The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-10-21
BY j.

SCRANTON, Pa, Oct. 20.-Twenty
thousand anthracite coal miners in
the Glen Alden Coal Co., the biggest
company in the anthracite area, have
gone on strike. The strike was called
by the Anthracite Miners Union of
Pennsylvania, led by Rinaldo Cap
pellini and Thomas Maloney. The
pressure Of the rank and file mem
bers of this union, forced the spread
ing of the strike from the Hudson
Co., and Penn Anthracite Co.
The Anthracite union was organ
lied several months ago, after the
United Mine Workers of America led
by the John Boylan machine, was
unable longer to control the miners.
Cappellini and Maloney were called
in to organize the new union to pre-
vent militant rank and file action
under the leadership of the Rank and
File Opposition. The spread of the
strike to Glen Alden was delayed by
Cappellini as long as possible to crush
the workers militancy. Cappellini
spoke against mass picketing, in the
calling of the Glen Alden strike.
Cappellini and Maloney tried their
best to sell out the Hudson and Penn
anthracite strikes.
Cappelini and Maloney told the
miners to fight for recognition of
their new union first, then later
they would fight for the conditions.
This was a maneuver to prove to
the NR.A. Board that they, Ma
loney and Cappelini, were capable
Of keeping the miners from fight
ing the bosses and in this way bid
for recognition under the N.R.A.
At the same time this maneuver
split the miners forces into two
groups, one group fighting for rec
ignition for the U. M. w. of A. and
the other group fighting for the
A. M. of P, and both of the union
leaderships trying to prove to the
coal operators and the Mr.. A.
Board they were the ones most
capable of misleading the miners.
Cappelini Misled Strike
Maloney and Cappelini first called
the Penn Anthracite Co. miners out
on strike for recognition of the
new union and reinstatement of %
miners who were discharged for
joining the new union. Conditions
were completely forgotten; no de-
mands were raised for the unem-
ployed or employed miners. The
miners in the Hudson Coal Co.
collieries at Jermyn and Gravity
Slope came ont on strike demand
ing:
y The colliery rate sheet rates
to be paid for all mining, mechan-
ical mining the same as hand min
ing.
p Not to load over two cars per
man per shift.
81 Home town miners to get the
preference of jobs.
At this time Schuster, the Sec
rotary of the new union, issued a
statement in the press telling the
Hudson Coal Co. miners and all
miners except the Penn Anthracite
miners to stay at work. This was
a vancouver to neutralize the strike
LUZ COiuiIlOIIS anu hSSp III d ISIlI
for the recognition of the new
union.
When the Hudson Coal Co.
miners came out on strike Joe
Dougher, the leader of the rank
and file opposition of District No.
l, modified the miners of Arch
bald into a mass meeting of three
local unions, Local 1852, Local 1907
and Local 925, and raised the de-
mands of:
u The colliery rate sheet rates
to be paid for all mining, mechan-
ical mining the same as hand min
ing.
q Not over two cars per shift
per man.
81 Home town miners to get the
preference of jobs.
~ The opening of all collieries
with a guarantee of 40 weeks work
a year by cutting down the hours
with same pay.
The miners were very enthusiast
tic and out of this meeting a
picket line was organized to picket
the Gravity Slope. Next morning
IL mn o,,4 ~