The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-01-11

the Takers and remained unOrganiZed
rather than join with this set of IN
derworld characters.
Local 1O2 is only two years old. 1t
came about as a result of the reor-
ganization Of local unions that once
comprised what was known as Dis
trict Council No. 29. The racketeer
leadership of the local unions GIT,
1851 and 25, spent thousands of dol
lars, and brought the locals down to
such state Of Generalization that
the General Executive Board of the
Brotherhood sent down President
Kelly to establish order The char
tiers of these locals we're withdrawn,
the district council was abolished and
out of the remains, Local 102 was
established. They reduced the en-
trance fee to $1,000 and began or
ganizing. Only few hundred joined,
Most Of them were old members who
found it much easier to join as new
members than to pay up their back
dues.
Many innocent rank and fllers who
SELL had some regard for the General
Executive Board thought at that
time that a new era was established
among the painters, that the thouS-
ands of shops will be organized, that
the scale of wages will be main
tanned. They woke up to find that
though the local has been changed,
the GEB. placed into leadership the
same bunch of racketeerS that were
formerly distributed in all the locals
into one local.
This situation had its particular
effect upon the painters. They be-
gan to revolt, but revolted in the
wrong way. Instead of organizing
broad opposition and driving out
these racketeers they, because of the
absence of a left wing leadership,
took the easiest road and began
leaving the local by the hundreds.
The takers became alarmed, their
racket was disappearing.
Something else happened that
made these takers sit up and take
notice. This was the establishment
of the Alteration Painters Union.
Little did these takers anticipate a
local that is daily conducting strug-
giles and showing to the painters the
real road to Union organization.
Their organizational drive began
officially December 18th. The first
step they took was to invade the day
room of the Alteration Painters Lo-
cal. Because there were only S Oh
6 present at that tine, they were able
to slugg four workers, one Of them
go years of age. This deed went
far to convince the painters that this
gang was not out to organize but to
drive the members of the Alteration
Painters Union out of the field.
The takers became frantic. They
could not as much as pull one shop
on strike and above all could not ter
rorize the Alteration Painters In
ion. Something had to be done. To
their assistance came the leadership
of the New York painters, Dave
Shapiro, Council Secretary, Vice.
President Ackerley, who SO master
fully sold out the New York Painters
during the General Strike In July,
1882, the petty labor racketeer zauS-
ner, and the Labor Editor of the
corrupt Forwards.
A mass meeting was called at
which all of these dignitaries of the
labor movement" were scheduled to
speak. Special publicity was given
by the Day, the Forwards, and by
Detective Beck of Brownsville. But
in spite of all of this agitation, only
few workers showed up. The spirit
at this meeting was that of a funeral
The takers got out of their skins
trying to arouse some enthusiasm,
but it did not work This mass meet
ing demonstrated very effectively the
regard the Brooklyn painters have
for Wolner and his cronieS.
The Alteration Painters Union
have learned that the possibilities to
organize the painters are great. The
painters because of their experience
with the racketeers in Brooklyn are
ready now more than ever before tc
join new class struggle union thai
has already proven to the workers its
ability to lead struggles and to or
ganize workers. We must have more
and better planned activities witr
which to involve our entire member
ship. The newly elected city counci!
of the Alteration Painters Union
must take into consideration all these
developments and react to them in
such fashion that we will not only
reach the unorganized painters but
also lay the basis for a broad united
front of the rank and file of the
Brotherhood and the Alteration
Painters Union for a common strug-
gle. A struggle not only against the
bosses but also against the leadership
of the Brotherhood.
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