The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-02-27
CLASS POLITICAL
ACTION URGED BY
PROGRESSIvES
~ n e m ploym e Mt De-
nands Made by Leader
Oh a Worler Correspondent


OF the A. +. of L. has its annual con-
ference. At the conference held
Feb. 49, the main business was the
report by the legislative agent of all
the bills in the legislature pertaining
to labor. Actually the same bills were
reported last year. The Workmen's
Compensation Bill, the Sewer Bill. the
Syndieo-Criminal Bill, and many
others providing chains for the work
ing class if passed
The Workmen's Compensation Bill
has been deferred from year to year
for about the last seven or eight
years. The main factors in the fight
over workmen's compensation were
the two factions within the Central
Labor Union. The Kerney faction
who fought for bill turning over
the workmen's compensation to the
insurance companies which they call
the Massachusetts Plan, and the Van
Varen-Wick faction which favored
and fought for the Ohio Plan, i.e.,
workmen's compensation under direct
jurisdiction of the state
Both Factions Deceived Workers.
At discussions during the past year
on the question Of workmen's com
pensation in the C. l.. u, it was
clearly brot out that both factions
We're serving the insurance COM
panies and both the republican and
democratic politicians. And as things
went along, the workers were the
ones who mostly suffered When fl
nally, under the pressure of some of
the workers they had to reach some
decision. both factions agreed at the
last Worcester conference to the Ohio
plan.
When a drafted bill was introduced
the district attorney declared it I'M
constitutional After several more
redrafted bills were ruled out, a bill
was accepted that many senators and
legislators of the capitalists disliked
In his report, the legislative agent
pointed out that neither the repub-
licans nor the democrats would vote
for the bill. He said that ''tho they
claim to be friends of labor when
rollcall is called. they either are alb
sent or are out in the lobby"
In the discussion of the report,
many delegates expressed it as their
opinion that there is no use of can
vassing any more, the representa-
tives on Beacon Hill Winokur of the
paper hangers, speaking on the diff
ferent bills, destroyed the illusion of
some of the members in the labor
movement, that the workers can get
protection, through capitalist legisla-
ton. The only thing that can be sue
cessfui in getting something is to
rouse the labor movement to come
to the hearings and protest, instead
Of lobbying" politicians, and kneel-
ing before the representatives, who
are stealing the workers votes by
posing as friends of labor.
During the discussion none of the
politicians could give any suggestion
as how to go about the bills.
At the same conference the help
lessness of the state branch A. F. of
L. officials was felt. Under the new
business, the president, answering
question that came from the floor,
as to what the A. F. of L. branch
does to remedy the unemployment
situation, pointed out everything, the
causes of unemployment, the suffer-
lngs of the workers, etc, but did not
give any satisfactory answer or any
concrete suggestions for immediate
relief. Concluding his remarks on the
unemployment situation, he said that
the state branch would do just what
the c. L. U. does.
After the president finished the
progressive delegate, Winokur, again
took the floor, and criticized the state
branch for doing the same as the c.
L. u, in other words, doing nothing
The c. L. U. has called an unem-
ployment conference for March 4,
and that conference will bring no re-
suits to relieve the situation. He de-
manded that the state branch start
work Immediately and bring concrete
suggestions to the conference. He
made the following suggestions: /
~ cbdIC iuilu luI Iflt ulle ilDlOycu
formed by taxing the industrialists
9. That kitchen be opened for the
unemployed. 9. A decrease of work
ing hours due to the naturalization
Of the machinery d. That the
throwing out Of the unemployed work
crs from their homes be stopped.
Usually after a progressive stakes
2 stand defending the workers at the
G L. u, the officials jump right up
and ignore the speaker, or proclaim
him a fred" Now they all kept
quiet. not a word was said in answer
to the proposals. The conference
y ended in peace.
Let us hope that to the conference
e March a. 1923, the rank and file
delegates who heard the concrete pro-
posals, or the floor Of the C. t. u.
To the state branch confaronca will