The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-30
By JACK gTACHEL

The present strike OF 10000 miners
/ the soft coal fields Of Pennsylvania
one more proof that the miners
re in the front ranks of the strug-
les Of labor in the United States.
throughout the years of the crisis
ne miners have occupied this posi-
on OF distinction. They are, through
1eir present action, fully maintain
" this position Of honor. Not only
hat. The miners are making his
Dry for labor Of this country.
What are some Of the outstanding
satures of the present miners strike?
q the first place the present strike
4, a re-strike movement. The miners,
rho less than two months ago were
ricked back to work by Lewis and
ne Roosevelt representative, Nc
frady, are out again. Some Of these
liners were also on strike in March
nd April. In some of the mines the
liners struck half dozen times and
lore in the course Of the last year.
UGH is the militancy Of the miners,
heir tenacity and courage.
Secondly, this strike, like the last
ne but even more so, is the result
the initiative of the miners them
elves, who are fighting in spite Of
nd over the heads Of the Lewis
agan- Feeny leadership. The initia-
i've of the miners is such that was
ardly witnessed before in the his
DRY of labor in this country. The
liners themselves organize marches
rom mine to mine. They elect their
wn committees. They are more and
1ore learning how to defeat the
abotage of the top leaders of the
T.M.W.A. In this strike, like in the
resent national silk strike, this mi
iative stares one in the face and
orces the conclusion that much is
appening in the labor movement of
his country. That without doubt the
evolutionary trade union movement
as not yet fully understood and util-
sed this development among the
masses. To a certain extent it must
e admitted that we lag behind the
masses considerably.
The third important feature Of the
resent strike is the fact that it is
irected against the coal code signed
the operators, the Lewis machine
nd President Roosevelt. There are
lready increasing signs Of disillu-
Comment with the NRA. This again
! a feature of the strike also common
, the great silk strike now in prog
ass. In that strike one Of the work
RS in Allentown who was still imbued
18th many illusions stated quite well
ne growing spirit among the workers
hen he said, eff the NRA means s1S
week for us silk workers then the
ell with the NRA."
The miners are even expressing
themselves in less polite language. On
ne face Of it the present strike Of the
liners has the appearance Of being
strike merely to force the big coal
ompanies to sign agreements with
ne UM.W.A. But it is much more
nan that. 1t is effectively a strike
gainst the code.
In many of the mines this opposi-
ion is taking on more clear ex-
ression. Miners are demanding the
lx-hour day instead of the eight
ours under the code. They are de-
handing higher wages. They are de-
handing guarantees for the rights of
he miners, an expression Of dis
-ust not only in the operators and
ne MIRA but also in the top leader
alp of the UM.W.A. While the
liners do not yet clearly realize the
lost vicious section of the code that
5bs them Of the right to strike, of
ne right to collective bargaining
trough representatives Of their own
hoosing, the miners are very prac-
cal. They consider the strike itself