The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-02-14
BY 1. ROSENBERG

NEW YORK-A situation where
so per cent of the workers stay totally
/ unemployed with the other so Ter
cent Shaving for $3.50 cents an hour,
60-70 hours a week during the few
so-called busy weeks must precipi-
pate uncompromising and stubborn
struggles on the part of the shoe
workers There is no escape from
such struggles.
The task of the Shoe and Leather
Workers Industrial Union is to crys-
talize this sentiment for organization.
for unity Of the rank and file and
for the development of leading forces
in the shops in order to raise the
confidence Of the workers in their
organized strength and their union.
In the carrying out of this task we
must have in mind not only a strug-
gle against our open enemies, the
employers and slave drivers, but also
/ the conscious tools of the bosses, who
spread pessimism in our ranks, who
doubt the possibility Of winning
strikes and of improving our condi-
tions. We must carry On a struggle
against such elements who take the
attitude that "the worse for the shoe
workers-the better This way they
will wake up" Such an attitude is
only an excuse for lack of faith in
the masses Of shoe workers now look
ing for way out of their miSeries
Such an attitude leads to passivity
and stagnation. Such an attitude
weakens our struggle against the
bosses and opens the way for takers
and racketeers to undermine the
confidence of the workers in real
rank and file unity in the shops
Such dangers are clearly expressed
by the activity of the So-called "Fe-
deration of Shoe Workers" headed
by a self-appointed dictator, Cara
fallo, former captain in the Italian
Royal Guards. Garafallo is collabor-
ating with a clique which is out TO
make racket out of the miseries
of the shoe workers.
Seven self-appointed individuals
head this Federation of Shoe Work
ers." They call a meeting once a year
to tell the members that these seven
are the leaders" The Federation
has no program of organization, no
program of struggle. Their method
of work is vicious agitation among
the Italian workers against all other
nationalities employed in the shops
The Federation" heads try always
to stir up national prejudices and
! hatreds.
The only way to counterfeit this
disruptive movement is through an
intensive exposing of their actions.
They broke UP the organization at
the Ano Shoe Company They try to
disorganize the workers at Weissman-
Sass. The Federation" is fast on the
road OF becoming the open agency
of the bosses attempting to destroy
the militant Shoe and Leather Work
ers Industrial Union.
! Only systematic and persistent
! concentration at the shops to win
| the confidence of the workers; to
| inculcate in their mind the full sig
nificance of the united front from
/ below; to imbue such workers, who
have been misled by the Federation
with the spirit of rank and file unity
with the rest of the workers in the
shops belonging to our union or not
belonging to any union, only such
concentration will defeat the schemes
of the Federation and Of all other
agencies playing into the hands Of
| the bosses.
To accomplish this our Organize
ton Committees must be enlarged.
The Italian Department of our union
must become an active force to raise