The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-03-22
Task of the Revolutionary Opposition
in the Anthracite Miners Strike
BoyIan,s Open strikebrsaleing

Boylan's Open Strikebreakng
AS stated above the Boylan-LeHis machine in the
anthracite and the coal operators taking full adj
vantage of this situation At conference Of the Of
fcials of the tri-disrct, District l. and g. held on
Friday, statement issued with the tobe-expccted
condemnation of the strike and particularly attempt
ing to divide the employed and unemployed by charg-
ing not only that this an OUTLAW strike, but
that it strike forced" the perfectly salts
fled" employed miners by the unemployed. In view
Of this forced strike Boyan cynicaly proposed TO
teach the unemployed lesson by withdrawing the
small assistance given to the unemployed by the union,
and announced that referendum vote would inn
medatey be carried through whether the so cents
a-month assessment now collected from the employed
miners for the relief Of the starving unemployed miners
should be discontinued. Boyan also had conference
on Friday with the sheriff Of Luzerne County and
with the mayor of Scranton at which the newspapers
admit that he openly asked for police aid against the
miners in effort to smash the strike, The vicious
attacks the picket lines by both the local author
tiles and Pnchots cosSackS therefore, TO small
degree due directly to the request for help from Boy
land The fact that the police also charge that
the men do not want to strike" but that "the
employed miners are forcing the others out" is due
to Maloneys equalization OF working time" slogan,
and to failure to really prepare the strike partcu
larly among the employed miners,
Wage Cuts Would Follow Defeat
This clearly the danger point in the strike Can
Boyan the coal operators the police, and the stupidity
Ito say the least) of Maloney break the unity OF the
employed and unemployed miners? Can the employed
miners be terrorized into returning to work, leaving
the unemp1oed miners in the lurch? Such outcome
would be disastrous for the employed miners well
for the unemployed. Such outcome would be the
signal for renewed attacks wages and an intensi
fcaton of the speed-up in the mines A defeat for
this strike would bring general worsening in the
conditions of all anthracite miners, employed and I'M
employed
Yet under the Maloney- Schuster leadership defeat
must inevitably be the outcome to organzatonal
chaos and to the failure TO bring forward demands
around which the employed miners will enthusiastic
ally rally there must come break in the workers
ranks result of the police blows and the open
strikebreakng alliance of Boylan and the operators.
AS miner told the writer: Under present circun-
stances, the police break the picket lines many
will return to work" The outlook for success In the
strike depends therefore Immediately arousng real
support for the strike among the wide Of the
employed miners.
This Maloney will not and can not do. On the con-
trary, the most likely action from Maloney will be to
do nothing to strengthen the strike Under the blows
of the reactonary forces gathering to smash the
strike, Maloney will most likely capitulate completely
as he did in the earlier Glen Alden strikes. To be
more plain, he will sell out!
Rank and File Movement Only Hope
make the strike effective is the Rank File Com
mittee movement This movement was still too Young
at the beginning OF the strike to bring its program
before all the miners and, the basis of this pro-
gram to win the leadership Of the strike Now dur
ing the strike, this movement is steadily gaining in
fluence and prestige.
The biggest factor at the moment is the time ele
ment The Rank and File Committees to save the
strike, to transform The strike into real strike must
work with the greatest energy and speed The futty
OF equalization OF working time" solution for the
miners hunger and starvation conditions must be ex
posed Likewise, the failure to prepare the strike and
the chaotic organizational situation in the strike must
be exposed and the responsibility definitely fixed on
the Maloney -Schuster leadership Every move of
Maloney TO retreat or to betray the strike must be
quickly brought to the attention of the miners
This OF course can be done only together with the
widest popularzaton of the demands of the Rank and
File Committees. While not failing to bring forward
such demands contained in the Rank and File state
menus as abolition of the Individual Contract Sys-
tenn" Abolition of the Check-Off" ETC. which NAV
become real issues at later stage in the strike is
necessary at the moment to concentrate on the follow
ing demands which represent the immediate burning
needs of the miners
l. guarantee of no less than three days work
per week at union scale of wages
e The return of wages and working conditions
to the standards set by the last agreement
j. Local mine grievances Ito be worked ont con-
Cretey for each miner)
FOR the unemployed miners real demands must be
worked out. The present demand is too general and
could not serve to rally the unemployed miners in on
poSluoh 70 Maloneys equalization slogan. Demands
for immediate relief stating definite amounts ~ ~
paid by the coal operators and the local and state
governments should be worked out together with the
miners and these demands together with the demand
for unemployment insurance should be made the basi
Tor winning the $4,000 miners for real struggle that
will really bring them relief
such demands can to cement the unity of the
employed and unemployed miners for the continuation
% ehe struggle Such demands be won
on the basis OF this program, Maoney must be de-
feated The rank and file miners must take the leader.
snip IN their own hands. But this can be done only