The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-01
Reviewed by CARL REEVE

ReIief-Price Cents.
Reviewed by CARL REEVE
THE SD annual convention Of the
! American Federation Of Labor,
held in Washington, D. c., Oct. Q to
10, 1898, was a milestone in the jour
ney Of the A. F. Of L. ofhcialdom,
which had packed the convention
along the treacherous road Of class
collaboration. The proceedings Of the
convention, analysed in this PAM
phlet, served further to consolidate
the service Of the a. F. Of L. leaders
to the wage cutting, speed-up drive
Of the N. r. A, to bind them more
closely with the Roosevelt govern
ment.
Based on the actual proceedings Of
the convention, some of which were
suppressed from the official reports,
the pamphlet gives the shameful rec
ord of complete disregard for the
masses of the A. F. of L. members,
whom the Officials claimed to rep
resent.
More direct government control Of
the unions, the outlawing Of strikes,
the turning of the trade union move
ment into service Of the employers,
was preached to the delegates by the
highest officials Of the Roosevelt gov
eminent, and accepted and praised
by the A. F. of L. officials.
So evident was this domination Of
the government in the affairs Of the
convention that the pamphlet de-
clares the convention, far from being
Labor Parliament" as was
claimed, was in reality "semi-goy-
eminent" affair. Mrs. Perkins told
the delegates that the governments
Cancellation Service" the strike
breaking apparatus of the Depart
ment of Labor, will be preserved
and strengthened"
IT am one of those who believe
that orderly and systematic relations
between the employers and their
workers is to the advantage not only
Of the workers, but to the permanent
advantage Of the employers" Mrs
Perkins said.
General johnson, head Of the
MIRA, honored guest of the A. F. OF
L. Convention, even more plainly told
the delegates that the government
intends to outlaw strikes and run
the unions. Labor does not need to
strike under the Roosevelt plan,'
johnson said. II believe in a vertical
organization of labor in each industry
on national scale with representa-
ton Of government in each organiza-
ton to the full extent that we are
! putting government representation in
each organization of industry"
The speech Of both Perkins and
Johnson, the pamphlet points out
outlined in the main the policy to be
| pursued by the government in col
liberation with the employers anc
/ the A. F. of L. leaders. The policy Of
enforcing compulsory arbitration; ne
liberation of strikes; governmental
representation and control Of labor
unions, even to the extent of vetoins
decisions of the unions. The danger
signal to free trade unionism in the
| y. S. was sounded"
William Green, on behalf Of this
A. F. of L. ofncialdom, thanked Per-
llins and johnson heartily for then
3trike- breaking speeches. He said in
the executive. council report, "AS
unions, we have no choice but to obey
the law and to serve as the agencies
Of putting 1t into effect"
The A. F. of L. officials heapec
praises on the N.RA. They as vel
as Johnson and Perkins, said that the
N.R.A. was impartial to employer;
/ and workers. AS the pamphlet de.
| cla-es, they did not mention the fact
that the N.R.A. refused to consider
She proposal Of the National Textile
| Workers Union that workers be guar
anteed minimum yearly income oil
only $720; that the N.R.A. extended
for a year the 10 per cent wage cut
Of the railroad workers, that the
! N.R.A. broke many strikes, reduced
wages in many industries, installed
the speed-up and did not decrease
unemployment.
I A4C Nb4Cc vi bllS IdIlk dIlQ lie Ol
the A. F. Of L., organized in the A
F. of l.. Trade Union Committee fol-
Unemployment Insurance and Relief
was raised at the convention through
delegate Suny, Cleaners and DyerS
Union No. 1928, who introduced a
series of resolutions giving the pro-
gram of the rank and file. The rank
and file resolution No. 100 opposing
service of A. F. of L. officials on
MIRA. boards, and the speech oil
Suny on this resolution, were high
lights of the convention. Constantly
interrupted by the A. F. of L. off,
Gals, Suny exposed the fact that the
A. F. Of L. officials, cooperating with
the N.RA., are taking from the work
ers their strike weapon. The worker.
can get only what they have thS
power to wrest from the employer.
in fight. Suny pointed out. The
A. F. of L.. officials are paving the
way for complete surrender of the
most elementary rights of labor anc
its organizations. -