The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-07
Whom Do They Serve?

i15bOIlS1 OFFICIALS OF American ESo6roESOn
Labor, In order to try to maintain leadership over
growngiy discontinued rank and file have bsen STIR
ring up a sham skirmsh in Washington demanding"
representation on the MIRA. code authorities. They
attempt to maintain preense of distinction OF the
A. F. Of L. leadership from the MIRA. apparatus.
Tho workers in a factory on strike might As well
demand representation committee of the scaba,
The proposal of General johnson to place John
L, Lewis on the MIRA. coal code authority" Is no
risk to the employers. The American Federation OF
Labor officials from the start have been staunch sup
porters Of the NRA, Integral and Important part
of its apparatus.
William Green said when the NF.A was first put
into operation this law should do much toward put
ting business back constructive basis" He said
that labor is anxious to cooperate with industry in
the carrying through of the N.RA. Lewis, who sold
out the bituninous coal strike, is already member
of the National Bituminous Coal Industry Board.
Edward McGrady, long A F.. of L. misleader, is
assistant secretary OF labor and leading figure in put
ting across the NFsA All of the A. p. of L. officials
without exception indorse the NRA In fact the strike
of the soft coal miners OF Pennsylvania not only
strike against the steel trust against the antiunion
provisions of the MIRA coal CODE but again the strike
breaking dictates of Lewis well.
THE MIA is the governmental apparatus OF finance
capital set up by the employers in order the
capitalist system from the present crisis, by wage
cutting unemployment speed up srikebreaking drive
against the workers. The NRA. apparatus is the
government apparatus through whose force and power
finance capital breaks strikes. The N. R. A. has cut
wages has speeded up the workers. it has attempted
to outlaw strikes; it is trying to destroy all militant
action Of the workers led by the really militant unions
controlled by the workers themselves.
In carrying through this attack on the workers.
the prosperous and highly paid labor Ieutenants of
the employers in the ranks Of the workers. the A. F.
Of L. officials are essential. They are now carrying
through their traditional role of cooperation with
finance capital and its government the role played
by Gompers during the world war. Gompers the
father of the class colaborators acted then on the
War Industries Board of President Wilson Together
with his colleagues, the VOLS the Green's etc.. Com
pers sold Liberty Bonds and aided in the mobilization
of the A F. of L. unions to make fodder Of the
workers and win markets for the bankers.
Gompers and his A. F. of L. aids then as now, de-
16dGeQ oLu uIOke SIIlheS OeCIdTeQ unpHbIlOuC 10
fight for higher wages and outlawed strikes through
compulsory arbitration" schemes and government de-
crees and the of troops and terror Gompers was
the leading strikebreaker Of his day.
TODAY, Green, VOL, Lewis, ct al, are carrying
through the same strikebreaking program Their
propaganda among the A. F. of L. workers against the
right to strike identical with that of johnson and
Roosevelt, exposes these for what they are The
right to strike has been fought for by the workers of
the United States for in many bitterly fought
struggles. The United States Government, the gov
eminent OF finance capital has declared strikes out
lawed They send out the Lewis's, the McGrady's to
propagate the idea of industrial peace" and to carry
through the program Of outawing strikes for finance
capital.
The attacks OF the employing class on the workers
have increased. Finance capital makes more and more
open OF the government apparatus (of which the
MIA. is parD in these fascist attacks on the work
The increase Of fascist tendencies in the United
States, is accompanied by and more reliance on
the socialfascis a F. OF L. leaders to carry through
these strSebreaking atacks-dictatorial outawng of
strikes, increased terror against the workers. intens
ded wage cutting and speed-up drive unenploy-
ment
H 1Hr SCilASpLSaher LEWIS Is mace Mefnper OF L1e
code authority, it will be because he Is needed in
that position by the employers II these A. F. Of L.
officials given NRA. jobs it will be to create the
illusion that the NFA gives representation" to the
workers.
The workers inside the A. F. of L. must demand
that their officials withdraw from the strikebreaking
and wage cutting N.RA apparatus from the commit
tees Of the employing class We must through rank
and file organization inside the A. F. OF L. carry on
the struggle for the daily demands and needs of the
workers inside the shop and inside the A F. Of L.
unions. The workers can gain something but not by
cooperation with the bosses only through the policy
of fighting against the employers for demands the
policy of class struggle