The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-04-25
DOWN TOOLS ON
MAY DAY" is CALI.
OF AUTO WORKER
Sees Great Event In
T. u. E. L. Meet

In the following letter to the Daily
Worker, Detroit auto worker calls
upon workers to celebrate May Day
as it should be celebrated, and
urges workers to elect their shop
committees and send their delegates
to the Trade Union Unity Conven-
ton in Cleveland, June /:
"Fellow Workers:
"Once again May Day is near due,
and it is regretable that in this coun-
try, where the international labor
holiday was first conceived, we
workers do not observe this day and
celebrate it as it should be by all
workers. The very fact that work
ers in the A. F. of L. allow the SUBJ
stitution of date in September by
the capitalist class as supposed
labor day, betrays a lamentable lack
of class consciousness and loss of
militancy on the part of US workers
and it is in protest against these
features that write.
Down Tools.
"May Day is the day set apart by
us, the slaves of production, on which
we should demonstrate our strength
and solidarity, when we should rally
round the banner of the working
class movement. With this in mind
l ask my fellow toilers to down tools
on May First, the proper date, and
let US celebrate in true workman
fashion this important and interna-
tional day.
"The proper observance of this
day by us in the auto industry here
in Detroit, would have an important
and far-reaching effect throughout
the slave pens of Detroit. 1t would
be one of the first steps towards or
ganization and through organization
comes that solidarity so much de-
sired by us workers and so dreaded
by the boss class.
Our Day.
"On this day above all days, we
should participate in mass demon
strations carrying our message fear
lessly, proclaiming our right to or
ganize along those lines which shall
have as their ultimate end the mass
action so necessary to win freedom
for US. Then and then only, fellow
workers, will we be able to abolish
this hellish speed-up that saps ones
strength so and results in our being
cast on the scrap heap, worn out and
useless in much shorter period than
any worker in any other country in
the world. Let's unite this May Day,
fellow workers, down tools, leave the
factories in idleness, mute testimony
to our power, crowd the streets with
our demonstrations. The tramp of
our feet will be the anvil chorus of
thousands of tens of thousands in
the march of celebration. May Day
is our day, fellow workers. Let them
not take it from US, guard it and
use it as the means to achieve that
freedom fir, m enslavement which is
our lot, treasure it as the day when
we demonstrate our power as the
one day that labor speaks.
T. U. E. L. Call.
SIN the March issue of the Food
Worker, by far the most interesting
thing in it was the call for conven-
ton of the workers, organized and
unorganized at Cleveland, June LIST.
This is very important, fellow work
ers, as l understand it, this would
be the center in America for all real
live unions, away from the old rot
ten and corrupt American Fedora
ton of Labor, whose policy of graft
and fake has so misled us workers
here.
"With such central body in be-
ing as is proposed, the building of
an auto union here can be speeded
up, and the death blow given to the
"pie-card" artists who infest the De-
troit Federation of Labor, whose
chief duties appear to be the or
ganizing of "rackets." Proper repre-
sentation from the factories here to
the Cleveland Convention and by
proper representation mean work
ers from the belt lines and the spray
ing booths, genuine toilers whose de-
sire is mass militant, aggressive
unionism, will be decisive step
forward to smashing the corrupt
machine of Green & Co. and to the
rallying of the basic elements of the
working class, the unskilled and
I semi-skilled.
End of Grafters.
eve workers should get together
as soon as possible in the shops and
if not there then outside somewhere
and talk this matter over, pick out
the best elements amongst US and
get our shop committees made up
ready for work at Cleveland, June
LIST.
"Those of us who are members of
existing unions should see to it that
all progressive members raise this
issue at their union meeting and in
sist on delegates being sent. Don't
let us fail in this attempt to realize
1,.,, .@~o~.4L fos1,,x1 s...1I L. -