The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-02-03
BY MYRA PAGE

struggle for union cOnditiOns.-Editor.
BY MYRA PAGE
THE recent strike of the Danbury fur-workers
l. is over,~with their demand that the wage
cut of twenty per cent be withdrawn entirely
met in the Hoit-Messinger and Danbury-and-
Bethel plants, the wage-cut reduced by half in
the two other struck plants, and the proposed
wage-cuts in the German omanio and other
plants cancelled when the employers saw the
nilitancy of the workers, and that a general
strike would result if all firms attempted to carry
out their original plan The employers also
promised that there should be no discrimination
against active strikers and so far there has been
none: furthermore, the workers are on the job,
and have committees in each shop to see to it
that none does occur.
This partial victory which the Danbury work.
ers won. under the leadership of the Needle
Trades Industrial Union and the Trade Union
Unity League, has also taught them important
lessons which they and their union will put to
good use in the immediate future.
In this small town of Danbury with its one
Main Street and population of $4,000, where
everybody knows everybody else, where the
millionaire MIR. Lee owns and runs the town, and
controls either directly or indirectly all the fur
and hat shops Of the towns one industry, along
with the local news sheets, banks and politi-
clans; where wages are so low that whole fami-
lies have to work in the deadly fur shops and
go blind, loose their teeth, have their hair
4 bleached their lungs and bodies poisoned by the
acids and fur-dust--in this town. Mr.. Lee and
the other employers decided to start the New
Year right by announcing a twenty per cent
wage-cut.
I'VE gotta organize and strike" the word went
around. and some OF the fur workers went to
their friends among the matters for help. Know
ing from bitter experience that there would be
no help from the American Federation OF Labor,
but that this organization would play the bosses
game. as they had done when the matters struck
in 1908 and again thirteen years ago. the fur
workers sent word to the Trade Union Unity
League, we want an organizer On the issu-
ing of the first hundred leaflets, spontaneous
walk-outS took place in departments and sections
of various shops-in fact, before adequate prep
arations could be made in the strike. AS one
fur-cutter told it, Fellows came running in from
another part Of the shop and beckoned, Come
on what's up, fire? I wondered Then the
foremen said, All who want to work for ten
per cent cut, instead of twenty, stay at work
Well. by the next morning, We we're all out At
an enthusiastic mass meeting of five hundred,
committee of seventy-five was chosen. and the
next morning, Dalbury was treated to its first
militant labor demonstration, of four hundred
women and young workers. marching through
the streets, demanding the withdrawal of the
cut, hour for lunch, instead of oiie-half hour
as at present and recognition of this newly
formed union The it-Messinger withdrew
the cut at once, and the ID and B. settled
within five days time. In the National and
Eastern, the workers. after four weeks strike
decided they would have to accept the COM
promise OF ten per cent cut, until they were
better organized. They returned to work in an
organized fashion, and on arrangements made
with the employers through their strike COM
nlittee
The most important gain of the strike as the
fur-workerS of Danbury realize, is that now they
have their union-a real union that sticks up
for its menlbers-with already more than 225
members; and they have also won invaluable
experience for the future strike struggles against
further attempts at wage-cuts and for better and
more healthy working conditions, shorter hours
and the feeling is general that these struggles
are near at hand
The spirit OF the workers is good "You can
net expect TO learn and win everything in four
WeeSs, one striker explained ''but we have
learned lot We have learned what it means
to stick together. Now We got our union Next