The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-13

lIGlCntQ III private dIlI COA pOI ave
privilege. It has been known, and
recognized by the organized labor of
the world that workers get only what
they have the power to wrest from
the employers by their organized
strength The final test is always in
the withdrawal of labor power-the
strike struggle. To take any other
view is to pave the way for complete
surrender of the most elementary and
vital rights Of labor and its organ
izations.
THE presence of A. F, of L. Of
ficials, and officials of national and
international unions in government
posts on N.R.A. boards either in eX-
ecutive or advisory capacities, is
challenge to the integrity of the
unions as independent organizations.
The evil effects Of this practice
are to be seen already in the merit"
clause in the auto code and the anti
strike and compulsory arbitration
clauses of the supplementary agree
ment to the bituminous coal code, it
can be said with complete truth that
the evil effects are to be seen right
in this convention.
with hundreds of thousands of
coal miners, steel workers, textile
workers, auto workers, agricultural
workers and others engaged in heroic
struggle for the right to live like
human beings, met as they are by
martial law, tear gas attacks, whole
co1o r,5E,-irrI,f
armed terror of all kinds, many of
them killed while this convention is
meeting, in brutality which in many
instances exceeds the brutality of
Hitlerized Germany. The only reso-
luton calling for support of these
advance guards of the working class
interests, was objected to and ruled
off the floor. Not single union Of
fetal nor single member of the
Executive Council of the A. F. of L. in
this convention has called for sup
port of these great masses of work
erS or hailed them as fighting for the
interest of the entire American labor
movement. The only mention made
of these struggles has been in con-
nection with an official demand that
the union officers act still more de-
cisively and to end them, at any
cost, in the name of the will of the
wisp, National Recovery
'These facts are beyond dispute.
They show the grave danger that the
labor movement faces of having it's
integrity lost by official incorporation
into the machinery Of production for
profit, because I would like to re-
mind you fellow delegates that in
spite of all the fine phrases of the
NR.A., it is still a system of pro-
duction for profit.
THE first and most necessary i'm
mediate step to avoid the danger of
losing the independence of the Amer
lean Labor Movement is the with
drawal of all union officials from the
government MIRA. posts. Our union
officials being now part of the ma
| chinery for the enforcement of
N.R.A., which so far as the workers
are concerned, legaHzes the starVa-
ton wages and living conditions
forced upon them by the four years
of crisis; the continual attacks Of the
employers, their organizations and
government agencies; attacks which
have been met by the official policy
that these terrible conditions are
merely temporary, shove into back
ground the basic demand for COM
pulsory Federal Unemployment IN
surance for all workers. 1t also puts
officials in posts in the N.RA-as a
victory for labor.
Organize Working Glass
TO represent the interest of the
toilerS OF America, the labor move
ment has to organize and lead the
working class independently OF en-
ployers and their government. The
MIA, demands the subsection o.
union organizations under the guiSe
OF giving labor place in the sun.
As always, the proposal is to cure
the crisis at the expense of the work
erS and their organizations. Just as
in 1929, the cooperation agreement
between FTesioenG hoover and the
Y. r. L., OF no strike no wage cut,
In pracClce turned out to be a one
sided anaIr, so today all the sugar
coated phrases about MIA. will turn
III practice one-SIdeQ atfair-more
pIonCS to employers, higher prices to
me consumers, same starvation wages
Tor The WorKers-WlJnouC even an
increase to meet the mounting cost
Oh living, ana left without this ele-
mentary rIgnG--Gne right 10 strike,
me answer to The problem is the
restoration OF independence TO the
n1nUlnlGnf a nF
ollcla4S ana those OF lJS affiliated
unions have elmer to Withdraw from
MIA. posts or TO ADMIT that they
nave Abandoned the traditional policy
OF the American labor movement.
The surrender OF the inuependenJ
role Oh union organization already has
peen more than ninted in the con-
c4us4on OF the executive Council re-
port WnIcn speaks OF the New Deal
as 4olloWS AS unions we have no
choice but to obey the law and to
serve as agencies Tor putting IL into
efIecC. Out immediate problem is 10
Junction as best 10 ADVANCE justice
ana economic progress Tor all con-
cerneu IN carrying on inausJry and
All Unose Sefveu Dy industry
"Ine outy OF Une American labor
movement, as is Crue OF al labor
movements and the exploited popuIa-
uon as a whole, is not ana never has
oeen concerned with justice and econ
olnlc progress Tor ali employers, their
agents ana oCner penenclarIes. as well
as workers. workers are the great
majority. 1t is upon Unem thai all
society rests. 1neir interests are para
noun Tor any honest trade union
movement.
If TINS view has been changed to
one in which Labor becomes a mere