The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-05-22
BY LENA ROSENBERG.

NENEN THOUSAND broad SILK workers nave
been out on strike for two weeks, closing al
most completely about 80 mills in Allentown
and vicinity. This strike came as a result of
many wage-cuts which brought the pay of
weavers down to as low as s14 to $40 a week
4 to 6 looms in 81 hours and more. For
Wrappers and twisters, as well as other crafts,
the conditions are even worse.
The strike started in the Majestic mill where
a number of wage-cuts took place during last
year as we'll as an increase in hours from eight
to nine a day about six months ago At that
time an attempt was made to sell the Daily
Worker in front of the Majestic and the work.
ers bought it gladly for the first few days. How
ever the stool-pgeons got on the job and dur
ing the lunch period would follow groups of
workers, no matter where they went and in this
way terrorized them.
About four weeks ago another wage-cut was
announced and the entire mill walked out, and
took along two more mills working for the Ma
jestic This later developed into a general
strike.
For months before this strike the United Tex
tile Workers officials have been carrying on
negotiations with some manufacturers in Allen
town, trying to convince them that they could
stabilize the industry" for them. OF course this
means that they would force the workers to &C
cept wage-cuts under the union cloak as they
did in the upholstery and other locals Some
manufacturers, no doubt, were convinced, be-
cause number of them actually sent their
workers on strike before the strike became gen.
eral
Nevertheless, all workers on strike mean bust
ness. They do want to stop wage-cuts and want
at least portion back of what they have al
ready lost. In spite of lamentaton by all U. T.
w. leaders. and orders to "be peaceful" the
workers have beaten up scabs in front of the
Moggie MILL and, when the police arrested one
striker, the workers took him out of the car
twice and the cop did not try it a third time.
Some Militancy
At the Pyramid mill also very militant mass
picket line was established and rotten eggs as
we'll as blows, flew freely. and two workers we're
arrested. AS a result of this militant mass pick
citing both mills are now completely shut down,
At the evening meeting. after these events took
place, when Kelly in all seriousness appealed to
the strikers to be peaceful for fear that the au-
thorties, whom he was very friendly with would
call the state police or issue an injunction, the
hall rocked with laughter.
From the very outset of the general strike the
leaders of the U. r. w lodged the question of
setting up demands. Though they talked about
unfair employers" and vicious type of en-
ployer' they made the main issue of the strike
100 per cent organization into their union and
Sterilization and then there would be no more
strikes, like in the anthracite" (Kelly) The
other takers made the same kind of speeches,
but not word about demands, until the work.
ers got sick of the speeches and began to ask
what they were striking for. In answer to this
the National Textile Workers Union made pro-
posals for price list which was adopted by the
strike committee and by the rest of the strikers.
This fact gave Kelly and his gang very I'M
pleasant feeling.
Signs of Sellout
When the strike was on for a week he pre-
posed that the General Strike Committee send
a committee to the manufacturers, which would
mean crawling back.
The answer he got was enough to convince
him that the sell-out will not be so easy. Then
he began vicious attack against the Communists
meaning, of course the NJ T. w. U. as well, call
ing them agents of the bosses, etc.
In every phase Of the strike could be seen the
influence of the N. r. w. u. On one OCCASION
when pressure was brought by U. T. w local
agents for joining their union, some workers
raised objections to craft unon,Sm. 1t must
have been pretty strong, since Kelly made an
official statement TO the effect that he per-
sonally was in favor of it, but
However we must admit that our influence
though it will for time prevent the sell-out
has not taken the leadership away from these
traitors YhlSH means that ssgsont WI ta as!