davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09

newly formed organization if it is to
serve the interests of the shoe work
ers? In the first place the union must
be based clearly on the program of
the class struggle. 1t must make its
motto not only fair days wage for
fair days work." but the abolition
of capitalism. The union must be an
industrial union, with each shop a To-
cal with real representation in the
leading bodies Of workers through the
shop delegates system. 1t must declare
boldly that the right to strike is the
cornerstone Of the organization that
cannot be bartered away for any con-
siderations. 1t must declare with
equal force against compulsory arbi-
tration. 1t must guarantee full de-
mocracy to every member and to the
lower organizations.
Full power must rest only in the
rank and file Of the membership. 1t
must be made possible for every shoe
worker to belong to the organization.
by fighting for every section of the
workers, and to provide low enough
dues and limitations.
1t must be truly industrial union,
embracing all workers connected with
the shoe and leather industry.
The union must take its place as a
militant union by carrying on an I'M
compromising struggle against fas-
cisnl, against imperialist war, for the
full equality for the Negro masses,
against discrimination against foreign
born workers, women workers or
young workers. Tt must break with all
reformist groups that wish to divert
the workers from the path of the
class struggle. In this category fall
those who wish to organize reform
list Labor Party in order to stop the
masses from entering upon the path
Of revolutionary class struggle.
Must Reject Lovest0neite-A.FL.
The new organization cannot re-
main isolated from the working class
movement as whole. 1t must reject
the open or secret maneuvers of many
Of the socalled leaders Cncluding the
Lovestoneites) for affiliation with
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09
Nut Picker Strikers
Win Wage Increases

MINNEAPOLIS, MINI, Dec. 7.
The strike of the nut pickers
here at the Backer Bros. shop
ended week ago after lasting for
exactly a week. The voted calling
off the strike was taken after the
workers had won a big wage in
crease from the boss. All the
workers who were active on the
picket line day after day, were
taken back. Instead of the former
wages Of 40 to 60 cents day, the
boys are now guaranteed min
imum of $3.50 per day and 81
minimum for the girls. The work
ers in the shop are practically all
youth. The strike was under the
leadership of the Food Workers
Industrial Union.
The Young Communist League
participated actively in helping to
win the strike. During the course
Of the strike, four members of the
Y. G. l.. were arrested for their ac-
tivity, three of whom were released
and one Of whom was sent to the
work-house for a Today sentence.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09

she received SO week, but Oden-
heimer cut the wages of all who pre-
viously had been earning over $12
per week. For instance, Mr., Henry
Coleman, a 100 per cent U.T.W.A.
man, was cut from SIS week to $12.
1t is hard to say how many people
work at the Lane mill, on the average.
Odenheimer claims that the number
Is between 1900 and 1000, while the
union says the total is closer to 1,700,
that is, textile workers strictly so
called. The remaining help, such as
drivers and sweepers, raise the figure
close to 1000. In any case, this mill
is place where good union is very
much needed. Here is a very fertile
field for the National Textile Workers
Union to develop.
There are good chances for the N.
T. w. U. to grow here. have al
ready written to Miss Burlak to have
some copies Of that constitution sent.
One girl who had been working for
nine years at the Lane mill was fired
by Odenheimer, right after the MIRA.
came into existence, and she was re-
hired at the rate of So per week.
There is a substantial rumor now
current in New Orleans that Oden-
heimer is importing totally rlnSSilled
help from Alabama, Mississippi, and
even from Georgia, In his plan to
keep wages permanently at the low
est ebb. If a worker stays in the
mill long enough to deserve the pres
ent maximum scale under the MIRA,
he is discharged and II he tries to
get back to work, he is paid at the
rate Of new hand, namely six cents
an hour.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09
BY j. sTACHEL

On Monday, Dec. II, the unity con-
vention of shoe workers begins IN
Boston. There will be delegates rep
resenting close to 10000 shoe work.
ers, mainly from the various centers
Of New England, and New York City.
The organizations that have already
designated their readiness to be rep
resented and have elected delegates
are the Shoe Workers Protective
Union, the National Shoe Workers
Association, the Shoe Workers Union
of Salem and the Shoe and Leather
Workers Industrial Union affiliated
to the Trade Union Unity League.
OrcHnized In Strikes
These $4,000 organized workers
were organized during the last 10
months in the course of very mill
tant shoe strikes that have taken
place in Haverhill, Lynn, Boston,
Chelsea, Salem, and New York City.
In these struggles the shoe workers
have shown that they have remained
true to the great fighting traditions
for which the shoe workers have al
ways been known.
In New York City the Shoe and
Leather Workers Industrial Union
has grown as g. result Of the recently
conducted struggles from an organ
ization Of about 1000 to an organiza-
ton of over 10000 members.
In the New England centers the
militant workers struggles we're able
RI bring about ro1fd o,.ercsy1 ivo finyH IF
the workers despite the fact that the
leadership of both the Protective and
the National did everything possible
to dampen the fighting spirit Of the
workers. This they tried through all
sorts of arbitration schemes that
only resulted in robbing the workers
of the material gains that they could
have achieved as q result of their
militant struggle.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09
Struggles of Industrial Shoe Union in New
York Defeated NR.A., Won Wage In
creases, and Built the Union

the A. r. OF l.. II this would be done
it would be contrary to the wishes of
the overwhelming majority OF the
membership and would make it i'm
possible for the union to win the I'M
organized or the tens OF thousands
still In the Boot and Shoe who are
trying to break away, as was clearly
shown in Brockton.
Nor can the union for long remain
a militant union by remaining indie
pendent. The shoe workers have be-
fore their eyes the example of the
Progressive Miners Union. There also
the miners Of Illinois, like the shoe
workers of New England, desired
militant, honest union. But what hap
pened? The Pearceys, like the Noians
in the shoe industry, succeeded in
gaining leadership and have made
out of the union an ordinary REFORM
list union. And for this very reason,
the union is now rapidly declining.
The new organization can only grow
by becoming a real class struggle
union and connecting itself up with
the rest of the workers militant trade
unions. The shoe workers can secure
this guarantee by collaborating with
and becoming part of the Trade
Union Unity League. We say this
even though the Shoe and Leather
Workers Industrial Union has de-
clared that it will abide by oil the
i l....l -x ..at
questions, and they certainly will,
provided the union takes the road of
the class struggle.
The eyes of the whole Of the mill
tant labor movement and OF millions
OF other workers are upon this con-
vention. Will 1t become a step for
ward in the struggles of the shoe
workers and for the labor movement
As whole9 Or will II be used by the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09
Task of Rank and File to Defeat Lovestonites
Attempt to Bring in A. F. of L.; Must
Have Fighting Program

In the course OF the struggles In
New England the workers desire for
unity gained great strength. The
rank and file workers themselves, In
spite Of the sabotage of the leaders
took steps for achieving one united
organization. They selected delegates
from their own ranks and organized
what became known as the Planning
Board, which was charged with the
organization Of the campaign for the
building Of one united organization
Of the shoe workers.
The Shoe and Leather Workers In
dustrial Union was represented from
the beginning upon the Planning
Board. But with the big tasks that
developed as result Of the New York
General Strike, the Shoe and Leather
Workers Industrial union neglected
its activity In connection with the
Planning Board and in this way made
1t possible for many unreliable ele-
ments, especially the Lovestone rene
gades, Zimmerman and Yonas, ETC.,
to exert substantial influence upon
the course of the planning board and
to make it possible for the old re-
fornist leadership of the shoe organ
ization, the Protective and the Ma
tional, to attach themselves to the
amalgamation movement.
LovestOneites Disruption
These leaders with the Lovestone-
ties in their midst, are conspirtng for
the purpose Of making out Of the
newly formed Organization the same
refor1nist controlled union as the two
old organizations, and in no way diff
ferent from the Boot and Shoe Union.
It is for this very reason that these
elements, and especially the Love-
stoneites tried by all means In their
power to exclude the Shoe and Leath-
er Workers Industrial Union from the
convention. When this failed because
Comrade Biedenkapp, the leader OF
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09

andS of men, now the news is of the
opposite type. During the Thanks
giving week, the Pittsburgh Coal Co.,
one Of the largest in the Pittsburgh
District shut down the following
mines: Ocean 5, Bannings, Eureka,
Westland, also rumors that Dickson
mine, Montour and Moon Run are
closing down; Montour 10 laid off
the night shift of over 450 men. The
general order was to lay off every
one who secured a job during the
month of June and since. In other
words to lay off every one that re-
ceived job as result of the new
deal" ballyhoo.
During the month of May, the
Pittsburgh papers hit the roof with
the news that the Ellsworth Branch
mines started up and employed 1000
miners. Now we find an entirely
different situation. The mines Of
the Bethlehem Steel, Mariana,
Cokeburg and Ellsworth are still out;
Gibson Of the Hillman Coal worked
days in weeks, Ontario of the
Ontario Gas and Coal did not work
day in 3 weeks; Cokeburg Junction
shut down for the Thanksgiving.
OF course the Pittsburgh news
papers have not heard this news.
Prick works and days al week.
Mather Galleries employ over 800
men but these work on the stagger
plan, and get about days week.
In brief, these few examples show
the definite trend in the mining in
dustry, and prove the correctness of
the position of the National Miners
Union that the crisis for the miners
is not over, but that on the contrary
it is increasing.
And while the Roosevelt admins
tration talks about putting 100000
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09

came along Just when the operators
and the UNIV. Of A. machine could
not hold the miners back any longer,
Cappelini and Maloney served the
coal companies very we'll, they told
the miners not to strike but to elect
them officers Of a new union with big
salaries, and they would get some
thing for the miners through arbitra-
ton.
OF course they used a lot Of fight
ing slogans to try to fool US but the
miners wanted to do some fighting
themselves and forced general
strike call to be issued. We could
have forced the company to pay the
colliery rate sheet, pay for dead work,
pay for yardage, stop the indirect
wage cuts, pay for props and the
other grievances. But what hap
pened9
Cappsllini and Maloney from the
beginning tried to break the strike,
lust as much as the N. R. A., the
operators and state police did They
did nothing to organize the strike,
They called q convention Of the
miners to hear the report of the sell
out. The miners packed the hall
and the street outside and were not
in favor of calling of the strike just
on the promise of Senator Wagner
that there would not be any dis
elimination against the members Of
the new union.
They got Monsignor Curran to
plead with the miners to go back.
Ernest G. Smith, Editor Of the Times
Leader, the same paper that carried
sds for scabs, did likewise.
Now conditions are worse than
ever and the N. R. A. promise that
there would be no discrimination is
broken and about 1000 miners are
being Disseminated against. Miners
are fighting among themselves over
the question of union, and the COM
pany will not take up grievances with
either. While this confusion and
disunity exists the operators are pre-
pairing to put across their cut-throat
code. The miners should not let
this happen, they should close their
ranks, form a joint committee of
men from both unions take up the
grievances Of the miners with the
company and if they don't settle
them, strike the colliery and spread it
to the other colheries. They should
unite the unemployed and employed
and carry on a fight for unemployed
and social insurance. Two-thirds of
the miners are unemployed.
I would like to see the miners (the
rank and file miners take control
Of their locals and get rid Of both
sets OF takers, Boylan and Lewis
Cappellini and Afaloney and fight the
company. That Is what we want q
union for, not to have high saIaried
officials and mediators talking it over
with the bosses. There is nothing
to srbitrate about. Let them pay the
colliery rate sheet; stop discrimina-
tion.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09
UMWA Leaders Help
Owners Blacklist Those
Who Vote for Strike
by a Mime Worker Correspondent

By a Mine Worker Correspondent
JOHNSTOWN, Pa.-Every miner in
Somerset and Cambria County was
out on strike. The main demand Of
the miners was and is that the H.
Q. Prick and other captive mines
recognize the union.
We were promised recognition Of
the union in the N. r. A. and by
the U. Nd. w. A. officials. When the
operators refused to recognize our
union and we came out on strike,
together with the Western Pennsyl-
yania miners, our officials, just as
IN 1922-27-3l-S2, became strikebreak-
ers, They signed agreements without
the recognition of the union and are
now playing the role OF the company
yellow dogs.
Our strike was 100 per cent solid
until Oct. Bird, In a desperate at
tempt to carry out the orders of
Roosevelt that the miners must re-
turn to work, these officials organized
meetings and spoke to the miners
insisting that they must go back to
work. Everywhere the miners booed
them down. 4
When the top official failed TO
drive the men back to work the local
officials took over the strikebreaking
role. These local officials called local
meetings and permitted only one
miner at the time to enter the meet
ing place. Then this miner was
forced to answer Eyes" or mo" that
ia whether he wanted to go back to
work or not. The names Of those
that said mo" were turned over to
the company and blacklisting is the
next thing. Through this scheme
they got the majority OF men to go
back to work.
The miners are up in arms against
this latest betrayal by the U. M. w.
A. officials Every miner is against
these traitors. About so per cent
are talking Of coming on strike again
and to push aside the traitors.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09

various labor bureaucrRts, reformist<
and renegades to block the road OF
the shoe workers. Should the latter
happen the duty Of the Shoe and
Leather Workers Industrial Union
will be clear. To expose the whole
business before the shoe workers and
the whole labor movement. But it
will exert its entire strength and IN
fluence at the convention towards the
end that real militant union Of shoe
workers shall be built. Better If the
new union at once identifies itself
with the Trade Union Unity League,
but even If it does not, but takes the
correct path, we shall build the union
into a powerful instrument OF the
shoe workers, and feel sure that the
path of struggle will soon lead in
that direction.
Above all, the convention can
only unite the shoe workers if 1t
adopts a fighting program for i'm
mediate action. The arbitration
award cutting the wages of the
oaiUc HUkhCIo, thC iiCW dyOiiS, tIluSb
be met by preparation for big strug-
giles in answer to the bosses chal-
lenge, to organize the fight for re-
lief to the unemployed, and for un-
employment insurance at the ex-
pense of the bosses and the govern
ment. BY adopting such a fighting
program for immediate action, by
laying a sound foundation for the
union in the program and consti-
tuition, the new organization will
not only be able 10 rally the mass
Of the shoe workers into its ranks,
but also give an impetus to the de-
velopnlent Of the struggles and mil
liant organization to the rest of the
working class.
We trust that the convention win
fulfill this task.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09
Companies Close Down
Many Mines, Others
On Part Time
BY V. KESIENOvICB.

PITTSBURGH, Pa, Dec. 8.-When
the Roosevelt government took over
the reins, every faker, from John L..
Lewis down, spilled their CUTS in the
praise of the new deal" It was
going to eliminate unemployment, in
crease the wages, bring about 1907
closed shop, with elimination Of all
of the old open shop practices, etc.
Many miners were fooled by this bar
rage of lies and fake claims and
promises. Even some of the more
advanced and class conscious work
ers believed that something must
happen" and that Roosevelt must
do something or there will be hell to
pay"
Something did nappen The min
ers had to strike twice to force the
coal companies to grant them the
acknowledgment, mine committees and
the right to meet as a union at
each mine. But when John L. Lewis
and his gang got through signing the
agreements, the victory passed into
the hands of the coal companies.
Company Controls Checkweighman.
The mine committees can not set
tie any cases, the acknowledgment can
not "interfere with the running Of
the tipple" Which actually means
that the miners now pay additional
men on the tlpple without receiving
the benefits of q bonafide check
weighman.
For a period mines began to work;
some mines that were closed for 2-3
years started again. The mines that
worked IL days a. week began to
work and days a week. Practically
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09

the Shoe and Learner Workers In
dustrial Union, gained the support of
the majority of the rank and file del
egates in the Planning Board, the
LoveStoneites (who have succeeded in
capturing certain positions of influ-
ence on the narrower Provisional
Committee, which they are trying to
use to replace the functions of the
Planning BoarO tried, and are still
trying to limit the delegation OF the
Shoe and Leather Workers Industrial
Union. The Iovestoneites place every
possible obstacle against bringing the
SLWI.U. into the convention and
into the amalgamated union. But
they were not successful.
What Kind of Union?
The Shoe and Leather Workers IN
dustrial Union has from the very be-
ginning fought for the unity of the
shoe workers. 1t is now fully partici-
pating in the convention for the
building of strong united union in
the shoe industry. But now the ques-
WILL "a oCo W1ldb Will NC UllC SlidI dCutI
OF the union that will be built? What
kind OF a union do the shoe workers
need? Surely another Boot and Shoe
Union under different name with a
new set of bureaucrats is not In the
interest Of the workers.
What the workers need is a fighting
class union. The Shoe and Leather
Workers Industrial Union, in electing
delegates to the convention, has in
structed its delegates to fight for such
union. We feel confident that the
tens Of thousands of shoe workers or
ganized in the different unions that
will compose the convention are OF
the same mind. They have seen the
ruinius results of the class coilabora-
ton policies. They have seen the COM
pulsory arbitration policies not only
Of the Boot and Shoe, but also of the
Protective and the National. Only this
week the arbitration boards have
handed down an award which means
over 20 per cent wage cut for the
shoe workers.
What should be the program OF the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09

Cardlff, Sunday.
The anthracite miners in the South
Wales coalfield have struck magni-
f1cent blow for militant trade I'M
ionism. The final ballot figures in
the election for a miners agent in
the anthracite area were declared
yesterday and they register splen-
did victory for Comrade Arthur Hor-
ner. The figures are:
Arthur HOrneiI .......... 10,I3O
]. ID. BrazelI ............ 1885
MAJORITY ............ S,S44
The vote was declared at the meet
ing Of the anthracite district and af-
ter speeches of welcome from the del
egates, Horner took over the miners
agents posis,on and he commences
work tomorrow.
Demands of Workers.
Horner's success is q tremendous
tribute to the militant miners and
registers enormous support for the
policy on which he contested the cleo
tionS. During the three ballot votes,
Horner has placed the following pro-
gramme before the miners:
The seven-hour day, a minimum
wage of los. per day for unskilied
workers, lis. for rippers, hauliers,
ETC., RS. a day for Golfers and re-
pairers, and for the reinstatement
of the NGrdy Lodge.
Through the election, Homer once
again becomes a member of the South
Wales Miners Federation, from which
he was expelled in 1929, together
with the Mardy Lodge, because of
its militant policy in opposition to
that Of the officials of the S.WM.F.
In Spite of All Lies.
Horner's victory Is a tremendous
achievement in the face Of virulent
campaign of abuse of him, particu-
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09

larry by the local press. Such state.
ments as "Horner was responsible fol
pits being closed in Mardy" hav,
been freely used by his opponents
but with no success.
The policy of the militants ha;
triumphed over all obstacles.
Interviewed after the election Hor'
ner declared:
'@The result indicates the desire
of the miners for a militant policy.
1t is tribute to the spendid work
done by both Communist Party
members and nom Communists.
Il would like to praise the SPLEEN
did part that the South Wales
Miner the militant miners paper
played in the election. 1t did splen-
did work"
Get Out Injunction.
One Of the defeated candidates II
the second ballot, Edgar Lewis, has
taken steps to take out an injunction
against Horner. Lewis called q Snal
meeting of about 80 at the Great
Mountain pithead and got the deci.
sion for an injunction. He sent 6
letter to the S.W.MF. Executive
notifying them Of the decision.
The lodge secretary also sent a let
ter to the Executive, intimating that
the decision to take out the injunc-
ton was not lodge decision. The
rank and-file Executive of the S.W.-
MF. decided that the letter should
"be noted"
The Great Mountain miners are in.
censed against Lewis's attitude.
The militant miners are jubilani
at Horner's victory, realizing that Il
is tremendous step forward ant
that it viii be an inspiration tt
miners in every coalfield in Britain
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09

workers to work at the relief jobs,
the same time there are actually
millions Of workers being laid off.
Cor instance the Fort Pitt Bridge
Works in Canonsburg shut down,
laying off 900 men9 1t is self-evident
that when tens of thousands of min
ers are laid off other trades and
groups Of workers are also affected.
U. M. w. A. Leaders Get Jobs.
What role DO the U.MW.A. leaders
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-09
Miners Deprived of
Control of Their
Checkweighman

ington, D. c., Jan. 10. The Pittsburgh
District Of the Unemployed Council
and the National Miners Union lead
ership is faced with the task of pene-
trating among these locals of the
United Mine Workers of America,
and win these masses Of the unem-
ployed for the struggles for more re-
lief and against the U.M.W.A. takers.