The daily worker., 1933-12-16
UMWA Against
Mass Struggle
to Force Relief
(sy Mine Worker Correspondent

(Sy a Mine Worker Correspondent
REPUBLIC, Pa.-The conditions Of
the miners and their families here
i'll Republic are extremely bad. We
have not worked since the second
strike last August, and we do not
know when we will get back to work.
This company, Republic Coal & Coke,
is working It's Russellton mine, and
has now started the Searights mine,
but there is no indication that Re-
public will start, although it is the
biggest mine. Some say it is be-
cause we in Republic have bunch
of fighters in the local and we would
not submit to the various attempts
by which the company wants to get
cheap coal"
A family Of two gets 50 week,
and a family Of 8 gets Sc a week,
single man gets $3.50 q week.
When the relief started here 1t was
through the conlnissary system, but
after long fight led by the National
Miners Union, which organized
several hunger marches to Union
town, we got that changed to checks.
With this low relief it. is inpos-
sibIe to buy all the necessities. This
is especially true Of the larger fanli-
lies who have children of school age.
There were no shoes given and some
children stayed out Of the school for
five weeks. Milk for the children
is given only to those that have
doctors prescriptions, but even If you
get the prescription, you often don't
get the milk. In one case the chill
dren had the doctors order for the
milk, but did not get any milk for
six weeks. Clothing is given only
to one in a family.
u. M. w. A. Does Not Fight for Relief
AL of the men in the Republic mine
belong to the U. M. w. A. We have
q relief committee OF three men, and
these are appointed. They take the
complaints from the members and
60 to Uniontown to settle the griev-
ances. Generally they report that
nothing can be done. Many times
they are sent back from one ofice
to another, from one director" to
another.
The same situation Is facing thou
sands Of others Of the unemployed
in the Fayette County, and what is
needed is to organize a County
Hunger March or broad county
delegation from every town and
every local to demand clothing, shoes,
milk, increase in the relief for every
one that needs 1t.
OF course neither Mr.. Hynes, our
appointed District President, nor Mr..
Minor our local president agree with
such mass action. They would
rather see the 5000 month relief
director Hibbs themselves and Fix it
up" with him.
Recently when brother Kemmeno-
vich came to Republic to speak
against deportations Of foreign born
workers, and many members de-
rlanded that he be given the floor
in our local, Mr.. Minor, our local
president, objected. Finally after the
floor was granted under the pressure
Of the members, our president re-
fused to have the local adopt
resolution against deportation OF
Borich and all other alien workers.
Our local was one Of the most
militant locals in the Coke Region
this summer. We struck in April
under the leadership and guidance
Of the N. M. U. and won our de-
mands. Now when any Of us pro-
poses something that in the least
smells" Of radicalism, we are ac-
cused Of bstng N. M. U. members.
This must be changed and can be
changed by getting together all the
best fighters and organizing ourselves
to force the Minors and Hynes to
make this local and all the Coke
Region locals an instrument through
which we will get tho things we and
our families need