The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-03-20

American labor movement
SavetheUnion Conference to be held on that
Pittsburgh will turning point in the history OF Aerl
labor.
1t necessary the entire working class thoroughly to
understand this happens in the United Mine
Union be merely the affair of trade union
great the proetaran of the American Fedora
ton of Labor Aside this union which is srucuray
not industrial the center of gravity Of
the A. F. of L. aristocracy of labor the highly skilled
trades relatively highly paid and subject to reactonary
intrgues
The fate of the United Workers large extent
the immediate future of the existing trade union
movement.
Yet is clearly that the United Mine Workers Union
is facing the danger complete destruction Such destruction
would break the poetaran of the trade union movement
would destroy unonsm the coal industry which remains the
American production With the United Mine Work
eliminated factor reactionary American capital
could boast that the foremost industrial country virtually
without labor movement.
This is not far from possibility.
With the exception unions of the United
eight years been retreat In former times
nvariabe rule that during times of industrial expansion the
membership with the growth of industry But
eight since this rule has ceased to operate IN this coun
try highest point the trade reached in
membership 1920 when there nearly 100000 mem
all American trade The trade unions that
followed the rise of industrial expansion.
Since 1920 the trade unions have absolutely to rise
points 1928 and 1926 union membership failed keep
Wages failed reflect rises of employment The capitalist
class actually succeeding in reducing the trade unions
negligible thus approaching the openshop ideal of free
hand for capital, industrial feudaism'
objective the operators eliminate all Unonism
industry objective includes general
lowering wages standards complete freedom
interference the elimination of 100000 workers from the indus
try highest possible speedp of the workers remaining
with expensive safety abolished.
The the operators include partial alliance
John L. Lewis for common attack of the tradeunon
the operators together with the police against the mants
the ranks of the mine workers and against effective relief
system established by them
objective in the present situation is up
statement of his opposition class struggle his policy
cooperation of labor capital meaning cooperation
leaders with operato) his advocacy of the elimination
100000 workers permanently from employment the Mines
his opposition pcketingn short his opposition
action from the mine workers themseeand his desire
tire from the presidency of the Union with satisfactory
to the capitalist class pave his appointment in the
next presidential cabinet Lewis wants to transform the United
Mine Workers Union from its original condition organ
cation, conservative organization selected fieldsa
Union paying good salaries officials who arrange
with coal operators satisfactory the operators This
the only possible in which Lewis successfully his
national republican potcsthe politics big capital
Certainly Lewis wants the weakening of the union short
of the total elimination of the with which he could
He hopes federal law under which would
the mines regulations would be imposed
mild form through these DEGREES.
The national Save the Union Conference Pittsburgh there
fore the greatest Importance of labor gathering
many decades in the United States
the United Mine Workers Union would
American trade union movement from the crushing
the worldhsory of trade unions 1t would turning
point for the whole labor of the United States
1t that the Pittsburgh conference be
tatve the courageous workers make only
of
organized mine, send delegates to the conference