The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-23
1000 Gould H av e
Gained Is Pc. Rise But
for A. F. of l.. Heads

KENOSHA, Wis, Feb. 81. - Two
thousand workers of the Simmons
Company, bed manufacturers, who
vent on strike Feb. IL have won a
10 per cent increase in pay, recogni-
zion Of department committees elected
by the workers, and no discrimina-
ton for union or strike activity.
The strike which ended Saturday
was carried on militantly with mass
picket lines, including hundreds of
women thrown around the entire
plant.
There is a feeling among great
number of workers that more con-
ceSsionS could have been gotten from
the Simmons Company. The original
demand was for a Is per cent in
crease. In view of great solidarity
demonstrated by the workers, this
could have probably been won, had
the strike continued for another day
or two.
The fact that these concessions
were gotten is due to the miltancy
displayed by the rank and file of the
union. as well as by some members
Of the executive committee and strike
committee of the A. F. of L. FeFderaI
local.
When the first strike vote was
taken, a number of weeks ago, some
Of the A. F. of l.. officials from the
Central Trades and Labor Council
did everything possible to hold the
workers back. At that time, they
utilized the three-fourths majority
law to prevent a strike. When that
failed, they attempted to get the
men to agree to arbitration, even in
advance of the strike. The strike
sentiment, however, was so great and
the grievances so deep that the Off
Gals like Felix, OlkiYes, the lawyer
Kuehnl, were compelled to go along.
Harley Nickerson, vice-president of
International Association Of Machin
lists, also arrived upon the scene and
instead of unifying the rank of the
working class, attempted to split the
machinists, who were also out on
strike, away from the rest of the
Simmons workers.
The dirtiest role of all was played
by John Kuehnl, Socialist attorney.
He made statement which was
printed in the Kenosha Evening News,
where he attacked the Communist
Party and appealed for public recog-
milton of the battle the unions were
waging against the Communist ele-
ment in the Kenosha movement" The
workers look upon this statement as
the statement of stool pigeon who
acts in the interests of the bosses.
This is not an official tatement of
the union. The majority of the work
ers resented the splitting tactics of
Mr.. Kuehnl because they know that
the Communists are workers employ
ed in the same factory who actively
participated in the strike in order to
guarantee success. Mr.. Kuehnl was
the one most intrumental in the SELL
out of the Nash strike. He tried to
do the same in the Simmons strike.
But the rank and file was aware of
his previous treachery and prevented
him from doing so. The workers of
Kenosha should drive'thi tool of the
bosses out of the labor movement.
Although the company has promis-
ed to abide by the agreement, the
workers must now be on guard against
any attempt to dodge the increase in
wages and to prevent increase in
speed up. The rank and file must
participate more actively in the af-
fairs of the federal local and see to
it that the union is not taken from
them by the professional labor lead
ers, who before the strike tried to
prevent any kind of action on the
part of the workers and now try to
claim credit for the victory. Any
elected official in the union, who
comes into Office by giving promises
to the rank and file, must be made
to live up to these promises or must
give way to such workers as will
always battle for the interest of the
rank and file.