The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-08-16
Ey SAN DARCY.

u %kE8S have been leaving the social fas-
est and faec.at unions in the United States
by Hundreds Of thousands This is admitted
by even an occ,c;sl United States government
report bGsed on figures supplied by the Amer
ic-n re ae2 .ion of Labor and closely allied
o. IN cations.
II IS report published in the Monthly Labor
Er--;, or~Gn Of the Department of Labor
c-a1,.ti CHIEFLY Of comparison of the situa.
tn o,sa;ning in 1928 and in 1929. The fig
ures ere of course gross eXaggerations. The
report refuses to ack~ owledge the practical
ds5 rucsion OF tie A. F. of L. needle workers
union d.'ring the rsst few years. the loss of
HUNDREDS of thousands of members by the
United Mime Workers of America, the wip-
ing oct of the textile workers union with an
ins'~n ii2ant exception in very minor part
of the industry full-fashioned hosiery, etc
Yet tie facts offered indicate clearly enough
tie av~Ver OF the workers to the activities
of the A. t. OF L. bureaucracy.
Net Less
Daring the three years covered. the report
admits a net loss of 112.272 members for all
unions involved out of the somewhat over two
million members which are claimed. This loss
was sustained chiefly in the basic and wal
industries of the country. The railroad union
alone show a loss of over two hundred thou
sand members. Those railroad unions direct,
affiliated with the A. f. OF L. do not show any
loss because of the return in 1929 of pre-
viously expelled railroad craft union from the
A. F. of L., the Brotherhood of Railway and
Steamship Clerks with membership of 1885,.
900. The net loss to all the various Graf
unions including the A. F. of L. totaled 81 ,89l
1hprC If la mi in loc,
losses one Of the most significant is that of the
Jim Crow Association of Colored Railway
Trainmen which lost 1900 members out of its
pitiful total of 1890.
In the group of mining and mineral ex-
traction workers. the official figures report =
loss of 10000 members. That the actual loss
is several times larger than this can be seer
from the fact that the United Mine Workers
of America are listed as having 100000 mem
bers in 1929, whereas it is well know that not
more than one quarter of this number. chiefly
anthracite miners have remained in this union
Basic Industries
In the basic branches of the metal industry
similar losses admitted. The International
Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Shin Build
ers, and Helpers of America acknowledges a
loss of over 5000 members out of its total OF
$4,000 This, despite the sweet overtures Of
Green to Hoover begging the union label or
American shipping and navy boats in return
for energetic support by the A. F. of L Of
the new and greater war program before and
after the London Naval Conference The urion
which includes the aircraft workers was cut
in half And SO on all the way through
In the clothing, shoe and similar unions, a
loss of 26.0O0 members is acknowledged That
the loss is far greater can be seen by the fact
that the international Ladies Garment Work
ers Union is listed having $4,000 members.
This union actually has ess than 5000 and
even these are mostly non-dues paying. The
United Garment Workers is alleged to have
$4,000 members It has barely 20 per cent of
tas amount ana these are concentrated in a
comparatively unmportant part of the indus
try. the overall line.
Textile.
In the teXtle industry, while the official A.
i. OF l.. FIGURES admit a loss Of 5000 mem.
beers IN tie AM ;can Feb alton If Textile
Operatives, the membership being reduced