The daily worker., 1934-05-14
Tampa, Florida = By Joseph Freeman

US later But they have requested
that first we tell them something
about conditions in Tampa. I will
ask you therefore to speak on con-
ditions in cigar factories. You may
talk in Spanish which they under
stand and which is easier for
you"
ONE after the other, men and
" women stand up in various parts
of the house and speak with that
extraordinary passion and eloquence
so common among Latin American
workers; their language is dramatic,
direct. rhythmic; in terms of the
most basic necessities and struggles
they paint the life Of proletarian
Tampa:
The terror is growing; unemploy-
ed workers are literally starving
employed workers get wages on
which it is impossible to live hu-
manly. The Chamber of Commerce
the manufacturers have demanded
that the workers accept further
wage cuts Every means is used to
crush protest and organization; the
blacklist marks every worker who is
known to be active in the revolu-
tionary movement. The bosses
slogan is: no work for Reds. Stool
pigeons in the pay of the cigar man
ufacturers hang around the workers
center trying to demoralize the
workers, playing on their fear of
starvation for their children, urging
them to accept further wage cuts.
The police has broken up SO many
meetings, arrested, jailed and de-
ported so many comrades that the
workers are forced to meet in secret.
In this period of machine-gun rule,
the A. F. of L. has betrayed the
workers again, signing a pact with
the bosses that no strike shall be
called in the next three years.
Describe Abuses
One worker says: formerly, in the
boom period, I made $40 a week.
Here is my pay envelope for this
week: $1050. And I am lucky
because I am a specially fast worker
and we all get piecework rates. Most
cigar workers today make between
S5 and SO a week.
Other abuses are described: since
the industry started in Cuba, it has
been the custom for workers to re-
ceive an allowance Of five cigars q
day which they roll for themselves.
The allowance has now been cut to
three. If you make more for your
self, you are fired; you may even
be arrested. Women are not al
lowed to smoke at all in the fac
tories. -. More important, the
readers, abolished in 1881, have not
yet been restored.
IN THE back of the room a young
blond worker rises: Comrades,
nothing has been said so far about
the conditions of the youth. We
young workers growing up in the
period of the crisis have no chance
to learn a trade. We are not al
lowed to work in the big factories,
only in the small sweatshops, and
all we can make is 10 cents for a
hundred cigars-that is, 10 to 20
cents day. And we must pay for
learning the trade; and like the
older workers we must pay the fore
man part Of our wages in order TO
keep our jobs--you know, the kick
back. But the youth wants to
organize: we will not let ourselves
be terrori9ed; we will build a mighty
organization Of workers capable Of
leading US to victory"
Another young worker, who, like
most of the others. wears no tie,
has his collar wide open at the
throat, says: Comrades, we have
had reports only about the cigar
industry. want to say few words
about the citrus industry, started
here recently, the factories where
they can and pack citrus fruits. TIE
girls there get only 10 cents an hour.
They work standing en- wet floors;
the juice runs down on the floor,
they get wet feet and fall SICK; and
when they are laid up they get no
pay"
Near the speakers table swarthy
worfer stands up: Comrades, we