The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-10


there" I'VE want fighters for our
leaders" etc.-these remarks are
widespread in the lodges.
The resolutions adopted by the
lodges for presentation to the ma
tional convention express, again in
a confusd manner, the sentiments
Of the rank and file. While the
agreements signed by the A. A.
with the corporations specifically
state that resolutions on wage
scales will first be submitted to
the employers many months before
the convention Ito give the bosses
chance to prepare their counter
proposals and, if necessary, their
strike breaking, resolutions de-
manding as high as so per cent
wage increases have been adopted
and viii come before the conven-
ton.
Protest High Per Capita
Several lodges have gone on rec
ord for the six-hour five-day week.
Several have demanded a change
in the dues system, putting it at
l per cent Of the earnings of the
members, and one lodge has come
out for 81 initiation fee. CThe
influence Of the initiation and dues
system Of the s. M. w. I. U. is
seen in both these resolutions)
Strong protests against the high
per capita-which bankrupts the
local lodges 1925 per quarter per
member-aS against dues paid of
s126, $3.50 and SITS per month";
have resulted IN the adoption Of
resolutions 10 drastlcaily reduce
the per capita payments.
The desire TO get more power
away from the international Office
and at least closer into the hands
of the rank and file results in a
resolution permitting districts to
maintain full-time officials Cat
present the only full-time officials
OF the A. A, are the international
officers and organizers appointed
by Tighe and company. Another
resolution calls for Federal Unem-
ployment Insurance of at least SO
week-but not specifying how to
be raised or handled.
The difficulty of getting Negroes
into an organization with notori-
ously Jim-Crow and discriminatory
practices brought forth a resolution
to amend the constitution, obliga-
ton, etc, so as to include color"
IN the clause about no discrimina-
ton because Of nationality or creed.
Getting down to the most i'm
portant problem before the A. A.
membership, the question Of strike
struggle, one resolution calls for
the following mot an exact quota
ton, but it contains the full sense
of the resolution: THAT if any
lodge has been on strike for 80 DAYS
WITH THE CONSENT OF THE
INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE
BOARD, the Board shall declare all
lodges of the A. A. on strike until
the original strike is settled"
The intent of this resolution Is
clear-support of the whole organ
ization to any OF the lodges in
strikes, leading to general strike.
But the JOKER, of course, is the
provision that the International
Executive Board (Tighe, Leonard,
Miller, Davis, etc. must approve
such action and they, OF course, will
not do so.
That these resolutions, as well as
the revolt of the rank and file, are
50 unclear, so confused and so
poorly organized is the result of the
failure of the rank and file move
ment now developing spontaneously
to find an organized form. Only
the first beginnings of an organized
rank and file movement are being
made now. Although it is now too
late for them to be printed in the
program of the convention, resolu-
tons are being adopted by some
lodges which will be presented
direct by their delegates to the
convention for ID rank and file
control Of strikes, militant strike
policy (masS picketing, spread of
strikes, etc.; CD against the no
strike policy of the A. A. official
dom, against arbitration and the
N. R. A. codes, ETC.; CD strikes for
six-hour day and five-day week
with same total pay as received in
1929; "a against strikes for recog-
milton alone, but to combine with
the demand for recognition de-
mands for wage increases and bet
ter conditions, 60 for united front
with other unions in the industry,