The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-05
MEN MILITANT AS
HEADERS ACT
TO STOP WALKOUT
Bosses League, Press,
Aid Treason
(By a Worker Correspondent


Connecticut company, huge monop-
oily of the trolley system in the en-
tire state, and subsidiary of the N.
Y. N. H. & H. R. R., acceded to the
following demands: ~ recognition
of the union; (2) reduction of hours
of work to 8; (3) an increase in
wages, ard az an improvement of
the conditions of work.
Official Treachery.
When the men cast their vote, they
did this with unmistakingly militant
determination to fight for what they
thought was their right. This action
of the men was at once met with
alarm by the union officials. First
by the smaller fry and then by the
big ones. They suddenly realized that
these men meant it all. But would
they allow such an embarrassing
thing as strike to happen? Oh no.
This is the age of "the higher STRAIT
egg of Labor" Such an undesirable
event is not allowed by the officials.
And so from the very beginning they
prepared to maneuver that turned out
to be one of the lowest pieces of
treachery ever pulled off.
When the workers took the strike
vote, it was admitted even by the cap
italist press that it was unanimous.
thru the entire state. Such a power
full and almost uncomfortable senti-
ment in favor of a strike produced a
very undesirable effect, not only
among the company officials and the
employers generally but also among
the socalled labor leaders," which
eliminated in the lineup of three
powerful forces, determined to teach
the workers lesson for their "un-
expected" move, namely the labor
leaders," the company officials and
the open shop manufacturers asso-
citation.
Forced Arbitration.
Two of these union officials were
Mr.. John H. Reardon, international
organizer and member of the inter
national executive of the union and
John L. Sullivan. member of the state
board of the union and chairman of
the local union of Middletown. Mr..
Sullivan has very interesting his
tory in connection with his past ac-
tivity as an official of his own local
of Middletown. In 1925 and again in
1927, this man Sullivan reversed
unanimous decision of the local exec
utive board for a strike for union rec
ognition and forced it to accept ar
bitration, which materialized in a
very peculiar silence on the part of
the arbitrators. In 1925, the entire
crew of officialdom strained every eff
fort to convince the workers to ac-
cept arbitration. The workers accept
ed it. The result was the workers
belonging to the union got nothing
and the award was handed down to
the non-union bus drivers. This the
arbitrators did purposely, in order to
discourage the workers from joining
and belonging to the union.
In the present situation the union
leaders, for reason best known to
themselves, assumed the attitude of
favoring a strike. Suddenly a pecul-
lar situation was created. The COM
pany officials refused to arbitrate al
together. The union leaders insisted
and threatened with strike" unless
the company agreed to arbitrate.
Originally and when the men voted
for the strike, the demands were: rec
ignition of the union (the union is
not recognized officially by the com
pany); eight-hour day and an increase
in wages, the first of these being
the outstanding one. But according
to a preconceved plan on the part of
the union leaders consistent prop
uganda was began for arbitration and
this the company refusing" to con-
slider, resulted in focusing the entire
attention of the workers away from
their real demands. This in my opin-
ion was very profound and clever
maneuver en- the part of the mislead-
ers of the union. They themselves
showed to be master Judases and
played their game worthily and will
be rewarded generously for it.
Up till the very last moment, the
SNAAPoAiy oLOOu It's SLOuIlu, refusing
to bulge in accepting arbitration. At
the same time all preparations were
made-and this was officially and
openly announced in order to scare
the workers into submission, about
which the union leaders kept silent
to bring III strikebreakers to replace
the men in case of walkout. Mean
while the open shop manufacturers
association publicly declared that a
strike of the trolleymen at this time
would not be tolerated, that in case OF
its actually occurring, it would lend
the Connecticut company experienced
men, now employed in the factories
who formally worked on the street
ear lines.
Bosses United.
This sounded like a solid front OF
the bosses against the workers, but
again the labor officials, in the face
of this direct challenge to labor, kept
silent, did nothing and said nothing
Instead of modelling the entire
strength of the union and put up a
real fight to renlize the demands OF
the workers. theg dilly-dally, only toe
willing to yield to the company's least
resistance.
The bosses here presented a solid