The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-09-29

adelphia and Cleveland districts gave
the Conference, from its first session,
q national character.
Plan Strike Tactics
Following the adjournment of the
at o'clock Sunday night,
the National Committee for the
of the Steel Workers In
dustrial League, composed of 81 steel
workers from mills in each important
center of the country, met and adj
opted a program of strike tactics for
the coming struggle. They also
elected a resident board of ten. John
Meldon was elected secretary Of the
National Committee.
Following the reports of John Mel
don, national secretary of the NV.
IL, and Bill Dunno, William z. Fos-
ter was introduced. Cheers and ap-
plause rocked the hall as the leader
Of the great steel strike of 1919 and
general secretary of the Trade Union
Unity League rose to speak.
Many of the steel workers present
had struck in 1919
This conference will go down
in history as one of the big start
ing points of workers in struggle"
Foster said. "Our main purpose is
to stop this wage cut. This wage
cut represents the beginning of a
new world wide cutting Of wages.
This wage cut must be met by
strike all over the country"
Zone Union of ALI Steel Workers"
Speaking of the Amalgamated As
ISOLATION of Iron, Steel and Tin
Workers in 1919 and today, he said,
NOW as then, it is controlled by u.
s. Steel and is an instrument to pre-
vent the workers from accomplishing
in the industry. A fight
ing leadership is necessary-and no
more craft unions! One union of
all steel workers must be built"
Tremendous applause interrupted
him here.
During the adjournment for lunch,
sectional conferences were held
where plans were laid for establish
ing direct machinery at local con-
ferences, series of huge mass meet
ings for the next few days were plan
ned and local organizational prob
lens we're settled.
The district organizer Of the Com
munist Party, Carl Price, was given
a big ovation when he brought the
eartys greeting and pledged its sup
port in the coming struggle. Espe-
cially when the Daily Worker was
did the steel workers
present show their approval by pro-
longed applause.
During the discussion that follow
ed, steel worker after steel worker
told of the resentment that flared
up following announcement of the
wage cut in the department and mill
where he worked. One delegate from
Versailles told how out Of the week S
pay of 1912, fellow worker re-
ceived only 10 cents - the So were
by the company for lin
surance."
What The Bosses DO
In Clarion, another delegate re-
ported, the cupboards in workers
are searched for possible I'M
ion literature. Here the steel work.
ers meet on nearby farms. In the
Wheeling Steel Cos, mills in Wheel
ing and Benwood, West Va, reported
another, the men were warned that
anybody caught reading a N.W.I.L.
leaflet would be Immediately fired
and 1t didn't matter whether he
brought it into the mill or not.
Cheers swept the hall when a tele-
gram from the Friends of the Soviet
Union was read, pointing out the
recent 1880 per cent rise in wages
in the steel and mining industries
in the land where the workers rule.
Martin Crampo Of Monnessen, dele
gate to the Berlin International Con-
vention of the Workers International
Relief, was instructed by the con-
ference to represent the steel workers
at the Friends Of the Soviet Union
convention in Moscow.
Two resolutions we're adopted by
the conference-one containing the
of action against the wage
cut and for the building of Indus
trial Union, and the other on work.
ers defense In the steel struggle.
The Conference sent kilograms OF
greetings to the Woodlawn prisoners
n Blaw Knox, one of whom, Milan
is now dangerously i'll. Tom
lima and Ressetar, steel workers
and Pete Muselin, barber. were rail-
-oaded to Sugars in Jail by the Jones
and Laughlin Steel Company for
their activities in organizing steel
workers in the company town of Ala
quippa. kilograms we're also sent to
Tom Mooney, Billings, the Scots
ooro boys and the heroic miners lay
ing in Jail in Washington County
(Pa) and Harlan.
Fifty-thousand copies of the Pro-
gram of Action, which analyses the
situation in the industry and maps
the program of organization and
strike, will go into the mills imme-
diately.
posrtS Tn The prapram