davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
New Tool Men
at Chevrolet
Get SOC an Hour

By An Auto Worker Correspondent
TOLEDO, Ohio.-The Chevrolet
tool room, I find, is the cheapest
joint I ever worked in. They start
new men in at so cents per hour
and tell them that if they make
good they will get more in 80 days.
Well, sometimes they do get a raise
to So or so cents an hour, and after
that you have to fight like hell to
get more, for they pass the buck
from one to another.
The old-timers get a reasonable
wage, but new men never can get
the same rate. The boss says that
they do not produce enough, but
this is not so; they are expected to
produce as much as the old timers.
When the bosses can get by with
that kind Of stuff they feel that it
is another feather in their cap.
The daily papers here published an
article that the Chevrolet was go
ing to raise wages 10 per cent April
1, but no one in the tool room that
I know of got that. The floor
sweepers make as much as the tool
makers. Many of the production
workers did not get a raise.
Apparently only those that could
be speeded up received this wage in
crease. Production was speeded up
from 175 to $50, which is an in
crease of more than 10 per cent in
products, and to do this we are
speeded up like all automatic ma
chine and we create a great deal
more profits for the boss and grind
our lives from youth to old age.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
Application Blanks
Fool JObIeSS at the
HammOndB
By a Metal worker Coresnondent

By a Metal Worker Correspondent
HAMMOND, Ind.-A line of work
ers looking for jobs formed on May
l at 7 am. at the gate of the Ham
mond Brass Co.
Until 9 am. the boss did not look
at us at all, though we were pre-
viously advised to be at the gate
early in the morning.
While waiting for the boss, two
young girls entered at the employ
ment office asking for employment.
The girls were not over 20 years of
age. We saw the boss from outside
the glass window open drawer,
and with an ironical smile hand
them applications, and after they
lied them out the girls left with
the hope of employment. A few
minutes later well-dreSsed man
wearing glasses entered and found
the applications on the desk. He
tore them up and threw them in
the waste basket. Now these young
girls are hoping for jobs in the fu-
tuer, the same as ourselves.
1 have been unemployed since
July, 1880, and I am satisfied with
smiles and promises. What we need
is a strongly united unemployment
organization SO we can speak to the
bosses in language which they I'M
derstand. We workers, men and
women, black and white, young and
old must unite and demand the
right to live!
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
Mesta Workers Vote
Down Company Union
BY a Metal Worker Correspondent

BY a Metal Worker Correspondent
GLENWOOD, Pa. - The Mesta
Machine Co. of West Homestead
recently held an election to decide
between the company union, an
independent union, and the A. F. of
L. craft unions. We were unable to
gain any information as to the
status of the independent union.
One thousand two hundred men are
employed, and the vote was reported
as being about 500 for the A. F. of
L. 400 for the independent union
and, 300 for the company union.
AS none Of the unions got ma
jorty, the Mesta Co. is trying to
have another election, but the men
are opposed to any other election
and now seem to favor the A. F. of
L.
The Messa workers have the illu-
sion that thu :. 2. Of l.. IS on ter
side and will do great deal for
them.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
St. Louis Chevrolet
StrikerS'R Are
Split by MisIeaders
By An Auto Worker Corresnor

BY An Auto Worker Correspondent
ST. LOUIS, Mo.-The Federated
Auto Workers Union independently
officials agreed to call off the ST..
Louis Chevrolet and Fisher Body
strike If the company would call
conferences to discuss the taking
back Of 118 union men fined for
union activities. The strike was
called to force the company to take
these men back.
The company announced that it
would run the rest of the season
with only 1900 men instead of $500
hired at the time the strike began.
Instead of getting the 118 rein
stated, 1900 men were laid off.
The Federated Auto Workers
Union officials had rejected the
support of the T. U. U. L. and
threatened the workers with loss of
their union cards if they made de-
mands other than those the union
officials proposed. 1t was apparent
week ago, when the union Off
Gals split the picketing into eight
four-hour shifts and ordered the
picket lines be reduced to a few
men, that the strike would be sold
out, at which time the revolution
airy workers who sought to aid the
strikers were driven from the scene
by police cooperating with the
union officialdom and by hand
picked deputies, and turned over to
the police.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15

DETROIT. Mich. - On Monday,
April 10, went in to see a neigh
Dor. who was a Negro worker. He
had taken sick with pneumonia. He
told me how it had happened and
here is his story:
7 got a Job at Chevrolet. It is
Impossible to work there; they treat
you Just as bad as in the chain
gang.
"On Saturday 7 felt very sick. I
called the foreman over many times
out he wouldn't come. His name
Is John. I don't know his second
name. You have no time to find
out anything there as you're Just
busy shaving. I hadn't worked there
for such long time so was afraid
to tell him how I felt. I suffered
until the whistle blew for shift and
It was time to go home.
John, the foreman, called me
over and told me that I'd have to
come in Sunday and work. I re-
piled that 7 was very sick and could
hardly work that day and that I
didn't feel able to come and work
the next day. He turned and said
to me. You better come in and
not look for any excuses if you
want your Job I tried to explain
in vain that I couldn't stand on
my feet and had a fever Well,
he said, it can't be helped
II went home and went right to
bed thinking that maybe I'd feel
better in the morning.
THE next morning when 7 tried
to get up, I couldn't. The whole
night I had tossed around in a few
erish state and had consoled myself
by saying that the next morning I
would tell them and everything
would be all right. The next morn
ing I went and told them that I
couldn't work and John said, You
better stop being foolish and go to
work if you want to keep your job
I replied that would try,
Il went in to work but couldn't
stand on my feet. I asked John
If I could see the factory doctor, but
he told me that the doctor was not
in on Sunday and he walked off
1T was impossible for me to work,
for the work was hard anyway for
snv human being under better con-
ditions than I was then under
Il sat down and John came and
said he'd give me something else.
He took me over to another place.
had to sit down again. I Just
couldn't work. He chased me from
one part of the factory to another,
and when I asked him to let me go
home he wouldn't. He made me
work the whole day.
when I got home I called the
doctor Immediately and was in
formed that I had pneumonia and
had been going around with high
fever. He informed my wife that
I was in critical condition. After I
had told the doctor what had hap
pened he said it was the foreman
that is responsible for my serious
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
SilverpIate Plant
Speeds Workers by
Constant Threats
By a Metal Worker Correspondent

BY a Metal Worker Correspondent
ONEIDA, N. VI am employed
in the factories of the Oneida Com
munity Ltd, manufacturers Of sill
ver-plated ware in Oneida, New
York. The factory employees here
are unorganized and consequently
have to accept whatever is allotted
them by the owners.
In the room of the factory are
men who are paid to stand around
and see that all the employees keep
busy. Either they watch openly or
stand behind racks of silver, always
waiting to report workers who talk
or laugh or attempt to make the
work seem a little lighter. Efficiency
men they're called-and. incidental
ly, one Of them calls himself a So
cialist. Recently when some Of the
women employed as wrappers were
unable to earn the NR.A. minimum
rate because the prices were cut so
low. they we're called to the Office
and given fair" warning that if
their work did not improve in a
month they would be laid off. Most
of these workers own their homes
here or at least are trying to own
them. so such threats as these have
a strong effect. Isn't there some
way to organize these people - to
make them see that they can't do
anything sa individuals?
The company controls everything
in the town and its surroundings,
and any literature which might en-
tighten the people is withheld from
them-or Immediately destroyed.
If you have any suggestiorI
would appreciate very much hearing
them because anything I can do,
from the inside, am anxious to do.
EDITORS NOTE: We have
taken steps to get this worker In
touch with organizers in her
vicinity. However, this worker
can prepare the ground by sound
ing out various trusted workers he
knows in the plant on the ques-
ton of organization, and organic
ing a small, carefully selected
group for first meeting with the
organizer.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15

work which was unanimously en-
dorsed by the convention with the
exception of Comrade lacks vote)
has been a right wing line. This
functionaries' meeting repudiates
this charge.
We pledge to correct energeticaIly
the outstanding weaknesses of the
Party in roofing its influence in
the shops and participating and
leading the workers in the trade
unions. While giving more atten-
ton to organizing the unorganized
into the revolutionary unions, we
especially pledge to conduct serious
organizational efforts to establish
broad opposition groups inside of
a number of A. F. Of L. local unions
in Cleveland and recruit Party
members from shops and unions
(both TU.UL. and A. F. of L.
into the Party and Y.C.L.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
LETTERS FROM OUR SOVIET
SISTERS

SlS Ems
The letters which we hereafter
present, just came from a group of
women workers in the Soviet Union
who begin their correspondence
with a collective statement, as fol-
lows:
Dear Comrades:
We are with the greatest attention
following the information given in
the press and at meetings on the
heroic struggle being waged by your
workers against fascsim.
All news on the participation
of you, women workers, in pro-
test movement and manifestations
against oppression and fascist ter
ror calls forth our deepest sympathy,
support and hope that, entering the
correct path of joint struggle with
the revolutionary workers under the
leadership of the Communist Party,
you will win your liberation from
slavery, oppression, and poverty
Through this letter we want to
lay the beginnings of a regular cor
respondence with you, to tell you the
truth about the U. S. s. R., which
the lackeys of capital are in every
way hiding from you, to acquaint
you with our life and work, our par
ticipation in the struggle for the
building of a socialist society.
1t is impossible in one letter to
write about all that we have
achieved under the leadership of
our Communist Party and wise and
great leader of the proletariat, Com
rade Stain. We have therefore de-
cided in this letter to write you in
short only about our participation in
the direct management of the State
without leaving production.
Over here, the Party and Govern
ment in every way welcomes and
encourages the promotion of women
workers - women collective farmers
and tOiling women workers-tO lead
ing posts in the State apparatus.
Women occupy responsible posts in
the organs of the State, from chair
men in the village Soviet up to
Peoples Commissar of Republics.
During the last year new form
of workers control and help to the
State apparatus from below, has de-
veloped; the patronage of factories
and plants over state institutions,
and social voluntary, assistance
carrying through work in the State
apparatus (after the working day in
the factory, which is not paid" for.
We are in this manner fighting
againts bureaucracy in institutions,
for the improvement of the work in
the State apparatus, for consolidate
ing it's connections with the toiling
masses, for turning the apparatus
into a flexible one, working for the
cause Of socialist construction.
Through patronage and social
voluntary assistance, there is being
prepared in place of the paid APP
paratus, the management Of the
apparatus by toilers who combine
their work in the factories with the
carrying out of State Obligations.
How do we participate in this new
mass p~olet2rian movement?
That question is dealt with in the |
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
New York City.

New York City,
Dear Comrades:
The fascist funeral at our Won
derful parade on May 1st was or
eanized 100 per cent by Conrade
Ramon Pi, Jr. of Harlem. He was
dressed as a capitalist. and had a
sign on his back that read. His
best friends are capital and re-
ligion." EVERYTHING in that group
was Comrade Pts idea. 1t sure was
great, end met the approval Of
thousands Of comrades lined on the
sidewalks. They certainly APP
plauded and cheered. Comrade Pi
spent over $40 to build the casket,
ETC., out of his own money. It is
great example. Also thousands
Of comrades cheered the great work
of conrade Pi as an actor.
Ten newspapers took pictures of
the funeral. 1t was splendid idea,
and an example of how much a
comrade can do.
Brooklyn, N. Y.
Dear Comrades:
Did the Young Pioneers take part
in the Mey 1st demonstration? Ac-
cording to the write-ups in the
Daily Worker, they didn't. Well we
Pioneers took a very active part
in the demonstration and we think
we deserve recognition by our news
paper. We had two wonderful
bands leading us, the Red Star
Band and the Red Front Band
which consisted of Pioneers.
We Pioneers worked real hard at
the demonstration and we had
big turnout. We wish the Daily
Worker would take more notice of
the Young Pioneers Of America.
After all, we are the future revo-
lutionists Of the Communist Party
and we deserve some credit for our
present work.
Comradely yours,
"A Few Pioneers of New York.
Omaha, Neb.
Dear Comrade Editor:
We sure painted this town red
one or two nights before the first
of May. A few of us comrades
pasted leaflets onto the windows
and also painted slogans on the
sidewalks, board fences and on
empty buildings. We not only
pasted leaflets on windows, but put
them right up on church doors
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
Readers Reflections ON May

where they would be sure to see
them.
Then on May Day we had an
open air mass meeting on 23rd and
M StS., but not as big as we ex-
pected. The police came UP and
told the chairman to move the chill
dren back out of the crowd-that
the school children should not
listen to any of the speakers. But
we had a permit and it did not say
that the children should not be at
the demonstration.
New York.
Dear Comrades:
Though the Nurses and Hos.
pital Workers eLague has pre-.
sented a small group at the Nav
Day demonstration, the strength
and solidarity for our demands and
for future struggle has been sup
ported by several hundred work
ers who were unable to operate at
that time. Our pride in joining the
ranks of the revolutionary COM
rades makes us call attention to
the mistake in the N. Y. Times
which stated that we were in the
march of the Socialist Party.
We hardly believe that there was
single nurse who had conviction
and pride in the Socialist Party to
take the forefront in their parade.
r. H.
New Haven, Conn.
In order to stimulate more ac-
tivity think our comrades every
where should know how the May
Day copy of the Daily Worker was
received by the workers, on April
20, 80, and May 1st.
Here in New Haven, $500 copies
were actually sold. We have never
been able to sell but few hun
dred at any time before this.
I sold so copies on a street located
az miles from the center Of the
city, averaging one sale out Of
every ten houses. Other comrades
we're kept busy just by selling from
street corners in the city's central
streets. After this experience I
think that the Saturday issue can
be built up for regular sales by con-
centrating on certain streets, ac-
cording to the number of available
comrades.
r.. S. K.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
Steel Union
Activity In
New Britain
BY a Worker Correspondent

NEW BRITAIN, Conn.-The Stan
ley Works employs about 1900 The
president Of the local union of the
Central Labor Union got fired for
union activity, and also the secre-
tary. The vice-president of the In
ternational Machinists Union in this
shop also got fired.
When they had a membership
meeting of the Central Labor Union,
the vicepresident of the I. NJ. U.
attended and asked Cedarholm,
the organizer who was present, what
he was going to do about him get
ling fired? Cedarholm told him that
he could do nothing as his union
is different from the Central Labor
Union. This made the worker mad
He asked Cedarholm whether or not
both unions were affiliated to the
A. F. of L., Cedarholm said yes. Well,
the worker asked, why couldn't
something be done? The meeting
was Immediately adjourned.
The workers who were fired have
put in a complaint to the N. R. A.
board in Hartford, but one of our
comrades in the shop who was also
fired told them that they would not
accomplish anything this way. He
went with them to put in the COM
plant.
Now the workers in this shop are
seeing through the A. F. Of L. and
with the opposition that We have
developed in both these unions, they
are going to establish one union in
the shop along the lines Of class
struggle union such as the industrial
unions. They are talking Of strike
for higher wages and the reinstate-
ment Of the fired workers.
We have in this city two locals of
the Steel and Metal Workers Indus
trial Union, one in the North and
Judd and one in the Vulcan Iron
Works, which is a branch of the
Eastern Malleable Foundry.
The workers in the Vulcan Iron
Works have put in their demands
for higher wages and recognition
The industrial form of union is APP
pealing to the workers here.
We also with the help of some
workers and synpathizers in the B
and K, which is a branch of the
Landers, Frary and Clark, and en-
ploys $500 workers, organized the
Independent Industrial Union of the
B and K. First we tried to organize
the Steel and Metal Workers Union,
but on account of the Red scare,
which we didn't meet properly, they
organized into an independent union.
But the leadership is good and we
are working with them.
They put in their demands a week
ago and most of them were won.
Workers in some departments re-
ceived wage increase of over eight
cents an hour.
The union is recognized and so is
the shop committee. Workers in the
other plants of the Landers, Frary
and Clarke are all talking about it
and also the workers in the other
plants
In regard to the Stanley Works, we
issued the first shop paper, which
we called the Stanley Worker. The
bosses in the shop threw fit about
it and concession was won. Be-
fore the N. R. A. the workers in this
shop had to make so points an hour
to get their day rate. After the N.
R. A, the workers had to make 10
points to get the same day rate.
After the bulletin was issued call
ing upon the workers to fight for
the adjustment of the Point SyS-
TEN, the bosses have cut down the
points to go as before the N. R. A.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
Navy I'd. Guarded
Against Literature
BY Navy Worker Correspondent

BY Navy Worker Correspondent
BROOKLYN, N. Y-The marines
at the gates of Brooklyn Navy Yard
have begun to get snotty and take
away the papers that the Comnu-
mist Party distributes in the morn
ing. On May First when we were
going to work, the May Day edition
of the Daily Worker was being dis
tributed free.
I took my copy and folded it
inside the Daily News, because I saw
the marine taking the paper away
from some of the workers who did
not think enough to hide it, 'Wotcha
got there!" says a marine to me.
What does it look like? and I
flashes the News at Inn.
The day before May Day we got
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
Aluminium Bosses
Still Trying To
Disrupt the Union
BY a Metal Worker Correspondent

BY a Metal Worker Correspondent
NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. - Less
than year ago the aluminium
workers of the New Kensington
plant started to organize union.
AS the movement Immediately
gathered momentum, the company
moved to check-mate the workers
by putting forth a campaign favor
ing the company union.
The workers union got stronger
and eventually demands were made
for higher wages to meet the high
cost of living, better working con-
ditions, etc.
On Feb. %, the workers moved
and called a holiday" The COM
pany made a futile last-minute eff
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
By a Worker Corresnondent

NEW HAVEN, Conn.-Sargent &
Co., a large hardware shop in this
city, pays some of the most miser-
able wages in the country. and has
been paying these low wages for
years.
To illustrate how the N r. A.
worked out in this shop; the truck
ers got a 2 cent raise per hour and
the piece work rates were cut down
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
IN the H.,I
49, a4sz ss1s 49, ri
CQ&DLCTED By
HELEN LUKR

series of six brief personal letters
that follow, the first of them from
Iraida Lobanova, which tells of her
life before the revolution and after.
The letter from Lobanova, who is
assistant in the factory named after
Lenin, and social voluntary assistant
Of the chairman of the Kostromski
City Council, will appear tomorrow.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
ANSWERS TO QUESTION
The Shelton Ad

The Shelton AID
A. Mattison, BronX.-An article
exposing Doctor" Shelton was
printed on May 10 in this column,
which explains why announcements
of the activities of Doctor" Shell
ton have no place in workers
newspaper. We are so used to be-
ing slandered by people of his stripe
that we do not care for the par
ticulars of his lecture"
League for Health Education
v. t., Brooklyn.-We do not know
anything tangible about the League
for Health Education, except that
we have leaf1et in our files stat
ing that the membership fee is 81
and that the secretary is Miss Rose,
129 E. saith st. From the wording
of the leafiet, it seems to be put
out by some cultist, as it prattles
about rational" living and ma
ture" cure. Unless health educa-
ton is impaired by physicians with
wide experience in preventive medi-
cine and hygiene, it is liable to do
more harm than good. In spite Of
its Understanding name, we would
advise you to suspend action on
your membership until we obtain
some more definite information
about this League. We wish to draw
your attention to the fact that the
yearly subscription fee, payable in
advance entities you only to mem
bership in the Forum What privi-
leges and benefits are accrued from
such membership, the leaflet Sayeth
not.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
Chevrolet Speedup Drives
Negro Worker to Pneumonia
Told To Work EUen While He Vas Sick or
He " ouId Lose His Job

condition.
MY wife and a nurse saved me
from death.
Il am still very sick and I wish
that this kind of slavery at Chew
rolet be checked up somehow"
Z promised him that would
write it up in the workers press.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
NOTE

We publish letters from steel,
metal and auto workers every
Tuesday. We urge workers in
these industries to write us of
their working conditions and OF
their efforts to organize. Please
get the letters to us by Friday of
each week.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-15
Can You Make EN-
Yourself?

Pattern 1853 is available in sizes
"a, 36, 38, 40, AZ, "A and 46. Size
SO takes 324 yards 80 inch fabric
and 7s yard contrasting. Illus
trated Step-by-step sewing instruc-
lions included,