The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-02

they call you into an inner office
where you're asked if you're mar
ried, have you children, where born,
anybody working in the family, etc.
They're pretty keen on the answer
to the last question, because they
figure if there's somebody else
working in your family you won't be
so discontinued with the wages they
hand you"
A particularly hateful practice
was described by a young Italian
girl-a member of the Strike Com
mittee. "We're expected to come in
every morning at o'clock, and
sometimes we hang around until H.
IL o'clock when we're told there's
no work. When we're lucky we get
a little work this way, on pair of
singles Or specials, and at the end
of the week earn a dollar or two"
Important to bear in mind g The
fact that the average shoe workers.
season" seldom amounts to more
than 10-11 weeks during the en-
tire year. During the rest of the
time his boss is, Of course, totally
unconcerned as to whether Or not
the worker and his family starves
to death.
"Whalen? He's trying to give us
a dirty deal"
This from an Italian worker-a
member of the Strike Committee of
IS, who proudly told the Daily
Worker reporter that he was reg
istered Democrat and member of
the Italian-American Democratic
Club of the 10Th Assembly District,
Brooklyn. And, mind you, Whalen is
Democrat and this striker is a
Democrat. But the crucial differ
ence is that the worker is leader
in strike being conducted by the
revolutionary Shoe and Leather
Workers Industrial Union.
A Red? What Of 1t?
Does he know that his union is
affiliated with the Trade Union
Unity League, and that William 2.
Foster, a Communist, is secretary
of the TUUL-another striker was
| asked.
Fright now that isn't the main
thing" he answered. "Some of us
here are Democrats, some Republi-
cans and what-not, but we're all set
on one point: getting better living
for ourselves and our families, and
we know we can't do it without the
union"
And by union these strikers don't
mean the Boot and Shoe Workers
Union of the American Federation
of Labor, either. They're all united
on that" a Communist member of
the Strike Committee said to me as
the workers nodded in agreement.
They've all had previous dealings
with those fellows" he said signifi-
cantly.
The chairman of the Lasting De-
! partment is also active on the Strike
Committee. He's a stocky, energetic
Italian American.
Listen, young fellow" he shouts,
81 was in the war. member of the
9th Division. l sacrificed my edu-
cation for the sake of Amer. canism
and Democracy, and now when
fight for the right to get more bread
and butter I'm called Communist.
and damn it. resent it,"
Toward the bland words of their
bosses-Isadore Lipson and Henry
Lifshitz-the workers have an at
titude of extreme skepticism, to say
the least.
"About a year and a half ago the
filters and lasters went out on
strike. After being out about three
weeks we fell for 'gentleman's
agreement with the boss by which
he recognized the general chairman
and a shop committee; he also
agreed that there would be no hir-
ing or firing without the workers
committee, and that no further wage
cuts would be put through.
"Well, at the end of two weeks,
the boss approached each worker in
the lasters' department to sign a
yellow dog agreement, and then set
out to fire the most militant leaders
among the filters. When we threat
ened to strike, however, the boss
backed down."
That's Why"
These experiences as we'll as
others, say the workers, have guided
them in their decision to reject the
bosses offers, the first one meeting
all the strikers terms except recog-
milton Of the union, and the second
for a 10 per cent raise for the cut
tiers and filters only, but with no
recognition of the union.
"That's why" said the member in
good standing of the Italian Amer
lean Democratic Club of the 10th
Assembly District, Brooklyn, "that's
why we're going to stay out until
we win all our demands-and espe-
cially recognition of the Shoe and
Leather Workers Industrial Union"