The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-11-29
WORKERS NOW
KNOW MILITANT
union IS need
Struck Solidly Last
August
(By a Worker Correspondent

FALL RIVER, Mass. (By Mail -
In the mill of the American Print
ing Co. in Fall River. the exploita-
ton of the young and old workers
is of the severest. This plant has
8 big divisions. The cotton division
consists of five big mills with the ca
pacity of 1000 workers. The print
ing and packing division consist of
1900 workers. There are about 40
per cent young workers in this plant.
The workers in this plant have been
betrayed by the fake unions such as
the U. T. w. and the A. F. T. 0.
affiliated with the American Fedora
tion of Labor. For the last twenty
four years these workers have not
had a chance to fight against the
wage cuts. Since 1924 these work
ers have received speedup systems
and wage cuts. The A. F. T. o. and
the U. T. W. unions has been selling
out these workers all these years.
The workers are aroused by the
leadership of a new union. In the
cotton mills the workers are receiv-
ing measly wages for hard work
and long hours, The workers here
are getting the average pay of SIS
per week. These workers are slav-
ing in the card rooms, spinning,
spoilers, and weave rooms from AZ
to 55 hours. The young workers
average pay is Sc to S12 week.
These young workers are shaving
in dangerous jobs for low wages.
The bobbin boys get $1,000, rowing
holsters S12.40, oilers S13,75, card
room doffers (girls) ST and So dol
lars per week, sweepers S11.24, and
the can boys 1890. In these card
rooms the sanitary conditions are
very dangerous to the youth. The
yard men in this plant are getting
$1450 per week. The machinist
helpers (these are young workers
are getting $3.50 per week. In the
weave rooms the cleaners, filling and
the battery boys are getting the
average pay of $1,000. The girls in
the spooling rooms are getting very
low wages, the average pay is from
SO to $12 per week. The women in
the spinning are running 20 sides
for the average pay of SIS to SIT
per week. In the printing division
the workers are forced to work from
SO to &c hours a week for the aver
age of S18. The young workers
here are working So to Sc hours pei
week for $14.
In the color shop where the chemi-
Gals are very dangerous, the work
ers are shaving long hours for short
pay. In the place where the cloth
is bleached the workers are forced
to use rubber aprons and boots. The
wages they are receiving average
S12 to SIC per week. In this room
the heat is terrible and the cement
floor is flooded with water.
These workers are working sc
hours a week. In the packing divi-
sion where the majority are young
workers they are receiving 50 to
S13.63 per week. The workers in
this plant put up a wonderful fight
under the leadership of the National
Textile Workers Union. Under the
leadership of organizers James P
Reid, Sam Wiseman, Bill Soroka ant
Pete Hegelias the workers demand
the 10 per cent be resinded anC
seek better conditions.
On Aug. at 10 a. m. the worker;
struck in the American Print Co
At 1890 a. m. $500 strikers were
in the Liberty Lot to hear the lead
ers speak. The demands were
restoration of the 10 per cent cut
day week, 40 hr. week, 20 per cent
increase and equal pay for equal
work. At II a. m. the strikers
formed a big picket line around the
plant. In a half hours time a force
of 300 police dubbed and arrested
the strikers. The U. T. w. and A
F. T. o. told the strikers to go in
back to work and scab. Five times
the picket line was formed anc
broken by the brutality of the police
Strikers were dubbed and arrested
left and right, taste of American
democracy. In three days SO strik.
ers were arrested for peacefully
picketing and singing.
In these three days, the police
church, papers, bosses agents anC
labor, takers used every possible
way to break the strike. In thi,
particular fight the young and ole
workers put stubborn fight agains
odds. The strike ended by the be-
trayal by the U. T. w. and the A
f. T. o. and the brutality of thu
police. The workers in Fall Rive
have lost their first fight but have
learned their first lesson, to figh
against the bosses for better condi
tions. All workers young and ole
must join the NATIONAL TEX
TILE WORKERS UNION or
AMERICA to fight for better con
ditions and better wages.
MANUEL PERRY.