The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-02-18
BY RALPH SIMONS


PART /.
THE mass strike of the dressmakers which has
developed on the wave of strikes in the diff
ferent shops is-following the heroic strike of the
miners in Kentucky which is still in process-an
other answer to the fierce attack of the cap
italists which is proceeding along the entire
front.
The struggling dressnakers are setting them
selves the aim not only to stop the further drive
Of the capitalists, not only to offer determined
resistance to the continuous and ruthless reduc-
ton Of wages which they are putting over in the
dress industry and to the unlimited imposition of
overtime work and to the sweat shop system, but
they have gone over from the defense to direct
counter offensive. They are striving to achieve
first Of ALL an immediate increase of 25 per cent
In wages of the lower paid workers and the
establishment of a minimum wage, the strict
observance Of the 30 hour day work week;
the abolition of overtime work which is to be
allotted to the unemployed, the payment by the
employers of per cent of their payroll into the
unemployment relief fund; against discrimination
against the Negro workers, ETC.. etc
But the striking dressmakers have not limited
themselves to economic demands only They
have put forward, also, number of demands of q
political nature which are especially pointed
against police terror court inunctions, gangsters
for the unconditional unrestricted right to strike
and picket The dressmakers already have be-
hind them a rich experince Of strike struggle
and they know very well that the bosses will not
hesitate to call upon the state apparatus in order
to strange the strike.
This time, the dresSmakers will be compelled to
clash not only with the employers not only with
the capitalist state apparatus, court and police
but they will also have to deal with the unbridled
thoroughly corruptd leaders of the International
Ladies Garment Workers Union. Here we are
dealing not only with the Schlessinger and his
gang but also with his lieutenants of the Love-
stone group in the person of Zimmerman and
his hangers on. The Schlessingers and the
Zirnmermans are proceeding in a solid united
front with the bosses and the police. They are
attempting 10 cover up their -workingclass
strike-breaking policy their plot with the bosses
against the workers, with the fig leaf Of hypo-
critical babbering about the unbearble conditions
Of the workers in the shops and about their
readiness to lead the dressmakers in their
struggle against the bosses.
The Schlessinger- Zimmerman conspiracy con-
SstS in their attempt to repeat now what they
have done last year; to organize with the know-
edge, consent and assistance OF the employers
fake strike, in order that they may be in posi-
ton to behead the struggles of the workers to
betray the workers to the BOSSES to throw over
board the most conscious and advanced of the
workers and in that way leave the mass of
brutally deceived workers still more firmly
clutched in the wise of the SchleSsinger machine
And it is peculiar that Schlessinger speaks the
same language Malone and that the en-
ployers are waiting mpatiently for the fulfill
ment Of the threats" made against" them by
Schlessinger The latter has already secured for
the fulfillment of his base anti worklngclass plan
the cooperation of the well known New York
chief OF police, Murooney The events in Mecca
Temple and the sluggings OF the workers who
demanded the declaration of militant strike
and united front were sort Of rehearsal and
t1sey ought TO demonstrate what the Schlessinger
gang Is capable OF IN order to break tip the
United Front Of the fighting dressmakers and in
order TO stifle the fighting mood of their own
mass OF members, 1t goes without saying that the
employers can have full confidence in them
During the present period, not only in the
United States but also in other countries the
trade union bureaucracy is compelled under the
pressure Of the masses and their growing urge for
unity more and more frequently to paint them
selves In more and more left" coors, to assume
the pose Of the defenders OF the working-clasS