The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-10-01
LOCAL Al ISSUES
k.ILITANT APPEAL
TO ALL WORKERS
Exposes Labor Takers;
VIII Organize
By NJ. E. TAFT

During the five years Of its ex
istence Local Al, fuckers, Hem
stitchers, Pleaters and Novelty
WORKERS Union, has passed through
many stormy experiences. The
workers in our industry at first hac
a hard struggle to obtain a charter
from the International. Finally
when the charter had geen granted
he International could not afford 9
permanent manager for the Local
Accordingly, almost every other
week some new manager would op.
crate on the union until finally there
was hardly a limb or tissue left to
the organization.
More than once during this Pc
Rod the International attempted to
revoke our charter altogether. But
thanks to the efforts of Brother
Myman, then manager of the joint
Board and leader of the left wing
the International was not successful
in revoking our charter.
The off-hand methods of manag-
ing Local al by such as Lefl1owitz
and Halpern resulted in demoraliza-
ton and almost complete ruin Of
the Local. The constant demand of
the left wing group for permanent
manager and more attention to the
Local resulted in the utter abandon
rnent of the union by the Interna-
tional gang.
Finally, in 1925, group of pro-
eressive members succeeded in TAX
ing over the leadership Of the To-
cal. Their first act was to initiate
an organization campaign in the
trade. The employers chose this
particular time to institute a wage.
cut drive, in the conviction that with
the union weakened as a result OF
the policy of the International their
effort would be successful.
The chief among the employers
was the Star Pleating Company
whose owner was at the time the
president of the association land by
the way this association of the
bosses was product of Mr.. ]. Hal
perm. who was part manager al
times of the Local and vice-presi-
dent of the internationally.
Left Wing Wins Victory.
The left wing administration, un.
der the leadership of Pauline Nor
ganstein, had taken up the struggle
against the association, while the
union. as has been said, was in q
weakened and very critical condi.
ton. With the aid of the locals in
fhe Joirt Board, however, our union
.held out against police brutalities
sinjunctions and starvation for fully
six months. At the end of this time
a general strike was declared, which
forced the employers of the asso-
sciation finally to recognize our or
ganization.
Throughout this struggle the In
ternstional not only failed to assist
sour Local but utterly abandoned il
sand did everything to create dis
ssention among the members and dis.
strust of the left wing leadership.
At the time of the organization
.of Local Al the International had
sent us a set of books and some old
furniture scraped together from
lother offices. For this they hao
enlarged US $4,000. We shall see in
a moment how they used this charge
TO fight us.
When the International began it;
attack on the left wing and initiated
its expulsion campaign, Local Al
stood solidly with the rank and file
end the policies of the left wing
Naturally the International officials
did not like this stand and were
looking for a chance to launch ar
attack on the union.
Gang Steals Funds.
So, in January, 1927, in the man.
ner of sneak thieves, these officials
took over $4,000, then held on de.
: rosit by the Local at the Interna-
: tional Union Bank, without as much
as informing US Of the fact. Wher
. the officers and the executive board
! of our union discovered the theft
. of our funds, a special meeting was
, called to consider action. 1t was
decided, however, that in view of tht
fact thst the money was a security
fund put up by the employers, anc
in view of the further fact that we
were in the midst of negotiations
( with the employers over new
agreement, it would be bad policy
to announce the theft at that time
Instead, we began an intensive
campaign to collect tax previously
levied in order to replerish oul
treasury
We also called our members to 8
reneral meeting and told them Of
the dirty job of the International
AT this meeting a resolution was
unanimously adopted that in the flu
ture all funds of the union be de.
pcsited in another bank and in the
name of three trustees elected fol
that purpose. Within a short tins
we raised a new fund Of almost
$4,000. When our accountant made
his report and the international dis
covered that we had this money