The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-12-26
Open ShopG
Firms Bribery
of Labor Faker
WILLIAM 2. FOSTER
Continued

McCarthy's clique were corrupt
and reactionary. They fought
against everything progressive in
the unions. They were primarily re-
sponsible for putting Tom Mooney
and Warren X. Billings in Jail and
keeping them there. In this historic
case their decisive influence has al
ways been on the side of the en-
ployers. But with all their reaction
they at least had sense enough to
maintain strong unions, which the
especially favorable local situation
as well as their monopolistic COM
binations with the employers made
easy.
In 1920, as part of the general
postwar drive against labor, the
San Francisco employers declared
war on the building trades. They
felt strong enough to dominate the
local industry monopolistically with
out the cooperation of the trade
union leaders. They wanted to be .
rid of the hampering labor organi- {
cations. Their slogan was the Amer
lean plan "open shop" The fight 1
climaxed in 1921 in deep wage cut,
a general lockout of the building
trades, and an attempted general
strike of all San Francisco workers.
The building trades unions were
overwhelmingly defeated and almost
crushed.
About IS months after the strike
a legislative committee investigating
the corruption used to defeat the
Water Power Act in the interests
of the great corporations uncovered
a $4,000 bride given to Mccarthy
by the notorious Pacific Gas and
Electric Co. This finished Mccarthy.
He was forced to resign his position
in the Building Trades Council. The
employers had used him as long as
he was of value to them and then
cast him aside.
The A. F. of l.. and Graft. +,
Towards all this corruption and
graft the general policy in the trade
unions has been to pass it over in
silence. The false argument is made
that if it is exposed it will injure
the labor movement. This idea is
carefully propagated by the reac-
tionary officialdom, and large num-
bers of the rank and file are de-
ceived by it. AS for the grafters
themselves, they interpret this pol
icy of silence as giving them a free
hand to carry on their destructive
activities.
Rarely has the labor bureaucracy
itself taken the initiative in expos
ing the corrupt leaders. Usually this
is done by the employers and after
they have been so exposed by the
employers the unions sometimes ex-
pei them. Otherwise the whole prac-
tice of grating on the workers and
employers is tolerated and condoned.
The disease of corruption goes on
untreated. A search of the "History.
Encyclopedia, and Reference Book
of A. F. of L." bring forth on page
161 the following lone action taken
on the question of bribery by the
A. F. Of L.:
"Bribe-taking-(1903, p. 202). An
isolated case of bride taking does
not warrant the conclusion that dis
honesty on the part of the officers
of organized labor prevails. On the
contrary, we are convinced that the
representatives of organized labor
are by far the most reliable, honest,
and trustworthy of any walk of life"
The reason for this failure to at
tack the grafters is plain. The right
wing machine in the A. F. of L.
bases itself, and has for genera
ton, upon the most corrupt and re-
dictionary elements in the labor
movement. One-third of the entire
membership of the A. F. of L. be-
longs to the building trades unions.
where corruption is at its worst.
Their delegations at A. F. of L. con
ventions are solidly reactionary.
Their leaders, in combination with
the bourbon heads of the printing
trades and the miners unions, form
the body of the reactionary A. F.
of L. bureaucracy. ~
To Be Continued