The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-09-30
CALF, WORKERS
JAILED ON ORDER
OFWESTINCHOUSE
Slave Conditions in
Emeryville
by a Worker Correspondent


OAKLAND, Cal. (By MaiD i'm
the Westinghouse shop in the city
of Emeryville, two workers, Fred
andKarl Walker, were found out to
be members of the Young Commu-
mist League and were fired. Condi-
tions are none too good in this shop
and the boss feared a revolt, so they
found it necessary to dispose of
these workers who were organizing
the workers in the factory. A leaflet
was issued pointing out to the work
ers in the Westinghouse why these
two workers were fired and also
explaining the necessity of the work
ers organizing, to better their con-
ditions.
The next day they went out to
distribute the leaflets at this plant.
The manager in frantic rage called
the police department to arrest the
workers and hold them on the
charges he made out and at a bail
that he had set. The charges were
two misdemeanors, for which the
bail is never more than $50, if you
are not a Communist.
But being members of the. Young
Communist League the boys bail
was $500 each, and was later re-
duced to $500 on condition that the
boys stay out of Emeryville, that
town where the gallant police are
ever ready to protect the bosses
interests and receive tokens of ap-
probation from the bootlegging
dives and the palaces of prostitution
which are known all over the state.
Two other comrades, John Little,
district organizer of the Young
Communist League and Archie
Brown several days later went out
to the Westinghouse to tell the
workers who were beginning to ask
why their fellow workers had been
fired and then arrested. They held
a noon day meeting which was at
tended with the greatest interest,
until the police arrived and arrested
the speakers, John Little and Archie
Brown, who were taken to the town
hall upon instructions of the gen
eral manager of the plant.
When the charges were being pre-
ferred the cop not knowing what
Crime had been committed told the
sergeant at the desk to charge them
with the same charges as the others
were, meaning Fred and Karl
Walker. After being held in the
town hall for an hour we were
transferred to the county Jail where
we were finger-printed and forced
to strip to the skin and were
searched for Concealed weapons"
Here we We're held for over 81
hours until we were bailed out by
the International Labor Defense.
The conditions in this Jail are ter
rible. In the first place it is over
crowded to the extreme. We were
compelled to sleep on the floor. The
food is not fit to be eaten and the
vermin is plentiful.
At the same time that this was
happening Fred Walker and Jack
Miller went out to Nelson's Can
merry with the cannery shop bulletin.
Here they were also arrested and
held for over twenty-four hours on
investigation" They were released
to the LID. lawyer without any
charges being preferred against
them.
This is only the beginning. We
will see if workers cannot speak to
other workers at any time and any
place. We are going to fight for
the right to hold factory and street
meetings in this locality. The work
ers are beginning to see through
the bosses tactics, and to resent
the terrific speed-up forced upon
them. This was evidenced by the
workers coming up and asking for
the Young Worker and the Gas
tonia leaflets.