The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-03-07
BY EDITH BERGMAN.

THE National Textile Workers Union was the
first one to suffer from the 'red terror"
Why? Because 1t was the National Textile
Workers Union who answered with "Strikel"
against Hooyer's efficiency methods and stagger
system.
The union chose Lawrence, Mass (textile
WOODEN CENTER as the main concentration point
And thus the National Textile Workers Union
organized the textile workers to answer with
strike struggle the challenge of the bosses and
their agents.
A challenge was put out by Hoover for the
Tduioneircs Of America. Hoover sal in effect:
THE depression has cut the profit of the
very rich whom I represent in this country.
You, workers, must help me to bring back
prosperity for the rich at your expense. You
must from now double and triple prOduc-
ton. We will not cut your wages. What a
He-E b. We only want you to accept my
stagger plan This means from now on VIC
will make you work six hours day, but with
the new efficiency methods you will produce a
days work In six hours, but you will be paid
for six hours work"
And the American Federation Of Labor high
paid officials snSwered-"Amen," and they said,
We promise there will be no strikes"
The textile workers said, I'VE know that you
are all wet. We know that you speak Of beer
to take our minds off the class struggle But
neither you, Mr.. Hoover nor you A. F. Of L. mis-
leaders can make slaves out of U.s. We will
strikei"
And first Of all the N. T. W. q. in Lawrence
decided IN addition to the general propaganda,
to concentrate on one mill. In this one mill we
made connections first in one department We
organized committee there The function of
the committee was to bring to the attention of
the workers that through organization the
speed-up could be stopped and lay-offs pre-
vented
When the mill agents wanted to introduce the
speed-up IN this department, they found
grievance committee, elected by the workers
ready to tell the boss, mo off and no speed
up here" And there was no lsy-off in the print
works print-roonl, After this 500 workers
joined the N. r. W. u
This must teach the comrades in the field
lesson as to how important the organization of
grievance committees are In departments. For
1t was this first victory under the leadership Of
the N T. w, U. that established the union as a
leader among the textile workers
The victory in this one department gave the
assurance to the workers In Lawrence that law
offs and Speed-up can be stopped through or
ganization. In February, 1881, when the mill
owners came out with general plan of "effi-
cheney" and "staggcr system" the NJ T. w. u
succeeded In leading 10000 textile workers In
Lawrence, against the speed-up schemes Of the
Hoovers, Greens and the rest of the bosses
agents.
With this strike, the workers of the country
learned that even though the A. F. of L. said
there would be no strikes that the Trade Union
Unity League was organizing the workers to
better their conditions. With this struggle in
the textile industry we also showed to the mil
nonaires and their representatives that the un-
employed were no scab& For the unemployed
showed tbs greatest solidarity and militancy In
the strike against tbs speed-up. Through the
demonstrations and meetings for unemployment
relief and through the Unemployed Council the
unemployed learned that 1t was this devilish
specd-up and efficiency that was responsible for
unemployment
When the mill owners saw the fine solidarity
OF the employed and unemployed when they
saw how the textile workers follow the leader
ship OF tbs N. T. ". o. they came out with
terror ssssnst jfs 'Ssd miouA"