The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-08-14

'No Gan 1OSe canneFy workers broke
HE Agricultural and Cannery Workers rnduss
ulaI Union, under the leadership of thu
IuUL, have been organizing the workers in
Inese industries for the last two months In pren-
arauon for struggle against the miserable
wages and speed-up imposed upon THESE workeS<
Dy the cannery bosses and big landowners (riek
iaFnlersl. Inc cannery bosses have fired some Of
eie HAAtant workers for their activity In thu
pidnIS. In one cannery one Of the organizers was
CHASED of the place with gas pipes after he had
covered the plant with our bulletin But In xr,,tT
OF tne terror the cannery workers are railyinz Ia
the revolutionary union.
Inc cannery bosses, becoming frantic at seeing
tne workers organize Gin spite of the,1o) bave
turned as usual to their old friends the officials
OF the A. F. OF L. for support. Tuesday July Fl.
the kept press Ito our "astonishnnentN van az
arCicle advertising mass meeting OF asricul-
Vural and cannery workers, to be held under the
auspices OF the Santa Clara County Building
Trades Council, and the District Labor Council
With phraseology about poverty, low wages etc
the article stated that no radcaIism wouid he
tolerated, that the new organization viii ha
formed entirely in conformance with the ruIes ~
government, and will seek better conditions IN a
diplomatic manner, and wound up by saying
Being planned through newspapers, handbllls
and radio
After studying the coAtents Of the article ve
we're satisfied that the boss and A. F. of L. off,
Gals had been sitting around the round-table
We decided Immediately to get out leaflet for
distribution at the door of their meeting expos4
ing this move as an attempt by the bosses to
smash our revolutionary union with the aid Of
the A. F. of l.. takers.
AT the meeting we distributed 800 leaflets
reaching every worker We had also prepared
ourselves for the meeting. We let the takers ur,-
load all their deceitful bunk to the workers
when Conrade Moral asked for the floor But
the takers tried to adjourn the meeting until tbs
following Sunday. as this was only preliminary
meeting The workers demanded the floor for
Neral and the takers were compelled to give way
IaElng the floor Moral let loose, exposing tbs
treaehery OF the A F.. Of L. officials as agents OF
the bosses, who had called this meeting for no
other purpose than to fool divide and sell out
the workers. Moral pointed out that these work
ers have always worked for starvation wages
and under the most miserable conditions. ard
that it was no accident that for fourteen years
these takers had made attempt whatever to
organize the workers that just now, wl.er, q real
fighting union rallies the workers to struggle
these takers all of sudden find out that the
workers are living in poverty
Moral also riddled their statements that no
radicalsrn would be tolerated He exposed thsir
conformanee to the government and their derna-
gogy.
Several times during Morals talk the takers
tried to stop him, but the workers yelled "You
gave him the floor. now let him speak" Ths
workers protest against the takers was 80 strong
that one Of them told Moral that he didn't mind
him speaking, but didn't like what he was say
ing
At this juncture, Moral turned to the workers
and said: They will let me speak If say what
they want me to say, and the only way We can
finish this meeting is by every worker leaving
these takers here to speak TO themselves and GO
over to the revolutionary union hall and sign up
in real fighting union.
The workers poured out Of the han and
marched over to the TUUL han. leaving only
about fifteen workers with the takers. The FAX
ers decided to hold another meeting the follow
ing Sunday for organizational purposes, and
guaranteed that no radicals would penetrate It,
But on Sunday night we had the cannery work
ers themselves go to the meeting. at which in al
there were only about 80 workers, this including
about 40 Of our own
In the meantime the chairman of the other
meeting (who was to be the organizer pro tenn
had come to us and repented. He was only
fruit worker being used by these takers He made
a declaration before the workers themselves that
he was with U.s. We sent him TO the Sunday meet
ing to make the same statement which he did, and
was followed by several workers, who expressed
their opinion as opposed to two unions. as this
was what the bosses wanted and suddenly 1t was
put to vote Through motion made by work
err that we all go and join the TUUL union.
This vote was 100 per cent carried, and the
workers again left the fake A. F. Of L. officials
hall and signed up with the revolutionary union.
Leaving the A. F. of L. to stand the expense OF
advertising and hall rent
This has popularized our union beyond any
thing that had been done before, and has drawn
closer to us more hundreds of workers.
After the first meeting the kept press said that
the wo5blies had disturbed the fakersD meeting
and that only few left the hall, while out Of
the 800 we took $50. But after the second meet
ing in the Labor Temple the press said the new
union had amalgamated with lis. BY the time
this story reaches the Daily Worker, We Will be
involved in strike Of cannery workers number
ing 5000 here in San Jose. The struggle will be
under the banner Of the Agricultural and Cam
merry Workers Industrial League, affiliated to the
Trade Union Unity League
members. There is real actual danger Of the
block committees and some branches OF the
Unemployed Council becoming tools in the hands
of enemies.
The main reason for the n-functioning OF