The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-23
Lessons of the BID
Fur Strike
By Hume CROLL.

dav the strikers returned to their jobs last Fri
day to demoralize them and prepare the ground
f6r return of the cut. The D. & B. workers
came out on strike Jan. together with the work
ers of the National and Eastern Fur against the
common attack of the bosses on their already
miserable wages. The cut would bring the wages
down to $l3 for women workers who do diffrent
work from that of the men, although it is ter
ribly fatigung, and dangerous to their health
The men would be receiving $40 per week If there
were full weeks work which there isn't
This was the first real strike in Danbury IN
years. The fur workers were not only complete
ly unorganized but had for the most part never
heard of unioy.. Then there were the langu-
age and national differences. The bulk OF the
workers came of four nationalities, Syrian, Por-
tugese, French and Slavish. In spite of these
difficulties their inexperience in Strikes and the
bitter cold the wage cut SO enraged the workers
whose conditions were already so unbearable
that they put most militant struggle particu-
larry at the D. & B. Shop. Picketing commenced
at a. M and earlier with almost every striker
on the job. Throughout the day different
strikers took their turn at picketing the shop
every hour Twice the boss sent for the COM
mittee offering compromise of 10 percent
wage cut but the committee in the name of all
the strikers stood firm. Finally last Thursday
at the third conference the boss agreed to the Z
withdrawal of the cut and no discrimination
against any of the strikers.
The fur strike settlement committee as we'll as
the organizer June Croll warned the D. & B.
the cut back by first firing the workers who had
shop however that the boss would try to bring
been the best fighters against the wage cut rid
ding the shop of its leaders and that it neces
erS' job in order to prevent another cut This
sary therefore to protect each and every work
Nfoc IN oJ1d che OH ted
representing all departments to act ON behalf of
the shop. The workers had learned one lesson,
how to strike and win They learned the need
of union. IS percent of the shop joined the
Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union before
they returned to work, and the whole shop voted
to contribute almost hundred dollars per week
to the relief fund for strikers of the Eastern and
the National for as long as they remain on strike.
They understood that their interests could be
protected only if they united with workers in
other fur shops but they still had faith in the
bosses word and his explanations" and had not
yet learned that firing the best strikers after
strike settlement would be followed by return
of the wage cut The boss therefore able to get
away with firing three workers.
who had been employed some three months ago
The first selected for persecution was a worker
to replace another cutter who was doing some
carpentry work in the shop temporarily. This
carpenter had also been out on strike and
active
It was therefore difficult for the workers of
the D. & B. in spite of all the efforts of the
union and the more awakened workers in the
shop, to realize that this was just trick to get
the workers used to the idea that the boss can
fire whom he wants out of the shop for their
activities in the strike. Although some workers
proposed 4? !? 2? !? :? ? of work between The
hay Oh
the boss proceeded to >terrorize them by firing
two others and stated that they were only temp
orariy laid off. The workers of the shop feel
that these two day workers really did not have
any work and since the piece workers are divid-
ing what work there is among themselves, for
the time being, they cannot due to their lack
of experience and misplaced faith in the bosses
word see that the boss is preparing to fire the
most active ones also and that he is doing this
in cooperation with the other fur manufacturers
who are determined to prevent the establishment
of union through terrorizing those still ON
strike against being active for fear of what will
follow.
More and more workers are however rapidly
learning not to trust the bosses and there is a
strong healthy backbone of workers in the D. g.
B. carrying the work of the union. The strik-
ers of the National and the Eastern far from
being discouraged by the laxness of the D. & B.
workers are learning from their mistakes and
have tripled the strength of the picket line in
the last few days SO as to make impossible for
The boss to pick any as being most active for
he would have to cripple his production entirely.
There would be so many to fire. And were they
fire few many staunch fighters still remain in
the shop ready to take up the strike again to
protect anyone from losing their Jobs The D.
81 B, had been out only a few days when the
settlement came. \
The Eastern and the National in the 10 days
gether and fight for each other. They have had
more training in unity and it is having its effect
in spite of the fact that the two shops still on
strike are controlled by the Lee Hat Co., famous
for having spent tens Of thousands of dollars
several years ago to prevent the establishment
of union in his shop. Whereas during the
first week of the strike the bosses of the Eastern
and the National proudly ignored the strikers
entirely thinking that it would be an easy mat
ter TO starve the workers back forement are now
beginning to visit some Of the workers in an at
tempt to bride them back to work All like one
they have given one answer: I'VE will return
only after you agree with our settlement commit
tee to withdraw the wage cut and not to fire
anyone for being active in the strike Not one
has returned to work.
AS far as the Needle Trades Workers Indus
form the bulk of the strikers are the best lot
trial Union is concerned the Syrian workers who
OF fighting workers it has ever led in a strike
The lies spread around by the American Fedora