The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-16
PENNSYLVANIA MINERS BUILD own
COMMITTEES TO FIGHT STARVATION

The Miners of Western Pennsyl-
Sania we're unorganized for the most
part when announcements of new
wage cuts to take place June / and
reduced wages already down to star
vation level threw them into mass
struggle. But they are not remain
ing unorganized. One OF the things
that distinguishes this strike Of near
ly $4,000 men in Washington, Green
and other counties is the rapidity
with which the strikers themselves
build from below their organization
Of mine strike committees, section and
district strike committees and relief
organization and defense corps. BY
June 4,strike committees of from Is
to Is men, with Negroes and whites
both represented, and with women
and young miners represented, we're
build up in each of the 80 mines on
strike.
Delegates from these committees
and from mine mass meetings OF
strikers to the number of $50 swarm
ed into Pittsburgh on June 3, and
attended the first big meeting of the
Pennsylvania District Rank and File
Strike Committee. There they laid
down program for continued or
ganization directly in line with the
efforts already made by the strikers
themselves.
The local strike committee set up
sub committees in charge of relief,
and form othe rsub- committees to
build workers defense corps. The To-
cal strike committees send substantial
groups Of delegates to the section
strike committees now being formed.
The section committees coordinate
and direct the efforts of the local
committees, and stimulate the initi-
ative of the locals. The section COM
nljttees elect their officers and ex-
ecutive committees and the same sub
committees as the locals, all with the
task Of removing friction and gen.
orally directing the strike and relief
activities in their sections.
From local committees and section
committees delegates come to the
Pennsylvania District Rank and File
Strike Committee. 1t conducts the
whole strike in accordance with the
policies of the National Miners Union
and its decisions are binding on sec
ton and local committees. The wage
scale committee of IL, a sub commit
tee elected by the district committee,
plus five more members. makes up
the executive of the district COM
mittee and is constantly on hand
directing the strike between sessions
of the district committee. This exec
utive committee reports to and is re-
sponsible to the district strike COM
nlittee.
The local strike committees meet
daily; the section committees at least
three times a week, and the district
committee meets about once o. week.
This strike machinery is of the
broadest kind. Strikers elect the COM
nlittees and serve on them without
regard to union membership. But
one of the most encouraging things
about this strike is that these miners
entirely disguised with the United
Mine Workers of America, have be-
gun to flock into the National Miners
Union. The NMU grows by thou
sands daily. Three thousand applica-
ton blanks provided for the day OF
the first big meeting of the Penn
sylvania District Rank and File Strike
Committee vanished like hot cakes
as delegates carried them out to be
filled. The office help at the N.M.U.
office, Gil Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, is
working madly to get more prepared,
and is always behind Organizers
stand around clamoring, Give me
70--Knot Hole mine has just struck
solid and I'm going out there" Give
me a couple of hundred, I'm going
out to Bell mine and they are YELL
ing for them" etc.
Every miner a member of the