The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-27

palgn here has raised the flgF
high level.
The strike settlement granted the
New Deal style Of union recogni-
ton, which stated that the bosses
would deal with representatives of
the union, and if a grievance
couldn't be settled between them, it
would be taken to Washington,
where a final decision would be
reached. Thus the union leaders
like Cole, Lipsconlb, and Scott,
signed away the right to strike.
These same leaders continually
preach against striking against the
government. Thus they would stop
the miners from striking for their
rights on the excuse that they
would be striking against the gov
eminent.
At the same time the shop and
mine committees are booted from
boss to boss and never get any sat-
isfaction. When q grievance is sent
to Washington. 1t either dies on the
way, or after it gets there.
Company Union Drive
The Tennessee Coal, Iron, and
Railroad Co., the Republic Steel
Co., the Sloss- Sheffield Iron and
Steel Co., and the Woodland Iron
Co. took advantage OF this state Of
affairs Immediately. The scabs and
company gun thugs were supposed
to have been fired when the strikers
came back into the mine. Instead,
the bosses kept the scabs and gun
thugs and used them in the be-
ginning of company union.
After the mines had operated a
few days, they shut down and big
drive for membership in the COM
pany union took place. At the Mus
coda IT. I. c. Ore mine (the larg-
est in Alabama) most of the efforts
were concentrated. Jack Brown, the
chief company gun thug, and Will
Jones, a shack rouster, canyaSSed
the union men trying to get them
into the company union. At the
same time both white and Negro
scabs set themselves up as leaders
of the company union. However,
after several weeks, they could only
recruit about 100 members, while
the bona fide union retained its
membership of 100,
The Communist Party unit at the
Muscoda mine exposed all the lead
ers and the meaning of the COM
pany union. The work of the Com
munists started action in the union
and President Van Jones called all
the union members up to the COM
pany Office to show the power of
the union. At the appointed time
the miners swarmed to the Office.
Ed Ball, the superintendent, was
thunderstruck at the sight. Jack
Brown was so scared that he called
Sheriff Hawkins from Birmingham
1t showed conclusively how power
full the bona fide union is.
During all this time, when the
mines had worked, the scabs had
drawn big pay checks, but the
bosses cut the union men so much
that their pay checks were about
one-third or less than those OF the
scabs.
When the company union got
such a setback at Muscoda, the
bosses started 10 concentrate on
the Raimund (Republic Steel and
Sloss mines. The bosses started
feeding scabs and weak union men
fish sandwiches, ribs, dopes, and
popsickles. At this time the union
miners started calling the company
union the ''popsickle" union.
At Raimund and Sloss the union
had weakened because it had not
fought against discrimination, The
union men were being terrorized
and told that they either had to
turn in their union books or get off
the job. Many union men have
been framed up and fired.
It is significant to note that the
Communist Party units were weak
est in these places. and it was here
that the union was the weakest, and
the popsickle union grew the
fastest.
Leaders Do Nothing
During this time the union lead
ers and especially, Cole, Lipscomb,
and Scott, have not proposed any
action to defeat the company
union. Where action is needed
these takers talk all the time, and
do nothing.
At the same time, these union
takers are tying the hands Of the
members with Washington red tape.
While the union waits on Roose-
velt's boss -controlled labor boards,
the bosses put all their efforts into
building the popsickle union. When
time is so precious, the bosses have
all the advantage.
The successful work of the Com
munists at the Muscoda mine was
the signal for big anti-red drive.
The labor takers are trying to
drive the Communists out OF the
unions. The homes Of three mill
tant union men were bombed. The
bombing was done by the bombing
ring in the Trades Council and by
the company gun thugs. The City
Police politely ignore the bombing
of militant workers homes. How
ever, police watch is kept over
scabs' homes to prevent bombings.
The Bessemer City Council passed
a law making it a crime to possess
more than pieces of Communist
literature, and a crime to distribute
1t.
This united front of the labor