The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-08-29

United Mine Workers of America, and
Of L. opened the way for the inclusion
of the open shop in the coal indus
try by approving an open shop
clause in the auto code which Presi-
dent Roosevelt signed last night.
The provisions in the auto code.
on admissions from A. F. of L. lead
ers, completely wipes out the phras-
es about the right of the workers to
organize in unions of their own
choosing and to bargain collectively.
Roosevelt sent the 10000 striking
miners back into the pits on the
promise that their demand of recog-
milton of the UMWA would be IA
vorably considered. The men went
back to the mines determined to or
ganize their union to win better con-
ditions. Lewis and Green have been
meeting secretly with the coal oper-
ators for the past week. Then they
signed the open shop code for the
auto industry. The coal bosses,
heartened by the cooperation of the
UMWA and A. F. of L. officials
with the scab auto bosses, took the
hint and wrote an open shop clause
for their code.
The new clause included by coal
operators reads;
Believing that the best interests
of employees, as well as of industry,
are promoted by the recognition Of
ability and efficiency, the members
of this code may exercise their right
to hire, discharge, promote and de-
mote employees on the basis of in
dividual merit, without regard to
their membership or non-membership
in any organization. This statement
of policy is made without attempt
ing to qualify or change by inter
probation the requirements of the
National Industrial Recovery Act" "
The wording follows the open
shop section in the auto code
approved by Green and Lewis.
A. f. of L. leaders now in Wash
ington admitted that this clause Civ
| ing the bosses the right to hire and
fire workers individually under the
NRA meant that workers who join
ed unions would be fired. 1t also
means that workers who object to
the slave codes, and organize to de-
mand higher wages and improved
conditions, can be fired under this
clause. Ns
In approving the open shop for
the auto code, Green and Lewis said
that special conditions" demanded
their assent. But they added they
were not in favor of the same thing
TO- other industries.
In order to hide their crime be-
fore the workers, Green and Lewis
said that the open shop policy for
the aueo industry should not be
used as "a precedent"
Immediately after Roosevelt
signed the auto code, the coal oper
ators copied the open shop wording,
and on the ground that the A. F. Of
L. leaders had approved a similar
provision in the auto code insisted
thnt it be allowed in their code.
John L. Lewis, particularly, is try
ing to cover up his part in helping
the bosses use the NRA to fasten
the open shop on the workers by
protesting" against the inclusion
of the very words in the coal code
he approved for the auto code.
Lewis knows that the 10000 min
ers who struck for recognition Of
the UMWA were sent back to work
with the promise that they would be
given the right to organize.
1t is stated in Washington by Of
ficials of the NRA that the new
wording of the auto code, even
though it is not included in the steel,
oil, lumber and other codes, can be
taken advantage of by these oper-
ators
Under this provision workers can
who have been active in organizing
trade unions, or leading strikes, be
called in by the bosses, and on the
basis OF individual "merit" can be
fired for some cause which the boss
does not have to state.
In the same way, workers who dc
not join the company unions can be
picked off individually and victim
lied.
William Green and John L. Lewis
caught in a tight hole, are telling
the workers they signed the auto
code reluctantly" Nevertheless
they signed it.
The bosses are now putting Z
completely new Interpretation or
Section z (a) Of the NRA. Origin.
ally this section provided that the
workers had the right to join any
union of their own choosing snc
should not be compelled to joir
company unions. With the --latest
formulation OK'd by the A. F. Of
l.. officials, all of this become;
meaningless. The outstanding fact
becomes the right of the boss Il
fire any worker who joins a union
giving some other nretext for IL. !.