The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-25
RooseVeIt'S Forced Labor

IN the short period that the so-caned Civil Works
forced labor Program of the Roosevelt admins
tration has been in effect, it is already apparent
beyond doubt that every one of the high falutin'
promises of Roosevelt and Federal Relief Director Hop
kns have been broken. The Civil Works Program is al
ready put into practice, not only millions of
obless cut off from relief 1t means forced labor at
wages below the existence level
In New York City, 100000 were promised Jobs Ten
thousand unemployed stormed the relief offices and
not one was given a job Workers being regis
tered" and given promises of jobs in the future
This occurred not only in New York City. In Lynn.
Massachusetts, where two-thirds of the shoe workers
jobleSS oosevelts program operated one day and
then all Lynn workers forced labor fired. In
Nebraska and Arkansas two-thrds of the unemployed
deprived of relief and deprived of forced labor
Jobs as well.
The promises of Roosevelt of steady work for mill
lions are seen to be false right from the start
The promises given by Roosevelt Of fifty cents
hour minimum rate for 80 hours week, has proved
empty and false all of Roosevets promises to the
unemployed. Thirty thousand New York State unem-
poyed already told that they must be herded into
state conservation" camps at $25 month, less than
81 a day. The unemployed women have been told
by Hopkins that their wage is to be nine dollars
week
There is minimum wage for the unemployed
put on forced labor. The promise OF 80 hours work
week has also been broken.
THE unemployed workers, cut off Of relief lists and
put on forced labor at than starvation wages
include skilled and Semi-skied workers, mechanics
carpenters, building trades workers. teachers ETC. The
federal, state and city governments are taking the
unemployed, and putting them to work at non-union
nay necessary construction work for which the city
would otherwise have 10 pay the union scale La
Guardia already is providing for this by announcing
that the subways will be built by the cheap forced
labor of the unemployed and not by union labor.
The unemployed workers, with a bottomIess level
of wages will be at the absolute mercy of the gov
eminent Officials and foremen, and when fired
not returned to relief lists Hopkins the spokes
for Roosevelt, cynically stated that he did not
what happened to those fired off forced labor
jobs The Roosevelt program has definitely revealed
itself scheme to entirely abolish all relief given by
the government.
For their protection against the attacks of Roose-
welt the unemployed must Immediately set up CON-
mittees on all forced labor jobs. These committees
have the task of at forcing the government to
grant union wages and union conditions on all forced
labor jobs These committees, linked up with the
Unemployed Councils will have to lead strikes against
Roosevets cheap forced labor-strikes which will en-
force union conditions The trade unions especially
must at once take part together with the unemployed
in the fight against the Roosevelt program. The
forced labor plan, going into effect, is aimed
not only against the unemployed by reducing their
relief, but against the employed well by lowering
the general wage scale Of the employed through sup
plying cheap labor. The revolutionary unions have
the immediate duty to take leadership together with
the Unemployed Councils, in fighting for union
dtOns on all forced labor.
The campaign for the enactment OF the Workers
Unemployment Insurance Bill Is the answer Of the
workers to Roosevelt's wage-smsshng, Ieef-cuting,
Misunderstanding drive Unemployment insurance and
relief not at the expense of the workers, but at the
expense Of the government and the employers.
With the cold Of winter here, with relief cuts and
forced labor imposed workers by the Roosevelt
program it becomes imperative to intensity the cam
paign for the national convention of the unemployed
on Jan. 49, in Washington, to build united, solid
front OF all employed and unemployed organizations
in the fight against starvation.