The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-04-29
Packing House Workers Dem
0nstrate May First!

MAY DAY 1881 witnesses the conditions Of the
AVA Packing House workers rapidly growing
worse. Thousands Of them are now walking the
streets without jobs Additional thousands are
working part time not knowing when they will
be next to be thrown out on the streets Those
workers employed know that the speed I'D is
worse today than ever before They know that
their wages have been cut through firing and
rehiring. The company union is continuously
telling them that they must produce more and
more and that the costs Of production must be
reduced.
PACKING HOUSE WORKERS. MAY DAY
is day when the working class of America ami
all over the world demonstrates its solidarity and
determination for struggle for better condition.
Just as In 1886 when the American workers
first came out on May list on the strike for the
for the eight-hour day, must you now organize
to better your conditions
The Packing House workers have a historic
background Of struggle In 1917 and again in
1922 they came out on strike for better condi-
tons and the eight-hour day. They were sue
cessful In their strike in 1917 as they were or
gained then under militant leadership that led
them their nstruggles agaist the companies In
1871 after putting up brilliant struggle they
were defeated by the betrayers in the A. F. of
L. who had organized them on narrow craft
lines.
After all these struggles of the workers in
this industry conditions are today just as bad as
in 1917 and 1922, If not worse. You must organ.
lie into industrial unions under fighting leader
ship In order to gain better conditions Such
union is the Packing House section of the Food
and Packing House Workers Industrial Union.
This organization Is built on rank and file con-
4.
controlled directly by the workers in the shop
Such shop committee is not like the shop
committee that the company has forced you to
accept, where only weak elements are allowed to
remain on the Plant Conference Board or some
similar organization 1t is not the same as the
Shop Committee IN the plant which is headed by
the superintendent and assistant superintendent
who give the orders of the company to the board
to carry out, whether it be lay off or wage cut
or speeding up the machinery to increase pro-
duction. The shop committees set up by the
rank and file in the shops takes up the griev-
ances Of the workers and fights for adjustments
OF these grievances. 1t is not the same as when
a worker on the Plant Conference Board objects
to a wage cut and gets fired The Shop COM
nittee is the organization in the plant that car
ries out the decisions Of the rest of the workers
in the plant In making demands the company
for improved conditions, i.e, shorter hours, in
creased wages. improved sanitary conditions,
preventing the foremen from being abusive,
regular working hours and many other griev-
ances.
Just as the workers organized in 1917 and
1922 must you organize now. You should come
to the demonstration in your city on May LIST
with the determination to organize and struggle
for better conditions. All Packing T.ouse Work.
ers make May Day beginning of new organza-
ito in your industry for struggles until you win
your demands