The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-08-09

z Sleeping Car Porters;
Dear Mr.. Randolph:
You have time and again declared
that the fight of the Pullman Por-
tiers is not only their struggle, but
the concern of the entire Negro
race, since it is basic struggle for
the economic well-being of the
Negro Race. In this you are entirely
correct, and it is because we realize
the Importance of this struggle for
the oppressed Negro masses and
for the exploited workers that we
are addressing to you this open
letter
1t is our duty to declare to you
that the policy which you have fol-
lowed, and in which you still persist,
is policy which can only bring
disaster and ruin to the cause of
the Porters and Maids. This policy
of trailing behind the labor aristo-
Gratis, who betray the interests of
the workers, who follow a policy of
cooperation with the employers, of
refusal to strike, and of narrow
craft segregation, has been proved
to be a policy which weakens and
divides the workers, which surren-
ders their interests to The bosses
who exploit them.
Misled BY Green.
That you have completely fallen
for this ruinous policy was proved
by your "postponement" of the
strike at the instance of William
Green of the American Federation
of Labor, and by your further
statement that the strike orders now
in the hands of the Regional Super
visors viii only be opened after con-
sqltation of the Pullman Porters
leaders with Mr. Green.
Now we submit, Mr.. Randolph,
that Mr.. Green did not organize the
Pullman Porters, and that his very
failure to do so is evidence of his
cack of interest in these workers.
i've submit that the Porters Union
vas organized because the porters
themselves rebelled against the
miserable wage and the inhuman
reatmenf 20 which they are sub
10Y the Pullman Company.
III we say that to turn the organi-
atstion of the porters, built up by
their sacrifices and struggle, into
the hands of this misleader Of labor,
is to doom this organization to de-
feat.
Warn Against Misleaders.
1t is now over seven weeks since
the strike was postponed" I'M
mediately we issued a statement
warning against the dangers which
threatened to these workers from
this backdown. We clearly warned
against the misleadership of the
prejudieed labor aristocrats of the
A. F. of L. and the narrow craft
nonopolists of the Railroad Brother
hoods. We called for a united front
with the progressive rank and file
Of these Unions to overcome the iso-
latIon OF the porters and to
strengthen their position. We called
Tor a new policy of militant strue-
gle against the oppressive Pullman
Company and against the agents of
these oppressors in the labor move
nlent, We demanded action to save
the Porters Union, to strengthen
the position of the porters and
maids, whose livelihood and status
are at stake,
The bulletin which you issued,
showing why the strike was post
poned, shows your subservience to
Mr. Green, You say: Gossip about
Mr. Green being insincere is tile
veriest nonsense and silhest tommy
rot which could only emanate from
crack-brained fanatics or ow-grade
nlorons. This abuse does not an
swer the criticisms of your mis-
taken policy, nor does it whitewash
the known record of Mr.. Green, as
a labor misleader who consistently
refuses to lead the workers in ac-
tive struggle for the Improvement
Of their conditions. but who, on the
contrary, aids the employers in
schemes, plans and moves for bind
ing the workers more securely to
their lot of oppression and exploita-
ton,
Randolph Betrays Failure,
In this bulletin you further 5e-
tray your complete failure to under
stand what strike strategy really
is. what is really necessary to bring
the opFressors of labor to book,
You say: eve have done almost as
much damage to the company by
threatening a strike as we would
have done by striking" Perhaps
that lis what you wished to do, but,
seriously, Mr., Randolph, do you
think that the Pullman Company
has been in the least disturbed by
an empty threat of strike which
failed 90 materialize? No. indeed!
One does not need to be labor ex-
re~t to know that The Pullman Com
pany has merely used that threat
to perfect o. strike machinery,
which Is can now use to damaging
effect against the porters. And the
VERY f. that YOU did not have the