The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-01-19
PAINTERS BOARD
AFRAID TO FACE
THE MEMBERSHIP
Postpone Convention;
S464,141 Deficit and
Lose Many Members
RY L. T.

BY L. T.
The General Executive Board OF
the Brotherhood Of Painters, Deco
rators and Paberhangers of America
has sent out a referendum to all To-
cal unions on the question Of post
poning the convention supposed to
be held next September in Buffalo,
New York
The General Executive Board Of
the Painters is controlled. by a former
Chicago gang. The members of the
General Executive Board receive a
salary Of $4,000 to $4,000 a year.
Afraid Of Membership,
The convention is supposed to be
held every four years. But this year
the gentlemen of the General EXecu-
tive Board are very much afraid to
have convention. They are afraid
TO face the membership and give an
accounting Of their last four years
activities. They have very cleverly
worded the referendum to mislead
the membership, making references
to the worldwide crisis to the grow
ing unemployment situation, stating
to the members that recovery can
come only with the cooperation OF
statesmen, employers, and that work
ers radical, Bolshevistic methods
will accomplish nothing more than
added chaos" They speak about the
three years Of the crisis and of the
problems confronting the General
Executive Board. I'VE have insti-
tuted rigid economy in the conduct
ing of our International business.
All general officers and organizers,
as well as the heads Of departments
at the general ogfice. have accepted
reductions as high as 20 per cent"
They are appealing to the member
ship to overlook the constitution at
this time which demands that con-
vention must be held every four
years. They further state that con-
vention costs 100000, therefore, if
the membership really wants a con-
vention, then this 100000 cannot be
taken out from the treasury, but
must be paid by the membership.
Want Members to Pay.
They propose that there shall be
no convention. but, in case the MEM
barship demands one, then a tax of
50 shall be levied upon each menu
Der in the Brotherhood. Fifty thou
sand members shall pay 100000 and
the money shall be sent in by May
Is, 1898. This is the main content
of the letter sent out by the General
Executive Board for referendum
vote
Officials Put Over Wage Cuts.
The rank and file Of the Brother
hood Of Painters has suffered one
wage cut after another. These wage
cuts we're imposed upon the mem
bership by the employers, with the
cooperation of our high-salaried Of
ficials
Every time when the painters went
out on strike against wage-cuts,
against lowering the standards of the
painters, for shorter hours, the Gen
eral Executive Board, through its
special organizers, vice presidents,
president, stepped in and helped the
employers to put through the wage
cut and in many cases broke the
strikes. For example: In New York
City, the painters were on strike for
$1120 a day. The Third General!
Vice President Edward Ackerley, set
tied the strike for less than the en-
pI0yers offered al the beginning Of
the strike. The very same Vice
President, Ackerley, furnished strike
breakers to a firm by the name of
Brindzc in New York City. When
the District Council called strike
on one Of the jobs, he sent in strike
breakers.
Where the Money Went.
In reference TO the rigid economy"
conducted by the General Executive
Board, we shall only quote figures
from our official journal, The Pain
ter and Decorator" On Jan. l., 1890,
the balance in the treasury in the
General Office was S755,O42.94; the
balance on Oct. /, 1882, was $780,
901.66, leaving deficit of S468,1i1,2S.
What happened to this half million
dollars? Was 1t paid to help the I'M
employed in the organization? MOI!
For the years OF 1880, 1881 and the
first nine months OF 1892, the total
sum paid 20 the general organizers
amounted 20 1861, 1886. So in two
and-a-half years half million dol
lars was spent for salaries and travel