The daily worker., 1931-12-14
DRESSMAKERS WANT ONE UNION;
PREPARE STRIKE IN INDUSTRY
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still harbor illusions that there Is
much possibility for unity between
the workers and their representatives
and the company union agents who
are directly serving the interests of
the bosses as there is for unity be-
tween the workers and the bosses
whose interests are diametrically op-
posed to each other, will the workers
really be able to unite their ranks
for struggle to defend their interests
against the bosses and their agents
and through their united struggle
build one powerful union controlled
by the workers.
The Industrial Union.
The Industrial Union did not come
into existence as result of a whim
or as the company union agents
would say, by instructions from Mos
cow" but as a result Of the most de-
ternined struggle of the workers
against class collaboration policies of
the A. F. of L., as result of the
ruthless expulsion policy and union
smashing activities of the Sig1nans,
Schlesingers, Kaufmans, Hillmans
and zaritzkys.
The needle trades workers. espe-
cially those who have been in the
union for the past few years, know
that the left wing opposition in the
International Ladies Garment Work
ers Union and the Furriers Union has
for years exerted every possible ef-
fortsto keep the ranks of the work
ers united. We need but recall the
years during which the expelled To-
Gals carried on the fight for REIN
statement; how the delegates elected
by the mass Of workers under left
wing leadership we're driven away
from the hall with the aid of the po-
lice at the formation of the national
organization committee. They know
that finally all efforts for unity and
union based on class struggle poll
cies were rejected by the leaders of
the International, who in order to
maintain their control have COM
pletely converted the union into an
agency of the bosses. After this, the
Industrial Union was built as the only
instrument of the workers in their
struggle for better conditions.
This struggle of the left wing go
ing on for period of more than 2
years must convince every worker
that the leaders of the International
and the A. F. of L. are fighting tooth
and nail against unity of the workers,
are opposed to one union because
such union controlled by the rank
and file would reject their leadership
and repudiate their policies which are
based on collaboration with the
bosses.
Smashed Conditions.
Miserably low wages, long hours,
merciless wage cuts, unemployment,
misery and starvation, the complete
destruction of the union standards in
practically all the branches of the
needle trades show to what extent
these leaders have sold out the in
terests of the workers, converted the
unions built by the workers as in
struments of struggle into agencies
that serve the interests of the bosses.
The conditions in the fur trade,
like the conditions in the other
branches of the needle trades, have
been reduced to low level. There
are also wage cuts, speed-up and
slavery in the fur shops.
In the beginning of July the fur
workers, dissatisfied with their mis-
cradle conditions and stimulated by
the Industrial Union, united theh
ranks to fight for July increases
which are tradition in the fur in
dustry. kaufman had agreed with
the bosses not to demand these in
creases. The workers took up the
struggle. In one shop after another
the bosses, under the pressure OF the
workers, were compelled to give the
increase. The individual shop strikes
were followed by the strike in the
kdogskin trade which paralyzed the
entire branch of the industry.
A. r. of l.. Attacks Strikers.
What was the attitude of Kaufman
Stetsky, and the other leaders of the
company union? True to their ira.
ditions of agents of the bosses, Kauf.
man with the aid of Dubinsky
Schlesinger and zaritzky resorted te
the same old methods of fighting thu
workers. The police, the gang ter.
ror, frame-up and persecution, wa!
the answer Of these company unior
agents to the successful struggle o
the fuITiers for better conditions.
When these methods failed, the.
resorted to a fake unity manouevel