The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-04-06
LEFT WING LEADS THE WAY TO
UNITY IN DRESSMAKERS LOCAL z
New Elections Begin AS Year of Lovestoneite
Misleadershp Ends

Committee, consisting of Interna-
tional members and members of the
Industrial Union. The Unity Com
mittee during the fall season organ
lied hundreds of shops with some
improvements in their conditions.
The Metropolitan Racket
The leaders Of the International,
almost completely discredited, began
to manouever in order to build up
the Metropolitan racketeering asso-
citation, with whose help they hoped
to drive the dressInakers into their
union and establish joint racket
that can serve the interests of the
underworld and the leadership Of
the International.
Zimmerman, as the leader Of
Local % was well aware of these
nanouevers with the Metropolitan
but for months did not utter single
word against the Metropolitan. The
exposure Of the Metropolitan racket
by the Industrial Union did not bring
forth word of comment from ziin-
norman.
The shop conference called by the
Unity Committee sent a committee
to the executive board proposing a
joint struggle against the Metropo-
Titan racket.
But it was only after the Indus
trial Union succeeded through its ex-
posture in discrediting the Metropoli-
tan and rallying thousands Of work
ers in mass demonstration against
the Metropolitan racket that the
LoYestone group in the administra-
ton of Local % came out with some
criticism of the Metropolitan, thus
proving clearly that they, in alliance
with Dubinsky, had placed their
hopes on the Metropolitan racket.
At the beginning Of the spring
season the administration of Local
% under the leadership Of thinner
man came to the members with a
proposal for a rank and file organi-
cation committee Some workers
took this proposal seriously. They
elected workers to serve on the Or
ganization committee. But these
workers were never called. thinner
man and his allies did not dare to
place the organization work in the
hands of shop workers because they
knew that their drive was not a drive
to organize the trade, but drive to
extort money from the workers. They
knew that shop workers would not
be ready to drag down dressmakers,
take money out Of their pockets and
send them back to work under the
same old sweatshop conditions.
A Black Record
The policies and leadership Of the
Lovestonites have been tested during
the past year. The result is that the
membership of the local during their
administration has been reduced
from seven TO eight thousand to
about $500, as openly admitted by
HICKMAN in the beginning of last
season. The conditions of the dress
makers during the one-year of this
administration have gone down
about so per cent. Some of the best
shops where the workers have sue
ceeded in retaining the semblance OF
union conditions have been given up
without an effective struggle. The
administration of Local % under the
leadership of Zimmerman and his
allies had the same cynical attitude
toward the misery and suffering Of
the dresSmakers as the off1cialdom
OF the International. 1t met every
real effort of the Industrial Union
and the members of their own union
for unity OF action with the same
calumny and lies. During the whole
year of its administration it has not
got a single important strike to It's
record in which the workers have
gained anything
The Lovestonites during the past
year have had their chance. They
have had a chance to show what
their policies mean for the dress
makers. Their record in Office is as
black as the record of the most rabid
reactionary administration. For the
dressInakers to reflect these fake
progresslves for another term to Of
flee will mean treachery to their own
interests.
Elect The Left Wing Slate
The left wing group stands on q
program of unity and struggle. The
election Of a left wing adnainistra-
ton will mean immediate steps in
the direction of unity with the IN
dustrial Union. The election of left
wing slate will Immediately wipe cut
the division in the ranks of the
dressmakers that has helped the
bosses to carry through their most
vicious attacks on the workers. The
election Of left wing administra-
ton will mean immediate prepare
tons for general strike, paralyzing
the dress trade, which is the only
way the sweat shop conditions can
be done away with and the dress
makers once more establish decent
living conditions in the dress trade.
Members of the International! The
present election is Of momentous in-
portance to the workers of the In
ternational and to the dressmakers
OF the entire trade. Repudiate the
Zimmerman lustein administration
and its policies OF division, wage
cuts, Of unity with the bosses against
unity Of the workers! Support the
left wing slate which fights for GENT
inc unity, for one union, 70. one
strike, for minimum wage scales, re-
gular hours, for unemployment in
surance, and for class struggle
union controlled by the workers in
the interests Of the workers.