The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-03-26
By JACK STACHEL

MN Green. President of the American Fedora
" ton of Labor, has issued another statement
AGAINST wage cuts. There have been few
such statements in the last few weeks. Until
recently Bill Green was busy praising the bosses
and the Hoover administration for maintaining
their faith in high wages" Perhaps it was not
accidental that Green spoke about their faith
in high wages and not actually of maintaining
high wages,
At that time Mr.. Green took no little praise
for himself when he stated equal commentator
is due labor organizations which coopersted by
not raising issues that might embarTass or in
torrupt efforts to turn the tide upward" Then
fearing that he has shoWered insufficient praise
uuon the employers. he adds: Difficult as the
long depression is proving itself, it has disclosed
with striking distinctneSs growing responsibility
on the part of management for the workers on
their payrolls and an appreciation of workers
as consumers"
This statement was made as late as october
1880 at the A. F. of L. convention. AT that time
wages had already been slashed considerably in
most of the industries What, then, made Bill
Green change his song at this time even though
admitting that his love has not changed? 1t is
without question the increasing number of strikes
that have accompanied the more widespread and
more general wage cutting that is now being
practiced in almost all industries, and the real-
cation that in these strikes the unions affiliated
to the Trade Union Unity League have played the
most decisive part That the TU.U.L. unions are
not only organizing strikes among the morgan
! ed as in the case of Lawrence, among the
/ iners etc. but that it is eXerting great in
1luence in developing strikes among the workers
SSiu affiliated to the A. F. of L., despite every
attempt of the bureaucrats to stop these strikes.
This was seen in the case of the New Orleans
strike of longshoremen and more strikingly in
the case of the strike of the upholstery weavers
of Kensington
There is no doubt that the bosses have now
entered the stage when they intend to cut the
standards of the workers much more than has
as yet been done. This becomes more pronounced
as the consciousness grows among them that the
crisis has not yet seen its lowest point. That it
is still deepening. They look to the reduction
of the living standards of the workers through
wage cuts, increased speed-up the introduction
of the stagger system, which is promoted by
Mr.. Green under the guise of reduction of the
work day as means to solve the crisis and have
the advantage over their competitors in the
sharpening struggle for markets for their exports
Mr. Green has learned this from his masters
and it is this that makes him cry reductions
of wages forced by some employers are delaying
return to prosperity" In the first place Mr..
Green still speaks of some employers in order
to cover up the wholesale wage-cuts throughout
the country And, secondly, he tries to tone down
the depth of the crisis by making it appear that
if only there be a little more care in wage-cutS
the crisis would be over.
Again he states the reductions have been
favored by few bankers and some employers"
Mr.. Virgins of the Chase National, Mr. Taylor,
of the National City of Chicago, the vice-presi-
dent of the National City Bank of New York,
these are the few bankers that Mr. Green has
in mind. And it is precisely these bankers that
can speak in the name of the whole of Mr.
Gerards SO rulers. Some employers states Bill
Green. Yes, some employers. Already the wages
OF the workers engaged in manufacturing have
been reduced by 1894 per cent in 1880. While
Mr.. Green was busy talking of the good will
OF the employers, the workers wages have been
slashed right and left. And do not mistake this
Tor ignorance, dear reader. Bill Green is no
ones fool He knows what he is doing He is
paid for the job and he delivers He is part
OF team that works on the principle of division
OF labor. Mr.. Green praises the employers for
not cutting wages and this serves as screen to
hide the wage cuts. Now the wage-cuts are so
outspoken that they cannot be hidden. So Green
is told to change his role, Now he yells against
wage-cuts while the wage-cuts are put through
on a. wider scale than ever before WHY it is
necessary for Green to change his role is no
secret. Not only do the bosses see the danger
OF the workers fighting under the leadership of
the TU.UL, but even in the ranks of the A. F.
OF L. there is growing movement against the
policies of Green.