The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-03-21
AUTO CONFAB
IN DETROIT HAS
DRIVE STARTED
Shop Locals
in Many Factories

(COUtlHueu from rage Onet
ers. In most cases Of strikes, the
unemployed workers cooperated with
the strikers on the picket line.
After the August conference pro-
duction began to fall. Production
dropped steadily from $4,000 in
August to 10000 in December.
Mass unemployment prevailed with
100000 in the streets in Detroit
alone. The union failed to over
come the many difficulties confront
ing them and only partially sue
ceeded in carrying out the program
laid out at the last conference. Only
a few shop locals were organized
and little Roadway was made in
organizing substantial numbers of
the unskilled and most exploited
workers in the industry, Negroes,
women and young workers.
Capitalists Can't Solve. 5
There is no prospect of the cap
italist ability to solve the crisis in
the automobile industry. With
productive capacity of 100000
cars in 1880 there is only a market
for about three and one-half million
ears. In the efforts Of the employers
to maintain high rates of profits,
the workers are being subjected to
increased naturalization with it's
speed up, wage cuts and worsening
of conditions. Wage cuts have taken
place in the Chrysler, Hudson,
Briggs and other plants at the same
time that production has been great
ly increased. Women getting 15c
per hour have replaced men who
used to earn $1.00 an hour.
The present period is the best
time organization. Workers
know that conditions are just as
bad in other shops and the only
possibility of improvement is
through organization.
Encourage Initiative.
The union must encourage more
initiative on the part of the men,
bership and draw out new leader
ship. They must be encouraged to
write of their experiences and about
shop conditions in the Auto Workers
News and in Labor Unity.
Future struggles in the auto in
dustry will become more widespread
and bitter. The union must be ready
for leadership. The national COM
mittee can be strengthened by
drawing in more leadership from
the rank and file. We must prepare
for a mass convention by the middle
of May with representatives from
the whole automotive industry. This
convention will take place during
period of struggle and we must be
prepared to have at least 500 dele
gates representing at least 10000
workers in the industry. AS part of
the great metal industry we must
send a mass delegation to the con-
vention of the Metal Workers Union
that will take place in Youngstown
on June Is.
Andrew Overgaard, national rep
resentative of the Trade Union
Unity League greeted the conven-
ton in the name of the National
Committee. He analysed the econo-
mic crisis and pointed out the in
ability of Hoover to solve the I'M
employment problem. The answer of
the capitalists and the government
to the demand of the workers for
bread was clubs and bullets.
Fight Boss Agents, Too.
The workers must organize and
fight back, not only against the en-
ployers but against their agents,
the government, churches, the A.
F. of L., the Musteites and other
class enemies. All workers must be
united, American and foreign born,
men and women, black and white,
youth and adult. He called upon the
delegates to march forward towards
militant mass convention of auto
mobile workers on May II to lay
the basis for a powerful national
automotive industrial union.
George Powers, secretary of the
Michigan District of the T.U.U.L.
pointed to the awakening of all
workers for militant organization.
Militant Program of Action.
After spirited discussion parti-