The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-04-02
BY VIM. 2. FOSTER.

(Since this article was written
the Save the Union Committee has
called, subject to approval by the
Pittsburgh conference, a strike for
April 16 of the 100000 unorganized
miners in Fayette, Somerset, West
moreland, Green and other western
Pennsylvania counties. The District
IL Save the Union Committee calls
Illinois miners to strike April IL
THE coal industry, both bituminous
and anthracite, finds itself in a
deep-going crisis. The principal fac
tors contributing to this are: over de-
velopment during the war period, in
5tallation of machinery and speed-up
systems, the introduction of oil,
water-power and other substitutes for
coal, the reduced demand for coal
caused by the general industrial de-
preston, etc. The crisis in the Amer
lean coal industry is part of the in
ternational crisis in the coal industry.
The general result of the working
Of these factors is a falling off of
demand for and a decline in total
production, also rise in production
per man.
The principal harvest the workers
reap from this situation is an unpar-
alleledS unemployment, the breaking
If their union, wage cuts, etc. The
slogan of the operators and the reac-
Cionary trade union leaders is "There
are 100000 miners too many" The
crisis in the industry reflects itself
oy deep-going crisis in the union.
Gradually the organization is being
crushed. During the past several
years it has been wiped out entirely
in West Virginia, Tennessee, Mary
land, and many other districts. 1t is
now being attacked most desperately
in the three key districts, in West
Pennsylvania and Ohio. The crisis in
the union is graphically indicated in
the fact that four years ago 70 per
cent of all bituminous coal dug was
produced by union coal miners, but on
April l, 1927, at the beginning of the
present strike, the amount of blum
nous coal produced by union miners
had been reduced to 80 per cent.
The Lewis administration tries to
throw the responsibility for the crisis
in the union upon the difficult situa-
ton in the industry as whole. Ma
.turally the conditions in the industry
have contributed to make the position
of the union more difficult, but with
proper policies the organization could
have overcome these obstacles, and
not only maintained but strengthened
itself.
Criminal Misleadership.
The Lewis administration has wan
tonly permitted the destruction of the
union in various districts, and it has
absolutely refused to carry on any
organizational work to re-establish
the union. 1t is saturated with cor
ruption and inertia. 1t has system
atically crushed every manifestation
Of militancy in the organization, ex-
polling militant fighters wholesale.
1t has divided the coal miners against
themselves, splitting off the anthra-
cite miners from the bituminous min
ers, and in the present strike, sign
ing separate district and individual
agreements. This destroys solidarity
among the miners.
Ever since Lewis came into power
his general policy has been one fatal
to the union. His betrayal of the
1922 strike, one of the most shameful
features of which was his abandon
ment of the Fayette miners, is typ
zeal. The signing of separate five
year agreement for the anthracite
was crime against the miners; like
wise his failure to strike the blum