The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-08-02
GREAT FIGHTING
MILL conference:
OCTOBER 1918
Arrange for Struggle
Against Conditions

5tretch-out system, to secure sub
stantial wage increases, to establish
the hour day, to stop child labor,
etc, and to unite the 100000 textile
workers of the South into a great
movement to definitely put these
demands into effect in the entire in
dustry.
Conditions Unbearable
Conditions in the textile industry
Of the South have become unbear-
! able and impossible. The stretch
nut and speed-up system has been
arried to the point of physically de-
troying the workers. Wages are
at starvation levels. Pellagra, that
foul disease of malnutrition, is
widespread. The 60 and 10 hour
week is a crime against the workers.
Child labor is a deadly menace.
These evils, with the other terrible
conditions in the mills, constitute
an altogether intolerable situation.
And the employers add insult to in
jury by advertising throughout the
country, in their attempt to draw
mills into the South, that we work
ers are of a slavelike docility, that
we will work practically endless
hours for wages lower than any
place else in the country, that we
will submit to limitless speed-up
and that we don't want union
and make no demands upon the EN-
ployers for better conditions.
Strikers Prove Revolt
We can and will end these I'M
bearable conditions. The 100000
textile workers of the South are
in deep-seated revolt against the
intolerable situation, enforced by
the employers in the mills, aided
openly by the city, county and state
authorities.
The many strikes in the various
textile centers are proof of this
spreading discomfort. We call upon
he great mass of intensely exploit
ed workers to act in one body and
in one great movement throughout
the textile industry of the South.
So acting we will be irresistible.
By uniting all our forces for one
great effort we can fundamentally
improve the conditions throughout
the entire textile industry of the
South. The Charlotte conference
will be the point at which textile
workers from every mill in the South
will come together, unite upon a
program of demands, and set in mo-
ton vast movement to put these
fundamental demands into effect.
This movement of the textile
workers in the South will have its
effects in the Northern textile cen
tiers. The vast armies of workers
there will support the struggle of
the textile workers here to improve
conditions. 1t is necessary part
of their own struggle. The South
ern textile workers are blasting the
way for general Improvement in
conditions of textile workers all
bver the country and are taking the
lead in the struggle of the Southern
working class. In this great move
ment this will have the support Of
all American workers.
Fight Bosses and U.T.W.
We must not be swerved from our
great purpose by the opposition Of
the employers. The textile bosses
will try to demoralize our movement
with the assistance of the leaders
of the American Federation of La
Dor and the United States Textile
Workers Union. These officials,
with their huge salaries and close
affiliations with the employers, have
nothing to offer to Southern tex
tile workers, except betrayal and
defeat The United Textile Workers
Union is semi-company union. 1t
bases itself only on the skilled and
more highly paid workers. Its lead
ers are tools in the hands of the
bosses to enforce the speed-up and
low wage levels upon the workers.
The record of the U. T. w. U. in
the North is one of treachery and
N betrayal. It's record in the South
exemplified by Ware Shoals, Eliza
bethton recently, Gastonia and else
where in 1920-21 is of a similar
character.
Gastonia Case
Nor must we allow ourselves to
1be turned from the development of
great united movement through
out the textile industry of the South
by acts of terrorism on the parts
of the employers. They will use
TIER policemen, gunner, troops,
courts, etc. against US, in order to
prevent the establishment of real
union and better conditions for the
workers. Already we have seen this
in Gastonia. The 23 defendants,
leaders of the National Textile
Workers Union, on trial for their
lives and liberty, are being per-
secuted because they have dared to
lead the textile workers for real
\ struggle for organization and i'm
prove conditions. Such attacks upon
us will not break our forces but
will unite them and fire them with
a spirit of determination. We must
| support the Gastonia defendants