The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-05
700 at CWA
Conference
Plan Action
On Firing
To Institute the Local
Struggles for Cash
Relief and Jobs
HIT SEGREG ALTON
Demand Enactment of
Workers Unemployment
Insurance Bill

delegates, representing every G. ". A.
project Ia New York CRY, together
With those from T. U. U. L., indepen-
dent and A. r. Of L. trade unions and
from unemployed groups and unor-
ganized jobless workers in flop houses
and in the neigilborhoods. met at r.
wing Plaza yesterday, to formulate a
concerted plan Of action against c. w
A. firirgs.
The conference was called by the
Unemployment Councils and the Re-
lief Workers League Of Greater New
York. In sounding the keynote Of the
conference, Richard Sullivan, secre-
taTy on the Unemployment Councils,
the first speaker, said, ut is admitted
By the C.wA. officials, both in New
York and in Washington, that because
Of the organizati on that exists among
the G. W. A. workers in the large IN
dustrial and commercial centeIS,
these workers will be the last to be
fired Instead Of the wholesale firings
that workers in the rural districts are
faced with we in New York are being
fired piecemeal. Slsnderous attacks
are made upon the G. W. A. workers
here. We are called loafers; it has
been said that We will not work. This
is the preparation for the mass lay
oas that the Roosevelt government
has in store for US.
Instead of the wholesale firings,
c. W. A. workers here are fired daily,
in small numbers, on every project, on
the slightest pretext. We do not value
these c. w A. jobs as such-taey are
the results OF cur struggles for jobs;
we have won them by the continuous
fights that We have Waged for jobs;
and as concessions wrlng from the
Roosevelt government, we will not
lose them without a fight"
Michael Dayidow, president of the
Relief Workers League, urged every
worker present at the conference to
go back to his C.W.A. job, organize
local struggles on the job, and force
the federal, state and city govern
inert to provide either jobs at union
rates of pay, or immediate cash re-
lief equal TO the wages received.
Daridow said This conference IS
not called for the purpose Of passing
resolutions. Everyone here must be
an organizer. Organize committees OF
action on the job. Go to see Mayor
La Guardja; force him and the city
administration TO acknowledge their
responsibility for the unemployed and
c. w. A. workers. For those who are
fred, organize struggles inside and
outside the Home Relief Bureaus
Force the relief officials TO grant i'm
mediate cash relief equal to the wage
received TO all who are fired"
Program Of Action
The program adopted by the workers
at the conference, in the struggle
against C. W. A. lay-offs and for cash
relief and unemployment insurance
calls for the immediate organization
OF committees OF action on ali G. W
4. projects for protest demonstrations
mass picketing Of all C.W.A. projects
on wflieh lSy-offs or wage cuts are In
effect; the organization OF all G. w. A.
and unemployed workers in joint
struggle at the relief bureaus; the
organization through the trade unions
of ali skilled workers on an industrial
basis for the continuance Of C. w. A.
and for cash relief and extension of
u. A. q
movement for state unemployment
insurance modelled after the workers
Unen ployment Insurance Bill (H. r.
1880, pending the federal enactment
OF this bill; and to call conference
within two weeks to measure the ac-
conplisnn. entS of the conference and
TO plan ll1gure work.
The conference unanimously en-
dorsed the Workers Unemployment
Insurance Bill (H. r. 1889 now In the
House Committee on Labor, and pro-
posed to take back to the jobs and to
The various unemployed groups present
the proposal to initiate a campaign
for the enactment of the bill.
In taking steps to effect the unity
OF all G. w. A. and unemployed work
ers, the conference unanimously
voted to effect the unity Of all parti-
cipating organisations in joint local
struggles on C. w. A. jobs against lay
offs and wage cuts, and In the neigh
borEaoods for adequate cash relief
Tais program viii be carried out for
two weeks. At the end of this time,
the conference will reconyene TO plan
future action.
TIE conference also took decisive
action asainst the discrimination of
Negroes on G. w. A. and relief. The
delegates present at the conference
planned unified struggle with the
00,0O0 Negroes Of Harlem, IS per cent
or whom are unemployed, and 40 per
cent Of whom receive no relief in any
form. The conference in petitions to
tie mayor and the G. w. A. city ad-
In.nistration demanded an end to the
discrimination which exists on prac-
tically every @. w. A. Job, citing
specifically the Children's Aid Society
project on West s3rd ST., where the
2s Negroes who work there are segreg-
ated even in their work.
As we go to press, only partial
list OF the delegates present is avail
able. The 100 delegates from trade
unions represent 81 TU.UL, 10 A. f.
Of L. and Is independent unions. In
addition. 81 shops are represented.
The total membership represented in
trade unions, numbers 10000.
Among G. w. A. and Unemployed
groups. 1855 delegates represent ~
locals Of the Relief Workers League,
4 other locals Of C.WA. unions, 20
Unemployed Councils and 81 block
and house committees. The mem