The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-12-05
FUR union IN
STRIKE THREAT
TO EMPLOYERS
Joint Boss Drive to
Revive Scab Union
to Be Fought
Is Official Ultimatum
Rallies All Week for
Mobilization

Ending in threat for a general
strike in the fur manufacturing in
dustry, an official statement was
issued late yesterday night after a
joint conference of the Joint Board
Of Fur Workers Union, the execu-
tive boards of the four locals in it
and all the active members of the
organization.
The statement is addressed to the
fur manufacturers as whole but
is directed particularly at the Fur
Trimming Manufacturers Associa-
tion. This employers organization
is reported in the trade journals as
having been in conferences with
the larger bosses association in or
der to merge, so that both can be-
gin campaign to revive the dying
A. F. of L. scab union, the Joint
Council. This union had sold to the
bosses the union conditions of the
workers, but was beaten after q
two years fight with the Joint
Board. The trimming bosses have
until now had contractural relations
with the left wing union and the
merger means the ending of these
relations.
The statement of the Joint Boarc
reads:
AT its last meeting on Tuesday
December a, the Joint Board of To-
Gals l, 5, 10 and Is considered the
current news concerning the com.
bination of the Fur Trimming
Manufacturers Association and the
Associated Fur Manufacturers on g
unified labor policy. Altho the Joint
Board was not yet officially in.
formed about this combination il
nevertheless considers it a fact
Moreover, the Joint Board will moi
be surprised by an official combina-
tion and deal between both Associa.
tions and the defunct Joint Council
and International, company union
which was brought into existence
and maintained solely by the off.
cials of the A. F. of L. and the
Associated.
Challenge to Furriers.
"The Joint Board is fully aware OF
the fact that this deal aims to revive
the Joint Council company union
and to wipe out every union regula.
tion and union standard in the fun
shops by even further reducing
wages and completely wiping out the
40 hour week as well as all Other
gains wrested from employers by the
workers since the union was organ.
lied.
"This deal between the two Asso.
Citations and the right wing official
dom constitutes a challenge to the
thousands of fur workers. Recog.
nizing that the economic well-beine
of the fur workers is at stake, the
Joint Board will take up the chal
lenge of the combination of the two
Associations and the company union
"The A. F. of L. officials can M
longer fool the workers. Their red
bcgey has been thoroughly riddled
Every fur worker holds the officials
of the A. F. of L. responsible fol
breaking the union, destroying the
union standards and extortine
money from the workers.
Made Secret Deal.
sIt will indeed be very useful tt
recall that during the 1926 fur strike
the Associated concluded a secret
deal with the right wing and A. F
of L. officials. But every one will
recall that the workers annihilatet
this deal and forced the manufac
turers and the A. F. of L. to respect
their demands and rights. History
is about to repeat itself. This time
also the workers will mobilize theil
power to regain their union stan
dards and to maintain their right
to belong to their union and not tt
company uHloH. IL WOuiu De CA
pected that the fur manufacturer!
should already be convinced that thu
fur workers cannot be enslaved ever
by means of intimidation, violence
and terror. But what the manufac
turers failed to learn from the ex
perience of 1926, 1927 and 1928
they will undoubtedly be obliged t.
learn during the coming year. Re
sponsibility will rest on the manu-
facturers.
"The manufacturers can prevent
a general strike in the fur trade
This can be accomplished in th'
simple way of concluding a collective
agreement with the true and rea
representatives Of the fur workers
and by restoring and recognizing th'
union standards. If the manufac
turers will refuse to recognize thi
fact and instead persist in their at
tempt to foist upon the fur workers
The company union, then a genera
hur strike II inevitable