The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-05
Strike Action Brings Victory

THAT organized strike action is the most
effective means by which workers can
improve their conditions has been clearly
shown by the victory of the building SER
vice workers of Manhattan's garment
center in getting owners of close to 400 buildings
to agree to the closed shop, a $40 minimum wage
and fiat increase of 81 for all who receive $40 and
more. This victory was direct result of the splen-
did turnout of more than 5000 workers to the
strike call of Local 32-B of the Building Service
Employees International Union and the$. success
in tying up most Of the buildings for two days
The agreement reached with the owners is a
temporary one. Retaining its original demands for
s35 minimum and 40-hour week as well as the
demands for elimination of the "stretch-out" and
discrimination against Negro workers, and time and
a half for overtime, the union left all questions
outside of union recognition to arbitration board
to be set up in the coming two or three weeks.
The action of the needle trades workers in soil
darity with the strikers was undoubtedly to large
degree responsible for the speed with which the
owners were forced to come to terms with the
union.
Once the workers had an opportunity to
see that all the arbitration and negotiations con-
Quoted with the owners through the Regional Labor
Board were Of no benefit to them. Disguised with
the N. R. A. and its labor board, they resorted to
strike action as the only solution to their problems
Preparations for the strike being made for
weeks before the call was issued on Thursday
morning while fruitless negotiations with the Real
Estate Board of New York and the Regional Labor
Board had been carried on for over month.
eve had enough of arbitration with Mrs. Elnor
Herrick [drector of the Regional Labor Boardl
We have more effective means at our disposal now,
was the reply of George Panson secretary to James
j. Bambrick, president of the union, when ap-
preached on the question by the Daily Worker
The membership of the union should benefit from
their experiences with the NRA and it's national
and regional labor boards well from the
periences of workers in other industries and not
permit themselves to be put in the position of be-
ing dependent upon arbitration for the gaining OF
their economic demands.
What arbitration has done to the workers in the
automobile, STEEL transport, textile and other in
dustries is all the building service workers may
expect unless they prepare to force their arbitra-
ton board to act favorably on their demands.
The only reason why the marine workers, men,
bers of the International Longshoremens Associa-
ton, on the Pacific Coast succeeded in gaining
through arbitration was because they had put up
an excellent fight and established strong union
under rank and file leadership.
The next step for the building service workers
is not to wait until the arbitration board is set up
and starts functioning, but to lose no time in
strengthening their union with broad participa-
ton of the rank and file members in the leader
ship to spread the strike to broaden out the influence
of the union; to proceed with organization drive
to unonize every building throughout the city and
to unite all the workers in the trade into pow
erful, militant union controlled by its membership
and fit to meet the real estate owners in battle to
win every demand originally put forth in the strike.