The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-02-24
STARVE OR FIGHT!
A Challenge to the Unemployed

application even though they recognize its
soundness. 1t is the responsibility of the
American trade unionists to give this econ
omic understanding a practical application, to
cooperate in every way possible with broad
minded far seeing employers, and to use the
organizations they have built up to prevent a
continuance of the economic sin of insuffi-
cient wages" 1t is worth noting that "the
organization the employers have built up' in
Frey's own industry-the metal trades-is the
most violent anti-union organization in the
country.
The A. F. of L. Gin cooperating in every
way possible with the employers is helping
these employers to introduce the very produc-
ton drives and efficiency schemes that make
for unemployment and the accumulation of
unemployed. Here is one example of this pol
icy. In 1927, about $4,000 machinists, boiler
makers, blacksmiths sheet metal workers, cleo
trical workers, railway carmen and firemen,
all employed in the railway shops of the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad were brought under
scheme known union management CO.
operation" In 1923, there were employed in
the B. & @. repair shops working force
ranging from some $4,000 men in January to
about 10000 in June and July, the peak pro-
duction period of the year. For ten months in
the year the working force was well over
$4,000 men. After A. f. of l.. sterilization"
had gone into effect the working force fell to
$1,000 in January and $4,000 in December. For
nine months in the year about 10000 men were
employed Thus 5000 workers have been per-
manently laid off as a result of the union
management cooperation plan. These are the
A F. of LIS own figures, published in their
Monthly Survey of Business, November, 1929.
They had succeeded in Smoothing out the en-
ployment curve" temporarily, for a favored
number of workers at the expense of 5000 less
fortunate workers permanently laid off.
The organized worker is already sharply
feeling the certainty of unemployment. The
very fact that capitalist naturalization has no
need for skill or craftsmanship makes the A.
F. of L. membership increasingly susceptible
to unemployment for the largest proportion
of union members are the older skilled crafts
men.
In 1928 an average of IA per cent of the
membership of the A. F. of L. unions was I'M
employed. For many months of the year and
for certain trades, notably building trades
the percentage ran much higher. In January,
1880, 10 per cent of union members were out
of work as compared with Is per cent at the
highest point in the winter of 1928. In the
building trades, SO per cent of the membership
was unemployed, compared with 80 per cent
in January, 1929. In Chicago the number of
union building trades workers unemployed was
45 per cent; in st. Louis AZ per cent; in New
York City, 40 per cent Eighty per cent was
the figure given out by building trades Of
ficial in Minneapolis "In metal trades" states
the February 1880, issue of the American
Federatonist," rs per cent more are out of
work this year than last, and there have been
large increases in 8 cities since December"
(To Be Continued)