM
paratively late entrance in the eco
nomic field.
Women Must Organize.
Women workers receive extremely
low wages in comparison with the
wages of men. The employers, in
justification of a lower wage scale
for women workers, say that the
standard of living of women is lower
than the standard of living for men;
that women workers have no econo-
mic responsibilities and therefore are
not entitled to living wage.
This is sheer hypocrisy on the part
of the employing class The employ
ers exploit the women workers more
intensively than the men because
they are weak and practically unor-
gained
The only way women can effect
lively fight their employers in their
struggle for equal pay for equal
work, and for better working condi-
tions, is through the trade unions.
3 Per Cent of Women Organized.
The trade union movement in the
United States is much weaker than
the trade union movement of any
other highly industrialized country
in the world Of the Al 100000 gain
fully employed workers, only S,00O,-
600 are in the trade unions. Out of
these three million, only 100000 are
women workers
There are over eight million women
workers gainfully engaged in indus
try in the United States; three per
cent are organized. Numerically, they
are weaker than the men, who are
organized into trade unions to the
extent of about ten per cent.
Forced to Work TO Live.
The fact that women bear children
and leave industry for certain peri
cd, does not prove that they are not
permanent factor in industry.
There are more women in industry
today than ever before. They are old
er, married women, and they are not
doing it to supplement the family
income for Injuries, such as an auto
mobile, a radio, fine clothes, and pin
money, as the bosses would like to
have us believe, but to sustain bare
living.
The average married and unmarried
woman worker works for the neces-
sites of life for herself and her
family.
Must Consider Situation.
1t is for this reason that every
woman worker must consider the
economic and political situation of
the country, which influences deci-
sively the conditions of her employ
ment.
The burning question for every
woman is: Win the present industrial
depression become permanent? Will
she face unemployment? What will
become of her and her dependents :?
Laws Do Not Protect Women.
The low wages the women worker
receives makes it impossible for her
to accumulate a reserve for the peri
od Of unemployment and in time of
sickness and childbirth.
1 There is practically no labor legis-
lation in this country which will pro-
tect the woman worker during criti-
cal periods. We have less labor legis-
lation than any other highly devel-
oped industrial country.
Soviet Union Protects Women.
The women workers of America
should take Inspiration from Soviet
Russia, where rapid progress has
been made during the last ten years
of workers rule, in emaneipating
women economically and politically.
Soviet Russia has fully realized the
double burden that the women work