The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-25

here this week and laid plans for a
, months to build mass union aInong
ethe metal miners by spring,
Build New Locals and Groups
The conference was able to record
the building of some new locals, in
the Copper Country of Northern
Mich, reorganization of some old 10
Gals that had broken up, in the Iron
River sub district, and the building
OF new groups Of miners on the Mes
aba Iron Range who, while not yet
| i nthe union, are carrying on osme
work in the mine and make a good
base, on which to build our union.
These, while they are only small be-
ginnings, smash all arguments that
our comrades may have raised about
it being impossible to organize the
metal miners yet!
We have the job Of going out among
the miners with our union and act
ually building mass union that will
be able to carry though the fight that
will come.
Struggle for Every Day Needs
Our union will never grow as a
propaganda organizationl We will
build mass union only by going into
the mines, raising the grievances of
the miners, and carrying on struggles
to win victories for the miners. That
there are plenty of grievances, was
admitted by everyone at the confer
ence. Huge reductions in taxes have
been granted throughout the entire
district to the mining corporations.
These reductions mean the curtail-
ment of relief for the unemployed
miners. All through the summer
months huge amounts of stocked ore
| was shipped. This did not require
the hiring of very many miners Of
workers. Now, when the mines in
some localities have opened up a
trifle, hundreds of miners find them
selves permanently taken off the en-
| ployment lists.
For instance in Ironwood over 100
were stricken of in the Oliver Steel
! Trust) Mine alone The introduction
/ of new machinery in every mine has
increased the amount Of miners who
will never get work in the mines.
Those that were lucky enough to get
back to work, are faced with the
most brutal speed-up ever seen in
| the metal mining district. The bosses
are always hollering for more dirt. In
many of the mines the miners COM
plain that they cannot last under the
terrible grind.
Wages Cut
The company, knowing that they
viii have to lay off permanently Sill
more miners, have introduced lo1G
| lists of safety rules" and the break
| ing of even one Of thsse means up
you 60" The mins-s are actually
worse off working than when they
were on relief. In the Ironton Mine
on the Gogebic Range, when tlley
were on relief they did not hGVe to
pay rent, light, insurance and deg
| tor fees.
Now when they are working, all
these are deducted and they canEot
get any relief. They are only wo-i--
! ing three days a week. They set
Is per cent increase" in wages.
Last year they had been cut many
times this, and now when prices are
climbing rapidly to pre-depreSsion
heights, the miners are making much
less wages than at any time during
| the crisis,
In the Ironton Mine, the committee
of the Ironton Miners Protective As
ISOLATION Quilt last Spring when the
mine closed and carried on some
struggles at the time, but has been
practically dead for monthS) cir
culated a petition among one shift OF
the miners, and presented only a few
days ago and is a sample OF the
readiness of the miners to struggle.
The attacks of the mining companies,
through the MIRA, are stirring the
miners to action. 1t is up to the
members of our union to show the
road and lead these struggles for
ward and in this way we will build
strong union.
| Struggle for Miners Code
The conference planned to carry
the miners code into every mine.
To reach out and make mass cam
paign to force the recognition of the
code. That this code will really an
Swer the needs of the miners, it must
be discussed by thousands, must PEN
citrate every mine, and must be pre-
sented in Washington by a delega-
ton of miners elected by the miners
themselves. This code must be made
an instrument to build our union and
organize struggles throughout the en-
| tire district.
For Mass Union BY Spring
The conference called for an in
tense campaign to build mass union
by spring. 1t pointed out that the
possibilities for building our union
are great. 1t called for the most con-
slant every day work by all members
and sympathizers of the union.
Forward to mass union and mass
cfruUpIeS