The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-04-12
Problems Confronting the Shoe
and Leather Workers
By Fred Ellis

ing. This action puts the United outfit into
one camp with the Boot and Shoe workers union
as betrayers of the workers.
This very same clique headed by Lucio and
Meade are now removing charters of locals in
Lynn and are conspring with the bosses and
the state board of arbitration to enforce upon
the shoe workers Of Lynn 20 per cent cut
This outfit is hated by the shoe workers and
maintains itself by collaboration with the boss
eS.
The Shoe Workers Protective Union.
The strike of the shoe workers in Haverhill
last summer was miserabysold out by the No
lan-Fitzgerald machine. The year 'agree-
ment" that they signed says the workers have
no right to elect their officials, no right to
have anything to say about wages or condi-
tons; all the power is placed into the hands
of a manager" who has more power over
the shoe workers of Haverhl than the old
car. This individual sits in the office of the
Protective" in Haverhill and does the work
for the bosses. Wage cuts, long hours, fir
ing without reason, spy systems, black listing.
miserable conditions, these are the results of
the sale made by Nolan, Fitzgerald and the
Socialist lawyer Birack who helps them in
their betrayas against the workers. Many of
these workers are hoping for the day when
real militant industrial union will be organ
lied.
Conditions of the Leather Workers.
In Massachusetts alone there are about 90.
600 leather workers. In the last few years the
leather industry went through the most in
tensfied naturalization The machinery is
developed to the highest conceivable extent
Belt systems, bonus systems and many other
systems are being constantly introduced. Work
ers using poisonous gases are forced to a
1912 hour-day for $22 week. There is a
large per centage of women and young work
ers getting $40 and So week.
Our Next Step.
The speed-up forces thousands upon thou
sands of workers out in the street, and the
bosses are using these workers as a weapon
against the workers who are still employed
The takers of the old unions do not give a snap
Tor these thousands of workers. The task of
real union must be to organize the unem-
ployed and the employed workers for a COM
mon fight against unemployment, for higher
wages and shorter hours which will make it
possible for more workers to secure work.
The National Shoe and Leather Workers
Organization Committee of the Trade Union
Unity League at it's meeting in Philadelphia
last March decided to hold National Conven-
ton of shoe and leather workers on June %
IN the city of Boston, Mass. The slogan is
500 rank and file delegates from the shops
to this convention. Our next step is to see
that every shop sends delegates. Every shoe
center in the country must be represented We
must organize powerful national industrial
union Of shoe and leather workers to fight
against unemployment, for higher wages and
shorter hours A union with its basis in the
class struggle controlled by the rank and file
OF the workers through the shop delegate sys-
tenn, and affiliated with all the revolutionary
unions in the country to the Trade Union Unity
League.