The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-25
fired! Story of Steel Workers r By JOHN GREGORY

that now he ought to stand by Red
After all, Red had been fighting his,
Dayley's battle, and every workers
battle,
His eyes swept along the gloom
of the charging flo0r No. 8 was
being tapped. The floor gang, sweat
ing, their faces twisted into half
snarls Of defiance at the glaring heat
of molten steel, were poking and
twisting the tapping bar. They broke
the hole loose, and as steel poured
into the waiting ladle a red glare lit
the twilight of the vast corrugated
iron shed, More men were making
up inc backwalls of No. 6, heaving
dolcmite with rhythmical swings A
crane was carrying a ladle Of pig
iron overhead, destined for No. 7
furnace. The charging crane was
po!ling its long arm in and out Of
No. l, dumping in scrap and lime
stone. Dayley grunted, and swung
into action.
He first went to the little shanty
that was the meters Office, got
OMaley, the Superintendents clerk,
on the telephone, and talked quiet
ly. Was Red down there? Yeah?
Him an Reynolds were having it
hot and heavy, Ell? Red was gettin'
fired, but he wasn't taking 1t layin'
down. Good! So he called Rey-
nolds lousy slave driver! Said he'd
organize the Steel Union in the Open
Hearth if he starved trying" O'Mal-
ley hung up suddenly. Ramsey had
keen ears and maybe he'd heard
through the half-open door into the
outer Office.
ROWN the floor Dayley went, talk
" ing quietly to this man and that.
Tried friends of his, good and true.
And each man grinned, and nodded,
and went back to work, talking in
whispers to each of his friends in
turn.
Down the line until he reached the
last furnace, No o, The floor gang,
the helpers, a craneman, and the
meter were there in a loose group.
Dayley, no public speaker, but with
a something inside him squirting him
on, bsrked:
Listen, fellows. Yuh know Red,
tn guy that's always talkin' union.
Well, Reynolds got him down in tn
Office now. Reds gettin' fired for
tryin' to organize tn Steel Union.
He's got wife with kid due. He
was tryin' to help us an now we
ought to stick together an help him!
Volta yuh say?"
Silence. Dayley felt suddenly
empty. facing the puzzled, undecided
faces Of the group before him. MeX-
cans, Croats, Italians; he should
have known better than to pop off
this way!
Wardell, workers representative on
the Company Union, clustered up.
Say, there, Dayley, wot in hell are
yuh tryin' tub do. Buttin' in like
this! I'll take up Reds case at the
next meeting of the Council. He's
nothin' but a damned Bolshevik any
way"
9TH hell yuh say!" This sarcastic
cally from young laborer in the
group. Beat it, STOOL" growled sew
eral others. The others shifted rest
lessly. They were not articulate; not
good takers. "Well, c'mon, volta we
waitin' for2" muttered Slav.
yYARDELL skunk off, his pudgy
W pomposity suddenly gone. He
linked the little Importance gained
from being on the Board Of the Com
pany union. He paused, and then
turned back to the group, and grinned
sheepishly. "All right, fellows, I'm
with you" he said.
Dayley glowed inside, felt warm
and exalted, suddenly realizing that
the men were with him. All these
he had inwardly despised.
Even Wardell! Now to line up the
rest Of the gang. Come along, and
bring your picks and shovels!" he
added, trifle grimly.
Back down the floor they came,
20 strong now. And every man they
met, they speedily convinced. Maybe
some felt like wagering, but the sight
Of their fellow workers, grim faced,
armed with picks and shovels, added
a tone of menace that was perSuad-
ing.
A sudden, unusual quiet descended
upon the charging floor Kissing oil
valves were shut off as helpers left
their furnaces. Cranes ceased to
clank as the operators climbed down
and swept along with the growing
gang Of angry workers. Even the
dinky switch engine stood dead.
Down the iron stairs they poured
With a Gathering Of heavy shoes. The
few men working below speedily
gathered up. Then outside, and I'M
der the nighttime, Dayley held up his
arm The men PAUSED and gathered
around Let's pick three men to do
,he talking" he said.
you, Dayley" they shouted back.
And Wardelll" some added. And
xolkoky!" others cried. ANY more
There were none,
and Kolkosky, a fiery Hun
garian and laborer, stepped out Of
he ranks and joined Dayley. Then
all YOU f~7lc~"s w''N will sticl, by |
what we say and do, raise your
lanac!
Every hand went up. A hoarse
cheer rang out. All swept across the
narrow yard and followed their COM
mittee into the red brick Office build
ing, jamning the corridors and pill
Ing INTO Ramsey's outer Office.
Red, discharge slip in hand, was
stepping heavy footed out of the Of
fice building; the burden of his wife