The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-02-04
GIVES LIE TO the
VICTORY CT AIMS
OF THE forward
Furriers Are URGED to
Rally to New Union


the Needle Trades Workers Indus
trial Union reveals the real charac
Ter of the agreement signed few
days ago by the scab Joint Council
With the Fur Trimming Manufac,
turers' Association and the Associ
ated Fur Manufacturers. This agree
ment has been hailed as "a great
victory" by the yellow Jewish Daily
Forward, "won without any strug.
gle" and a great advance" over the
agreement signed after the victori.
Gus 17-weeks' strike led by the left
wing in 1926.
The statement of the new indus
trial union. which is signed by Louis
LYMAN, president, and Ben Gold
secretary-treasurer, follows:
"'The victory for the furriers, SO
loudly heralded by the Forward, is
the biggest farce and sell-out put
over by the bosses and their stool
pigeons in the company union at the
expense Of the fur workers.
Generous" Bosses.
''Were it not so tragic, all the fur
workers would only laugh at the
announcement that the company
union has concluded an agreement
with the fur bosses; as if an agree
Inent is necessary with their own
boys
at appears that the fur manufac-
turers were very generous in volun-
tarily granting good union condi-
tons to the columns of the Forward.
But every fur worker knows that
any agreement between the fur man.
ufacturers' associations and the COM
pany union is nothing but scrap
of paper and worthless instrument,
and no more than an attempt to
camouflage a sell-out and mislead
the outsider.
1.-THE Forward announces a full
t0-hour week for the fur workers
and also time and one-half for over
time. But every furrier knows that
even when there was a full 40-hour
week provision in the agreement, the
Associa e d Fur Manufacturers
forced the workers to work any num-
Der of hours and have not paid time
and half for overtime at any time
during the past two years. 1t is
well known that even at the time
when the union was able to control
every shop and to enforce the terms
of the agreement, it required the
greatest vigilance and the continu-
Gus functioning of special ma
chinery to compel the manufactur-
ers to observe the 40-hour week and
to pay time and half for overtime.
Meaningless and Worthless.
"Surely such a provision becomes
meaningless and worthless when it
IS placed in the hands Of the COM
Tany union, Joint Council officials
Who for the past two years have
orc nothing but cooperate with the
----'-' -+'-~ors to rob the fur
workers, not only of the 40-hour
e time and a half paid
Tor overtime but of every other
union standard wrested from the
manufacturers by the fur workers
during the victorious 17-week strike
# 1926 and since the existence of
the union.
Gary one who has had any con-
hection with he ful trade is aware
If the fact that the company union
officials, together with the treach-
erous officials of the A. F. of L.,
long ago concluded a deal with the
heads of the manufacturers associa-
ions wherein every detail was
worked out whereby the bosses, in
alliance with their agents in the
company union would be able to
nerpetuate the prevailing sweatshop
conditions in the trade.
sit is also known that for this
generous cooperation with the en-
blowers the company union officials
are to have the assistance of the
manufacturers in extorting money
fron, tho fur workers for the enrich
ment of these officials.
Must Gust Takers.
"Despite this so-called agreement
and despite the beautiful conditions
generously granted to the fur work
ers in the columns of the Forward,
The fur workers conditions will con-
tinue to be miserable. The agents
Of the company union and of the A.
+. Of l.. did everything in their
power during the strike of 1926 to
prevent the fur workers from secur-
ing the 40-hour week and even went
to the extent of signing a secret
agreement with the fur manufacture
ers for a 42-hour week. The wolf
has not changed by putting en- the
skin of the lamb. What these trait
ors have done in 1926 openly they
have now done secretly. There is
no doubt that if the fur workers will
not very quickly put an end to the
treacherous activities of the COM
pany union, the conditions of the
fur worl ers during the coming sea-
son will be even more miserable
than those of the past two years.
"There is only one union that can
restore TO the fur workers the 40
hour week. time and half for over
time, pay for legal holidays and the
other union standards and wages
This is the Needle Trade Workers
Industrial Union. The fur workers
,fo,,ard thair union conditions