The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-24
EXP EXPERIENCES IN THE LESNOW
STRIKE
BY LLOYD BROWN.
c. L. District Organizer, Dist. 15.)

". 4. IL. District Organizer Dist. l5.)
IN leading and organizing the young workers in
the Lesnow Shirt Co. strike in New Haven.
Connecticut the Party and the Y. G. L. gained
much valuable experience. party resolution
estimating the strike printed in the Jan. 81 issue
of the Daily.
1t is interesting in the fl rst place, to learn
how the strike was called and how we succeeded
in gaining the leadership in the strike. mem
Der of the Young Communist League found out
about the wage cut which was to take place in
the Lesnow shop while soliciting signatures for
the Unemployment Insurance Bill. A young
worker told her that the bosses in her shop were
going to put wage cut into effect the following
Monday and also learned that the girls ex-
pressed the willingness to resist the wage cut.
The comrades were aware that wage cut would
go into effect but they did nothing about it until
the girls had already walked out and it was too
late for us establish our leadership and as
result the strike collapsed Immediately. In this
situation we Immediately secured information for
a leaflet after visiting one of the workers. and
a leaflet was issued calling upon the workers to
resist the wage cut. The workers walked out the
first day. marched up to the T. U. U. L. head
quarters for leadership in their strike.
The successful putting into effect of the deci-
sions of the last Party and Y. G. L. Plenums re-
most decisive steps taken by the comrades in
leading the strike BY avoiding the putting for
ward of general, abstract demands we did not
confuse the strikers and got their full support
for the strike demands. The central demands of
the strike were, 1st, the withdrawal of the wage
cut, End. no firing of any of the strikers, and
Bird, the recognition of the strike committee.
The composition of the strikers was mainly
young workers between the ages of IA and 81.
Most of them were girls The wages they re-
ceived before the wage cut averaged from So to
ST per week. Because of the inexperience of the
strikers in any form of organization or struggle
very flexible methods of leadership and conduct
Of the strike activities had to be introduced In
order to keep up the morale of the strikers var
ious activities were introduced in the strike head
quarters such as music dancing, singing, games,
ETC. In this part of the activity the Y c. L. had
to play the main part, because of the age and
because they we're more Americanized than the
Party members. The League members we're as
signed to mingle with the young strikers, to make
friends among them, visit them in their homes,
etc.
One of the failures Of the conduct of the
strike was our failure to organize mass picketing,
involving the strikers themselves. This we RENE
died to some extent towards the end of the
strike, but on the whole it was enirely insuffi-
cient.
In a strike involving such large percentage
Of young workers it is very necessary to secure
the support of the parents for the unions and
the strike This was DONE but also insufficiently.
We did not take advantage of the fact that the
parents of many of the strikers work In the
neighboring metal and hardware shops near the
shop which was on strike, but their sympathy
was not concretized organizationally. The reason
for this is the fact that the T. U. U. L., as such,
was not involved in the strike. Since the strike
has ended we have even been without District
T. U. u. L. director; this is the situation in the
7. u. U. L. today
Getting the strikers to join the union required
much preparation and tactful approach. At first
The girls were suspicious of the comrades active
in the strike. The boss circulated rInors among
the strikers that the union organizers we're out
after money from the strikers. etc. This obstacle
was overcome and full confidence in the union
was gained by the participation of the comrades