The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-25
STATEMENT BY THE NATIONAL
MINERS UNION ON THE U.M,W.A.
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION

MINERS UNION ON THE u.M.W.A.
INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
y. NJ. w. a, organizers have tray
slled through the field and picked
loyal delegates for an international
convention. These organizers have
proceeded in a most secrectivs man
neg. They arrived in a mining camp,
= few close henchmer we're gotten
together, using whiskey as bait, and
4 delegate" designated by the Or
gani2er is supposedly elected" No
more internal democracy in the union.
No more regular election of delegates,
for whom all members are given a
chance to vote. No more discussions
OF resolutions and suggestions to be
made to the convention Why all this
serecy? What has happenedP Are
the U.M.WA, officials trying TO hide
anything? Is John L. Lewis afraid to
, openly face his membership The
following are the reasons.
A Record Of Treachery
The reason is that Lewis brings to
this convention the blacklist record
of treaehery and betrayal against
those he is supposed to represent
ever known in the entire history OF
the American trade union movement,
The record that Lewis brings is writ
ten in blood from tens and hundreds
Of thousands OF miners whom he
betrayed and left TO the mercy OF
the operators, their Government and
thugs, The record begins with the
betrayal OF last years Kentucky
strike. The UMWA betrayed that
most heroic strike and left the miners
on the battlefield leaderless to be
slugged, jailed and murdered, This is
followed with the record Of the be-
trayal Of the Glen Alden miners, in
the anthracite. The Glen Alden
miners struck twice last year and
twice they were betrayed by Lewis
and his progressive" agents. Then
follows the 5 1-2 years agreement
that Lewis made with the anthracite
operators which the operators are
violating daily, with the UMWA
doing nothing about it. Then the
story Of the role Lewis, and his little
brother. Pat Pagan, played in the re-
cent strike OF 10000 miners in West
err PePnnsylvanis, East Ohio and
West Virginia, against starvation.
Can the miners of the Pittsburgh
Terminal mines ever forget how they
were stabbed in the back at the
height Of the strike, when the UMWA
signed a fake agreement with the
company, giving up every inch Of
ground that the miners gained
through long years OF bitter struggles
While this is written the newspapers
publish q statement by Pat Pagan
grant the Pittsburgh Terminal 8 10
per cent wage cut, in order to main
tain the check off. Then follows q
copy Of Van Bittner's agreement with
the West Virginia operators cutting
the already miserable miners wages
down to % t-2 cents q ton, Is per
cent cut. And SO page after page the
record that Lewis brings to this con-
vention Is filled with treachery-be-
neutrality-suspicious..
U. M. w. A. Future Program
what is the future program which
Lewis intends to railroad through at
this convention and for which he so
carefully picked his delegates? The
fact that his future program has not
be a announced in advance is Of
small Importance, The rank and file
of the UMWA, the ,InorganiSed min
ers and the N. M. y. know exactly
what his program is The U,M.WA.
future program Is found in Lewis
past and present practices. The fol-
lowing IS his program;
I. Collaboration with the opera
!. tors to further cut the miners pay
and deepen the misery of the min
.rs; 2, starvation Of the unemployed
and against unemployment insus~
ance; ;, against tbs six hour day
and five day week; 4, Maintain the
check-ofI system, ir return fer
which the U. NJ. w. A. will act as
~ orgasiEes for this operators 70
PIT ACROSS their program. Of star.
vattor; 5, Maintain the blacklist
sg.inst militant miners; s, against
The solidarity betwees all miners in
thst. struggles, and particularly
against the solidarity between the
white and Negro miners; 7, for de-
porting of the foreign born mill
tants; ., for shutting down the So
called Improbable" mines and
squeezing hundreds Of thousands Of
miners out Of the industry TO die a
! show DEATH 8, for another war and
armed attack against the Soviet
Union, the workers fatherland; 10,
for keeping the militant miners and
their leaders in prison and for a
Z roign Of terror against the miners.
Z And so down the line, a mile long
program every word Of which is
against the interests of the miners
and for the bosses. Is there any
wonder why such program Is not
sent to the local unions in advance
to discuss7 We're Lewis TO do this
his royal days as car among the
miners would be limited indeed.
Even the fake 'progreEsivss' would
not be able to save him. The role of
n LII