The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-14


the conference.
Forty-seyen youth delegates coming
from Is different steel mills of West
ern Pennsylvania were present. All
we're employed in the mills. The fact
that this large number of youth del
egates, 35 of whom were elected by
shops or locals, responded during the
short two weelzS of preparations, re-
fleets the intense radical swing of the
steel youth to the left and shows their
Willingness to struggle. Already can
be seen the decisive role these youth
will play in, the coming struggles in
the industry.
The conference had the task to
concTstely expose the effects of the
N.RA. upon the steel youth, repudiate
the influence of the AA. upon the
youth, formulate youth demands for
the steel industry, elect a broad dis
Strict youth leadership in the steel
industry that, together with the adult
comrades in the industry, will guide
and direct maturing struggles of
youth in the mills, and above all,
place the S.M.WI.U. squarely before
the masses Of steel youth as the only
union which takes up the fight for
their everyday needs. In addition to
this, the youth conference took up
the tasks Of developing working class
sports and cultural activity among
the steel youth
Despite many shortcomings, the
conference was able to mark be-
s.nning along the line of carrying out
the above tasks. The best concrete
exposures of the MIRA. was contrib
uted by the discussion where young
steel workers themselves reported.
Jerry Delcandro, 20-year old strike
leader OF the Walworth Foundry in
Greensburg pointed out how, before
the MIRA. Steel Code went into eff
feet, he had received AZ cents an hour,
and now, because he was under 81,
he received only 80 cents. He was
striking under the leadership of the
S.M.W.I.U. for equal wages for the
youth in the plant. A girl worker of
National Electric, Anbridge, reported
how formerly she received 81 to $3.50
per day, and now she cannot make
more than $500. Bell boys from the
Central Tube Plant in Ambridge re-
ported bsing forcsd to pull scrap dur
ing their half-hOur spell period and
their wages were meanwhile reduced
from As cents to 40 cents per hour.
Respond to Communists
The youth delegates showed warm
response to the Communist fighters
in the union both in the manner in
which they received the explanation
of the role of the Young Communists
in the steel industry from Frank
Hill, from a youth delegate elected
by his Young Communist League
nucleus in the Jones and Laughlin
Plant, and also in the unanimous
election of jimmy Egan, Communist
candidate for Mayor in Pittsburgh
as chairman of the conference. 1t
is well to point out here that of all
the youth present only two delegates
were Y.C.L. members. but today many
of the rest are joining.
Resolutions on equal rights for the
Nero youth, on the danger of war
and support of the World Congress
OF Youth Against War in Paris and
the U. S. Anti-War Congress, for the
freedom Of Tom Mooney and the
Scottsboro boys and against Cuban
Intervention were all unanimously
passed.
Among the youth demands passed
by the Conference are the following:
!. Twenty dollars weekly wage
nlirimum, for 6-hour day, 5-day
week. A minimum of 10 working
weeks a year. All youth doing the
same work as adults to receive the
same pay.
2 All young workers Y employed
that are under IS to t. taken off
JOB, given school training and sup
ported by the government and the
bossss,
3. TWO 15-ninute rest periods
during morning and afternoon, no
extra work to be given to youth on
piece work jobs, nor during rest per-
iod. Spell boys to be put on piece
work jobs.
a. Day work only for young work.
ers under 81.
5. Sanitary surroundings and ia
ciltties and constant medical super
vision for all workers.
6. Two weeks vacation with full
pay for all young workers under 81.
Z. No discrimination against Ne
gro youth in giving jobs and no prac-
tice of discrimination in the mills.
re8 Apprentices doing same work
as other employees to receive same
wages.
In the S.MWI.U.. it is necessary
to organize special discussions on the
need of developing youth activity. The
Leading comrades are not yet con-
vinced that youth work is a means
OF strengthening union activity.
No consolidation of the union Is
possible without the formation Of
youth committees calculated to spread
the influence of the union among
The youth in the industry. The fall
are to develop special forms of work
among the youth has led our unions
away from the youth, and away from
that section of the working class
which is becoming rapidly radicalized.
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