The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-02-11
"Re- Organizing" Into Company Union

Re-UrSdHlZHS IlIO d SOitpduy OHlOH
The Lewis machine of the remnant of the United Mine
Workers calls for miners to support on the basis of re
organization of the unon hints at president
Lewis to step out.
There is considerable evidence that Lewis will step out
indeed and step office the mediation board of the
latest Watson Parker BILL before providing for
the application to the coal industry of similar arbitration
machinery to what the two worked out for
the railroad industry.
Lewis could serve well there The WatsonParker media
ton machinery is effective ansrike apparatus 1t
works by prohibiting strikes except after such elaborate and
time wasting tactics that both the opportunity and the en-
thusasm fight have been and provides for
the buying off of sections of the workers by slight increases
in pay if need for that arises.
The warning often expressed thru these columns that
the Lewis gang of mseaders of labor in the United Mine
Workers of America would seek without regard to the fact
that the miners have repudiaed and left the to
continue as company union for the coal operators is
ing to have been only too true.
Even faster could have been anticipated several
months ago. the Lewis openly unites with the en-
poyer openly them crushing the workers down to
a lower standard of living.
In Illinois, where the Fishwick district administration
of the u NJ w. worthy of the Harrington admin
straon which to end only when was discovered
that harrington had sold out to the Peabody Coal Company
for yearly bride of S25000 has tied the whole state OF
Illinois contract with the operators association IN which
general wage cut provided and all miners forced to show
u M A. Company cards and dues to FshW1ck
In the anthracite parts of Ohio and Indiana wherever
the owners think the u NJ w A outfit has enough influence
to be worth the trouble the of deal is made In
every there clear cut and public bargain The mine
owners agree to give checkof the United Mine Workers
officials self elected group maintained in power not thru
the ballot but thru control of the ballot boxes by their
to count for themselves votes that are cast and
many they wish that not cast at all but exist only
in imagination Or the in cases do not bother
about the checo but merely refuse to hire any miners
who do not show u NJ W. A. card with dues paid to the
misleaders of labor.
In return for these very substantial benefits, the con-
tracts made between the employers and the u NJ W. A.
guarantee the operators the of miners at from oneor
to oneha reduction in the Jacksonville SCALE and with total
disregard of safety regulations and guarantee that the
will not be cheated in the weight OF the coal they e
To call this kind organization labor union is sheer
misuse of the term kind of company union, and
nothing more.
The United Mine Workers of America plays the same
role in the mining field that the International Ladies Gar
ment Workers and the international Fur Workers Union
pe play the needle trades the same role that the United
Textile Workers try to play in the mills In each case the
answer of the workers is the same organize in their
union wage heroic ceasees struggle for the esab
shment of wages conditions and hours that will make life
worth living.
All workers everywhere must see these thlngs the gh
of The National Miners Union against Lewis checkoff ano
Lewis cutting contracts for better hours
and wages is not struggle between two factions OF organized
labor The fight of the needle trades workers in New York
strike for the 40hour week and living wage not mere
y fright wingeft wing fight The organization campaign
of the National Textile Workers Union is not dual move
ent to some other labor union in the field These strug
giles are struggles organized labor of class conscious mill
tant industrial unionsm against company uonsm And
real worker should have doubt which side he Tor Their
can be no neutras in this fight You are for the right
fhorn
mands or you are labor eutenants of capitalism com
pany unions wage cuts and degradation.