The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-09-13
By MAX SALZMAN.

THE attempts of the capitalists to solve the
crisis through the intensified exploitation
of the workers meet with serious resistance
on the part of the workers Particularly is
this true in the Northern section of West Vir-
gina. Here a whole series of strikes have
taken place. While most of these strikes have
ended in a defeat for the miners, their de-
termination to struggle expresses itself daily.
Numerous mistakes have been made by our
union. These mistakes have had one general
approach. This approach to our work we must
destroy in order that our union may develop
into mass organization of the miners. / will
deal in this article with the most recent strike,
since the mistakes in thi strike represent
mainly the error being made in many sections.
The ConnelsvilIe Strike
Three hundred miners struck in the Connes-
vile mine in SCOTS Run, W. Va. This mine
is owned by the Paisley interests, a Cleveland
concern owning a number of mines in the
state. Only recently strikes took place in
their mines at Elm Grove and Moundsville
W. Va. In January of this year, the men
in the Connelsville mine struck against a wage
cut. The United Mine Workers lied" the strike
and under the plea eve have agreed with Hoo
not to strike" sold out the miners.
In August walkout took place The
immediate cause was the introduction of the
cleanup system" for the day men in the
mine. This system had already been intro
duced for the coal leaders. The cleanup sys-
tenn" is based on the elimination of specified
working hours. Under this system the miners
forced to work until all the coal which is
cut during the day is loaded on the cars.
Scales in these mines have already been taken
off, and the men are paid sixty-eight cents
for four-ton car. The day men previously
worked eight hours They were informed that
beginning Aug. II, those of the day men work.
ing hours would receive $3.50 per day in
place of the $3.50 which they were receiving,
cut of 22H per cent. Those who worked
until all the coal was cleaned up, would re-
ceive S4.75 per day. Under the cleanup sys-
tenn" the miners work minimum of IL hours
per day and many of them up to Is hours.
Takers Show Their Face
The coal leaders followed the day men in
walking out. They did this partly in SYM
pathy with the day men, but mainly in revolt
against the cleanup system" The arch-be-
trayer of the miners in w. Va, Van Bittner,
representative of the Lewis machine, came
on the scene and claimed leadership of the
strike for The UNIV. The members of the
Mine, Oil md Smelter Workers Industrial
Union did not contest his claim of leadership
of the strike. Instead they surrendered the
strike to the UNIV. The overwhelming ma
iority of the miners in this mine are SYM
pathetic to the M.O.S.WLU. Yet our COM
rades in charge permitted the strike leader
ship to remain in the hands of the UNIV
Despite The fact that they could easily have
taken over the strike in the name of the revo-
lutionary union. Despite the fact that more
than half of the men in the mine have stated
their WILLINGNESS to become members of the
M.O.S.WIU., the union organizers did not
know of the walkout until after it had oc-
Cured.
Old Methods of Work.
This situation shows in glarng form that
our comrades have not yet overcome the old
method of work. They still to large extent
function as left opposition, rather than as
revolutionary union. Our comrades took the
position that they would wait until the UNIV
betrayed the strike and then they would take
over leadership Following from this they
failed to elect strike committee. For seven
days the striking miners were without an or
gained leadership. What pcketing was carried
on, consisted mainly of miners standing before
the entrance to the mine but not attempting