The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-10-17
MINNEAPOLIS BLDG. TRADES
COUNCIL HITS BACK OVER
LIFTING OF ITS CHARTER
Points Out in Open Letter Its Fight for Real
Relief, Against Wage Cuts
Charges A. F. Of L. Upper Officials Cut Pay
Of Workers to Keep Own Salaries High

MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, Oct. Is
The "Old Minneapolis Building
Trades Council Group, Representing
the council whose charter was lifted
in April by the AFL. Building Trades
Department for fighting for unem-
ployment insurance has issued TO the
press an open letter to the depart
ment, laying the basis for appeal
to the ALL, higher bodies and re-
peating that it is for real workers
unemployment insurance and not at
the expense of the workers.
The open letter points out that
no reasons were given in the curt
letter Of NJ, J. McDonough, president
of the Building Trades Department,
revoking the charter.
When the Minneapolis council wrote
to President Green of the A. F. L.,
he gave no reasons either, but mere
ly informed them that they could APP
peal to the executive council of the
ALL. and from that to the A. F. L,
convention.
The open letter asks whether its
record, absolutely unique for A. F. L..
central bodies, in actually organic
ing workers and winning union con-
ditions in rs per cent of the pro-
iects in the city is the reason for ex-
pulsion?
Fight at Post Office Job.
1t also asks
Has not your action of reVoking
our Charter divided the forces Of
the Building Trades Workers of Min
neapolis and encouraged the wage
cutting contractor now Wrecking
Block No. 20 lin connection with the
Post Office in paying a wage said
to be zoe per hour and zoe in lum-
Der and bricks instead of the union
wage for common labor of Csc per
hour, etc?
In spite of this splitting policy the
Workers of Minneapolis have now
through united front struggle tied
up this job and are determined to
carry this struggle to a victorious
end.
"Or was your action against us be-
cause we supported a united struggle
for unemployment relief for the
starving unemployed workers in the
city of Minneapolis and through
which the city was compelled to pay
out millions of dollars in relief to
unemployed workers which the city
otherwise would not have done?
New Council Fake.
Time and results have proven the
analysis, predictions, strategy and
policy of our body to be correct, and
has exposed also the bankruptcy of
the so-called new council that you
organized with some five or six unions
affiliated, who have presented no
policy of action, who have taken
no initiative to lead the Building
Trades Unions into a united struggle
against wage cuts but who have eff
fieiently preparade to bar delegates
mot on the basis of facts and evil
dence but upon prejudice and sup
positions) who uphold the principle
of Trade Union Democracy and who
refuse to knuckle down to a bank
rupt, bureaucratic policy which di-
vides and persecutes the rank and
file and leads them into the morass
of wage cuts and poverty.
'Is it not a fact that tens of thou
sands of unemployed members in our
Building Trades Unions throughout
the country have lost their member
ship for inability to pay their dues
while the Headers" at the top who
are pursuing a policy Of expulsion and
persecution Of militant rank and file
members, are still drawing their fat
$4,000 per year salaries, while the
rank and file of cur movement and
their families are actually starving.
Help Bosses Cut Wages.
Then the open letter asks:
What has your department TO its
credit except wage cuts from one end
of the country to another?
"Is it not becoming more clear to
the rank and file that the policy Of
the officialdom and bureaucrats of
our Trade Union Movement is one
of signing agreements with employ
ers to employ only members of their
unions not for purposes of improving
the conditions of the rank and file,
but on the contrary to compel (thru
uape emitting iOh contrOn tho r1ena-