The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-09-03

F-+S@ae7~ANA VI lAAL
st a tie n Island
A dva nee, to
force the rein H RAYMOND
sta t e m mt of
Alexander Crosby, who was fired for
union activities.
why is it, then. that the Socialist
Party of Staten Island does not Of
fEcially establish a united front with
ghe Staten Island section of the
Communist Party on the many
burning labor issues in that section
Of Greater New York?
From my observations, while on
the picket line in the Staten Island
Advance fight, it is clear that the
Socialist workers want a united
front with us, They told me So
In fact, Socialist told me that
1t made him feel good to be united
with the Communists on this is
sue. I felt good. too, to be fighting
side by side with him. But when
we talked about his party forming
a united front with mine on spe-
clflc issues he was vague on what
the leadership of the S. P. would
do about the matter.
think the Socialist workers see
clearly the tremendous value of the
united front And they can see
what happens when this united
front does not exist.
Not long ago, worker, a men,
Der Of the Socialist Party was fired
from his job at the Proctor and
Gamble soap factory on Staten
Island for union activities He was
one Of the most militant workers in
The plant. The Communists went
to this worker and suggested
united front struggle for his re-
instatement, proposing that all
forces should be rallied in a mass
picket line around the factory.
The Socialist leaders, however,
advised him against such action.
They urged him to take up the
whole case in a legal" manner, to
depend on the activities CT q lawyer
Well. the Socialist leaders had
their way and the worker is still
walking the streets, looking for
joo. This action Of refusing to es-
tablish united front not only
harmed the worker who was fired,
but the organization of all the
workers in the factory.
How victory is won through the
united front was shown clearly in
the recent struggle of the United
Drydock workers on Staten Island.
The bosses fired a member of the
Steel and Metal Workers Indus
trial Union. He was kicked out be-
cause he was a good union man.
The Steel Union Immediately sent
cttar to all A. F. Of L. unions in
th1 ord requesting that united
fret be formed to force the re-
in2Satement Of the union man
Leaflets were distributed through
out the yard urging ell union men
to unite to demand that their
brother be put back on the Job. A
committee was formed. represent
ing the Electrical Workers Union,
the Boilermakers Union, the Car
penter5 Union and the Steel anI
Metal Workers Union. When the
boss was confronted with this
united committee representing all
organized labor in the yard he
changed his mind. He gave the
urton man his job back.
-,
Tho first shows what disunity
means. The second shows what can
r. achieved through the united
front, Let's have united front be-
tween the Socialists and Commu-
r,sts on Staten Island. There are
many important questions on which
We can unite.
A WORKER from the Willow Cafe
II terra chain advises us that
there is a nice little company union
scheme afoot in the place where
he works. On Aug. % meeting
was held Of all the workers. 1t
wasn't called by the workers either.
The meeting lasted over two hours.
so the worker says. and nobody got
nickel pay for this overtime.
Wen give one guess as to what
the main topic of discussion was
about. If you're a good guesser you
will say Efficiency" and march
riqht up to the head of the class.
Yes, efficiency, that's what they
talked about. Messers. Lowen-
stein. Miller and Zurich, spokesman
for the management, were the mas
tiers Of ceremony.
The shab5ine3s of the workers
clothes was especially stressed One
af the officials said that this 're-
flectcd on the employees homes"
This official did not explain to the
workers how they could clothe
themselves and families and buy
fccd for the home on $1212 week,
which is the price paid for good la
Dor power in the Stewart and Will
low blishments. Anyone who
refused to attend the meeting was
threatened with discharge.
There's a company union in the
making on the Stewart and Will
low chain. 1t can be nipped in the
hui II the workers get together in
lac v-ricus cafetsrias end organize
r.arc'lcs Of the Food Workers In
C---tr.al Union. The headquarters
cf tn union is up ct 50 West 18th
street.