The daily worker., 1931-05-26
The Strike of the Mansfield
Steel Workers

president of the Empire Co. claimed the company
had strikebreakers in reserve in case the strike
continued i@ sd
Friday noon the Strikers Rank and File Or
ganizing Committee" distributed leaflets calling
upon the strikers to throw out the fakers stop
the sell-out and continue the struggle against
all wage-cuts, urging that rank and file workers
take over full control of the strike through
large representative committees The leaflet
also called for mass meeting early in the
afternoon. Later in the day, the strike meet
ing that was to receive the report of the settle
ment committee was scheduled.
Unleash Terror
Neither Of these meetings took place With
the issuance of the leaflet of the organizing
committee a reign of terror was started by the
company and A. F. of L. forces. Over dozen
automobiles filled with men, most of whom
wore American Legion buttons secured the city,
breaking up even small groups of people stand
ing, talking on the sidewalks. Groups of police
and company thugs surrounded both halls which
were locked by police orders. In spite of these
suppressive measures, as p. m. approached
the strikers responded to the call of the leaflet,
many attempting to get into the hall. Negro
as well as white workers showed keen interest
in the message of the rank and file committee"
workers marched to the hall in body.
Several workers and organizers were seized
manhandled among them Matt Miovae, who
was jailed without charges. Pat Cush and John
Meldon, organizers of the Metal Workers In
dustrial League were taken in automobiles out
of the city and threatened with violence if they
returned, AS it v-as but for the presence of a
number Of railroad workers nearby, they would
have been victims of brutal attack. Heading
this fascist band of company thugs legionnaires
and police was Watkins, head of the local A. F.
of L. These acts took place with the knowledge
and approval of Mayor Moore, before whom the
organizers were taken and then delivered into
the hands Of the gang. The local capitalist press
Immediately poured forth flood of lies, claim
ing that the strikers themselves had elected the
organizers.
These desperate measures were taken to pre-
vent the rank and file of the strikers from dis
cussing and acting on the proposals of the COM
pany, which were 100 per cent endorsed by the
small committee. While some of the strikers
demands we're won (restoring the wage-rates of
the skilled workers., one of the most important,
the demand for minimum of 40 cents an hour
for unskied workers was compromised at Sc
cents an hour In addition the company sue
ceeded in getting the strikers back unorganized,
giving as substitute for real union, the COM
pany union modelled after the Bethlehem Steel
plan. A representative Of Bethlehem is expected
soon in Mansfield to help install the company
"union."
Despite the attempts of the Empire Steel Com
pany campaign and their TOOLS the workers con-
tinued to carry on the organization campaign.
On Sunday, May II, meeting of the Unem
ployed Council took place in the headquarters Of
the Trades Council. The main business was the
report Of the Ohio State Hunger March made by
Subch and G. B. Cowan. Other speakers were
George E. Powers acting national secretary of
the Metal Workers Industrial League and Mich
ael Hallabrin of the German Workers Club. An
executive committee was elected to bring in
plan of work and organization Several new
members were drawn in, among them Negro
workers.
The outstanding weakness of the Mansfield
strike is in the fact that the workers were un-
organized before the strike This shortcoming
still remains. 1t will be necessary for the Metal
Workers Industrial League to carry on regular,
systematic, daily organization work in connec-
ton with the many grievances of the steel work.
ers, building real department and mill commit
tees as the basis Of fighting industrial union
capable Of leading the steel workers in strike
struggle and winning the demands raised in
the struggle. In spite OF the present weakness of
the M.WII,, which is reflected in lack OF pre-
VOLS organization In the mills and slowness in