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


changes, which were sought in the
chicanery of President Roosevelt, G.
Hynes and the so-called insurgent r.,
Selective processes Of re-hiring, re-
sorted to under the pretext Of clean
ing up and other excuses, early state
ments of the N. r. A. agents who
are now in the field to conduct" So
called elections and the elections for
municipal and county offices held
last Tuesday, all serve to strengthen
the realization of this need.
U. NJ. w. A. officials After Money
The brazen declaration of the
Captive" operators that they will al
low "only the election of new officials
for the Brotherhood" and the bold
ness of mine foremen and superln-
tendents, as we'll as the Brotherhood
members at Tuesdays civic elections,
only serve to show, that whatever
rains accrue to the rank and file in
the mines, will come through the me-
dunn of struggles yet to be fought.
The officials of sthe UM.WA. are
showing their chief concern is for
as large a number of dollars per
month as it possible for them to get.
Of course they are willing to do
further betrayal service for this
privilege of collectiong one dollar a
month from each miner, by serving
as the spokesmen for them at any
negotiations which may be held. Billy
Hynes Lewis pet radical phrase
nnonger, expresses this attitude clear
~ with his whining pleas to the N.
r. A. agents to hold the elections
at places where U.MW,A. members
will not need to be afraid of coal
company deputies"
To all these pleas, however, the
spokesman of the N. r. A. declared
1--WE are conducting this election" but
refuse any further elaboration. 1t
can be seen, however, that nothing
more than continuance of the pres
ent situation will come out of the
elections to determine which union"
will be recognized as the one ito
bargain collectively with the oper-
ators, as the miners own choice"
Company Controlled Election
That no further unity of action will
be seen in the captive coal field, this
side of the next general struggle,
seems to be an assured fact and local
actions will be smashed by the in
tinidation, terror, victimization and
blacklist methods SO well known to
all miners. In fact no union will be
recognized as spokesman for the
whole of the employees in the region
end quite likely this will be the case
for the employees of a given mine.
In the first place, it is not to be
what is generally accepted as a gen.
eral election which will be held
Each mine is to have it's own elec-
ton, in all probability on company
property. From such elections no
general representatives or rank and
file spokesman can be expected
Where the majority might declare
for the U.M.W.A. we can expect that
there will be minority BrotherhooO
representation provided for also. This
means playing into the hands Of the
coal companies, whose we'll known
methods of getting rid of undesirable
employees can be expected to be used
effectively.
From many sections come reports
that miners are being discharged for
union activity We also learn that
many miners who fought for recogni-
ton of the U. M. w. A., are now max
ing decided fight against the turn
ing over of dues to the Lewis ma
chine, being Influenced largely by
the latest action in Washington, D.
c., which they declare, saw eight
husky miners knocked off their feet
by a smile and handshake from the
N. r. A. dictator and President
Roosevelt"
Rank and File Action Needed
What is needed in the captive mine
regions, as well as in all coal regions,
is a determined fight under the lead
ership of capable and honest rank
and file fighters. The need is here
now. In a short time it will stand
out boldly everywhere. Neither the
LeW1ses, Hynes' or Ryan's can or will
give that kind Of leadership. 1t is
the miners own job. They must or
gar1ze such groups now as will rally
around themselves the best fighters
in the region, SO as to be able to
effect unity OF action in the next,
surely approaching. struggle.
To the captive miners we say; when
selecting your representatives at the
coming elections, also decide against
turning over any dues to Lewis and
the q. M. w. A. Union men will
gladly pay their own dues. And when
they are paid, use them to strengthen
your own position for the struggles
you yet have to fight. Only by this
method and solid rank and file con-
trolled unionisrn can you turn the
recent betrayal into victory.