Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-08-10

Following the Northwest Lum-
Der and Timber Workers Wage
Conference of March II, the de-
mands of the NLWU were sent
to the NRA administration, then
to the West Coast Lumbermen's
Association, notifying these lum-
Der operators that we intended
to organize the workers and to
put our demands into effect.
The NLWU Immediately gave
broad publicity to the demands
endorsed by thousands of lum-
Der workers. The organization
grew and developed. The Slim
son Mill workers in Ballard or.
ganized branch of the NLWU
and, after a nine-day strike, won
IS per cent of their demands.
War Preparations Make Profits
For Lumber Barons
During this period, due to the
imperialist nations feverish pre-
paratiOns for war, the demand
for lumber grew until the profits
for the operators increased ten
fold. Even representative of
the Labor Committee of the
VIOLA was forced to admit that,
in view of the circumstances, the
demands of the NLWU were not
eXhorbitant.
Nevertheless, the attempt was
made to stifle any immediate
struggle in the Northwest by tell
ing the committee that it was the
Southern lumber operators who
were responsible for the low wage
scale and that we should concen-
tTate in the South rather than
organize against the Northwest
operators.
The AT of L leadership, realiz-
ing the sentiment of the lumber
workers to join the NLWU, came
to the aid of the bosses by at
tempting to stampede the work
ers into their union where they
could stifle any strike action
that might develop. These agents
of the bosses, using what is
known as the Red Scare SLAM
dered the leadership of the Nj
WI and stated that the NLWU
was a Communist union.
The NLWU is not affiliated
with any political party; its pro-
gram is such that it does not
bar from membership any work
er because of his political Opin-
ions, religion, race, or sex. 1t is
true that there are members of
the Communist Party in the I'm
ion, just as there are Democrats,
Socialists, Republicans, IWW's.
The A FOf L leaders, acting in the
interests of the bosses. employ
the red scare to keep the work
ers divided and paint the Com
munist Party as something for
eign and opposed to the inter
ests of the workers.
Conditions of Soviet Workers
Improve
While the operators are draw
ing profits from the labor of the
lumber workers, these workers,
during the crisis, have been fore
ed to struggle for the right to
live and have become aware of
who their friends are and who
their enemies. They are no longer
afraid of the Communist Party
but are looking for leadership
from that source since they have
seen the rapid advance of the
lumber workers in the Soviet
Union who are not being driven
at killing pace, are not fired or
laid off, but rather are guaran-
teed a living and economic Sc
curity.
These workers accomplish
ment in building socialist So
ciety has been a beacon to the
lumber workers of the USA who
are beginning to realize that the
only way to do away with wage
cuts, speed-up, starvation condi-
tons, coercion and terror is to
do away with the causes, that is
with the bosses and their system.
NLWU Offers Militant Program
The NLWU, with it's ten-pOint
demands, offers the only road of
militant struggle through the
medium of rank and file indus
trial uniOnism. This has been the
goal since the first union was or
ganized in the lumber industry
in 1873.
BY struggling for these de-
mands the lumber workers will
be able to solidify their ranks.
They are affiliated with the
Trade Union Unity League. and
"