The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-23
N. Y. SHOE UNION Halls.
AMALGAMATION AS BOSTON.
Shoe CONVENTION ENDS.
Cheer United Shoe Union; to Join Fight
Against Injunctions

BOSTON, Mass, Dec. 22--The
AInalgamation Convention, which sue
ceeded in uniting 10000 shoe workers
under the banner of the new United
Shoe Workers Union after ten day
convention here, completed its work
and adjourned it's sessions last night.
In contrast to the atmosphere of Srs-
picion and diStrust evident at the
opening of the convention, the Ses-
! sions closed in q spirit of real solid
arity, with the New England delegates
fraternizing with New York delegates
, and the barriers erected by the
enemies of the rank and file COM
pletely broken down.
The New York delegates expressed
| the feeling that although their entire
program had not been adopted their
battle on the floor of the convention
| had resulted In some constructive
work and had helped lay the foun-
dation for powerful union through
some important amendments made to
the constitution in the last days OF
the convention.
Not only were the amendments
adopted retained, but through the
support of the entire rank and file
the New York delegates finally won
| two members on the Constitution
Committee who worked jointly over
the constitution to bring it closer into
line with the demands OF the rank
and file. A joint report was then
prepared amending the principal ar
ticleS in controversy, and these were
submitted and unanimously adopted
by the convention.
| A general organizer, general Sec
rotary and general executive board
Z of 81 members are to be chosen by
referendum. The Is members Of the
coordinating committee consist Of IL
from New England, l from st. Louis
and Frank McGrath, Jimmie Bon
gura and Samuel ziebel from New
! York.
Pledges of solidarity and the fight
to bulId a powerful union of shoe
workers was made before final adj
journment.
NEW YORK. - Three thousand
shoe workers hailed the announce
ment that their union had merged
into the new United Shoe and Leath
er Workers Union with cheers, wild
applause and hat waving in demon
stration that last several minutes at
Arcadian Hall, Thursday night at the
mass meeting of the Shoe and Leath-
err Workers Industrial Union. SO
great is the sentiment for amalgama-
ton among the membership that
when Rose WortiS of the Trade Union
Unity League declared Long Live the
United Shoe and Leather Workers
Union" Arcadia Hall rang with
cheers.
1 The meeting had been called for a
three-fold purpos>: to prepare the
workers for the January . N.R,A.
elections, to mobilize for struggle to
defeat the infamous Injunction and
damage suit OF 100000 facing the
union in a second Danbury Hatters'
/ case, and to hear the report of the
delegates sent by the Nnion to the
Boston amalgamated convention.
Although the delegation from Bos-
ton failed to arrive in time for the
meeting, having been detained at the
Convention day longer than ex-
! pected, the members heard a detailed
report on the convention from Rose
Wortis of the T. U. U. L. and from
two delegates who had arrived early,
Tony and Frank Pepper, both OF
!; whom told of the obstacles encoun-
A dramatic moment in the evening
came when 1t was announced that
Fred Biedenkapp would speak over
the telephone from Boston and would
be heard with the aid of an ampli-
, fer. Enormous Arcadia Hall was in
. complete silence as the telephone rang
announcing Biedenkapp's speech.
Microphone difficulties made his
speech almost entirely inaudible. But
the delegates sat silently for ten min
utes until his speech was concluded
Rose Wortis Of the T. U. U. L. de-
clared that the NJ. Y. delegation
showed themselves TO be the real
|, champions of the shoe workers and
will show how to achieve real fight
ing organization. She declared that
the T. U. U. l.. would solidly back
the struggles Of the shoe workers and
hopes for the time when the new
union will be convinced that the T.
U. U. l.. is the only organization to
which it should affiliate. Jack Stachel
acting secretary of the T. U. U. L..
declared that the shoe workers must
fight to build a real class struggle
union which will be powerful
weapon to defeat the bosses. "We
continue to be with you even though
not formally affiliated; we will fight
together and stand together for a
powerful trade union movement he
declared.
A telegram from the Boston Con-
vention expressing solidarity in the
struggle against injunctions and
pledging united support against the
bosses move to smash the union was
read, and greatly encouraged the
membership.
M, Alexanderson spoke on the N
r. A. elections, warning the workers
not to be confused regarding the
question of voting. Although the
merger has been affected, they are
still to vote for the Shoe and Leather
Workers Industrial Union.
A demand must be made for work
ers' committees to supervise the vot-
ing and for all voting to be held
outside the shops. he said.
George Martin, organizer OF the
Shoe Repair Department, was chair
man of the meeting.
The report on the amalgamation
convention is to be given next Thurs
day night, Dec. %, at Arcadia Hall,
at a. mass meeting called by the