The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-25
WHY A SECRET CONVENTION

I
ger, disease and slow death. over
100000 Or 60 per cent of the entire
total. are permanently unemployed.
I The rest work only part time, under
the most miserable conditions. The
companies are Pressing harder and
harder, cutting wages and cutting
more, The operators "stabilization"
program means more profits for the
companies and worse misery for the
miners. For this program they have
the fullest support Of the government
and the u NJ. w. A. with its fake
"progressives." Here is a problem for
the miners, it is a problem of life and
death. What can the miners expect
from the u. NJ w. A convention to
solve this problem for them? Is Lewis
and his picked delegates" interested
to solve this problem for the miners?
What about the unemployed and
blacklisted miners? Will the conven-
ton do anything about them? VIII
Lewis carry on struggle for the sig
hfour day and five-daY week? Will
the U. NJ. w. A. fight for immediate
relief to the unemployed and for
unemployment insurance? Will they
fight for the reopening Of the minesq
Will Lewis fight for the abolition of
| the blacklist? No, thousand times
no. Yet this is q vital problem for
the miners.
The operators, through their gov
ernment and supported by the U, NJ.
W, A., are carrying an a reign of ter
ror against the miners and their
leaders. Their most elementary
rights, such as to strike, meet and
picket, are taken away from them.
They are dubbed, given long pail sen=
fences and even murdered.
While this is written, Hightower, a
n year old militant Kentucky miner,
was given life sentence on q
framed-up charge by a Harlan County
court for militant activities, The
leaders OF the present Kentucky,
heroic strike have been thrown into
jail, Joe Weber, q leader Of the strike,
was taken for a ride and beaten. Tom
Meyerscough, Leo Thompson, Adam
Getto and others militant leaders of
the recent strike of 10000 are in jail
serving sentences from two 10 five
years for their strike activities. Here
is basic problem for the miners
how to retain their most elementary
political rights? Will the U, M w. A,
convention solve this problem for the
miners9 How many leaders of the
U. NJ W. A. are now serving jail sen-
fences for strike activities7 When was
John Lewis last arrested for fighting
the operatersq The miners have NUM-
erous other equally important prob
lens, but they cannot look towards
the U, NJ. W. A, convention to solve
them for them.
The National Miners Union Holds
National Convention
The N. M, U. is also holding a
National Convention. The convention
will be held February 9th in Pitts
burgh. and will last for four days.
The N. M. y. is not makinga secret of
its convention. Not only will del
egates, openly elected at our local
union meetings, come to the conven-
ton, but there will be delegates from
the unemployed branches, women's
auxlliaries, Youth delegates, Negro
delegates and delegates from unor-
ganized territories. What's more,
fraternal delegates are invited from
the U. M. w. A. locals.
Wherever the reactionary officials
OF the U. M. w. A. will succeed to
block the sending of an official del
egates. then the Opposition group in
side the local is invited to send q
delegate, Our convention is open TO
all miners and to the entire working
class, The main resolution for the
convention will be sent to the local
unions in advance fer discussion. We
have nothing to hide from our MEM
hership We are not ashamed of our
past activities and our future pro-
gram. The record which the National
Board Of the N. NJ. 7. brings to this
convention is filled with experiences
Of sharp struggles against the opera
tors and their agents, no matter III
what cloak they may appear, The
strike Of 10000, in Western Pennsyl-
vania, East Ohio and West Virginia
the present heroic strike N Kentucky
Tennessee, which is spreading to other
fields; the struggles for immediate
relief to the unemployed and for
unemployment insurance; numerous
demands, for youth demands, etc.
This is the N. M. U. record since ii
second National Convention. The
third Convention will consider ways
and means Of increasing the fight for
better conditions for all miners in the
immediate future.
Unity Of All Miners Needed
A basic essential for a successful
struggles against the operators is
UNITED FRONT OF ALL MINERS,
regardless of union or political aft
llstion. A united front between the
organized and unorgenized; solidarity
between the white and the Negro
miners; between the adult and young
miners. The U. NJ, w. A, serving the
interests of the bosses, does not want
such unity. With the miners divided
a. 10 ..,,,,l sa c;.~ for tt,a IT AZ xxy