The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-11-23

HAVE BETRAYED
Shoe WORKERS
10000 Men Need Real
Union
By JOSEPH MAGLIACANo

By JOSEPH MAGLIACANO
In the shoe industry of Greater
New York there are employed from
10000 to 10000 men and women.
These workers are subjected to vile
and ruthless exploitation by the
bosses and their lackeys.
Unions in Past.
Many unions have appeared and
disappeared on the horizon, like
comets. We can enumerate a dozen
But it is not necessary to review
the long history. The shoe workers
are going through a period of de-
preston and generalization on ac-
count of the betrayals of the Grady
machine of the former American
Shoe Workers Union; the betrayals
Of the Baine-Lovely machine of the
arch reactionary Boot and Shoe
Workers Union and of the Protec-
tive Shoe Workers, which is under
the control of the reactionary Nolan
Fitzgerald clique.
The betrayals of the Boot and
Shoe Workers Union were so many
that the shoe workers can only feel
disgust at the mention of the name
Of that organization. The workers
classify the B. and S. w. U. as a
mere company union and "scab
agency" This organization never
succeeded n gaining influence
7mong the shoe workers of Greater
New York. Though the union con-
trolls only few shops the conditions
there are no better than those in
the open shops, since the workers
are forced to belong to that union
by the combined forces of the
bosses and the reactionary machine
of the union"
This company union is affiliated
with the prostitute American Fed
Grafton of Labor 1t still retains in
it's ranks thousands of members in
the shoe centers of Massachusetts,,
but in the last few months two To-
Gals of the union withdrew from the
=. and S. w. U. and formed an in
dependent union. The locals that
withdrew are the Lasters and Cut
ters Locals of Lynn, Mass. The fer
ment of rebellion against the cor
rupt machine of Lovely continue
with increasing sharpness.
Working Conditions in the Shoe
Industry.
The working conditions in the
shoe industry have been going from
bad to worse. Since 1926 the vari-
ous unions have had to face the
union smashing policy of the bosses
and reactionary leaders. That was
when the latter began the expulsion
Of the locals and the Joint Council
which is under the leadership of the
progressives and left wing elements.
Prices and wages have been con-
tinuously slashed. The master class
then began to take advantage
Gradually they began to impose the
most abominable conditions upon
! the workers.
They compel workers to pay them
from $50 to 5000 or more as secur-
ity for their jobs. Those workers
who have the courage to defend their
dignity by refusing to chain them
selves to the bosses are compelled
/ tc lose their jobs.
/ Last week the Terrace Shoe Co.
which is situated at 1876 Grand st.
New York, demanded from the work
ers the payment of 5000. Two lasters
courageously refused to pay the
amount asked for by the bosses. with
protest that it is illegal and that
they will not stand for such de
Grading humiliation and slavery
These two workers were compelled
to leave the place since the bosses
refused to give them any more work
If the rest of the workers woulC
act as a united body in the shop the
firm would soon change their policy