Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-05-08
Seattle Workers am Streets In May Day Demonstration
Leaders Sell Out Fish Strike
fSTRlkE BROKEN BY SUOJA
AND MATTSoN'S
NEGOTIATIONS

ms ScdSoh began on the Columbia
river. The fishermen and cannery
workers here have been preparing
for struggle TO fight for higher
wages and or the abolition of con-
tract work in the canneries. On
March 7. the Fishermen and Can
merry Workers Industrial Union, AS
toria and Ilwaco locals, held a I'M
tied front price and wage confer
ence which was attended by mem
bers Of the CRFPU (AF of ID and
the PCFU UWW). This conference
set the price demands of II cents
for Chinook to August /; cents
from August l to August 25 (end of
the season.; and IS cents per hour
for cannery workers (fillers and
slimers) and for laborers 55 cents
per hour minimum.
Because of the pressure brought
by the militant rank and file of the
AT of l. and the PCF'U, Mr.. Matt
son and Mr.. Suoja, the leaders" of
the above unions, were forced to
call a conference to set price and
wage demands. These gentlemen i'm
mediately went to work and hand
picked their delegates and at their
conference instead of setting the
demands that the workers wanted,
they set the price for ChinoOks at
IL cents per pound to August l and
cents for the end of the season.
When Suoja and Mattson 'nego-
tiated" with the packers, they ar
bitrarily cut down even these de-
mands from IL cents and 8 cents to
10 cents and cents. A few days
later Suoja and Mattson again con-
nived behind the scenes with the
packers and again cut the demands
to 10 cents and cents without the
permission of the rank and file.
The cannery workers wages were
cut to 60 cents per hour for skilled
workers and so cents per hour for
men laborers and 35 cents for wo-
men laborers.
Then, after chopping down the
price and wage demands, these two
mislea'ders called a strike on May
lst without electing a rank and file
strike committee. When a commit
tee of cannery workers and fisher
men from the FCWIU went to the
AT of /. committee to propose that
o Joint rank and file strike COM
mittee be set up. Mr.. Suoja, who is
not q member of the AT of l. union,
acting as . brain trust" for Matt
son, absolutely refused and pre-
vented all the other members from
saving anything or making any pro-
posals for Joint action and the cleo
ton of rank and file committees.
Because these company agents
had arbitrarily crushed the demands
the upper river fishermen were Of
fered l cent more per pound than
the demands We're as set by them.
Suoia and Mattson demogogically
tried to get the upper river fisher
men to strike, though the demands
were less than what they were of
fered by the packers. The result was
that the upper river fishermen went
to work at the beginning of the
season.
On the first day of the strike the
| two leaders" again cut the de-
mands. The price of Chinook was
! now 10 cents to August 1, cents
| to August 10, and no price at all
| Cor the remaining part of the seas
on. The cannery workers wages
were cut to IS cents for skilled
workers. The packers had offered
| the 10 cent price to August 1 and
cents to August 10 and cents to
the end of the season before the
strike started.
The sentiment of the rank and
! file was for a mass meeting to dis
cuss and make decisions and when
n motion was made and seconded
/ from the floor of the AT of L meet
| ing for a general mass meeting, Mr..
SuOja who was there with Mattson,
prevented this motion from going
to vote. Instead they stated "the
strike is over and the workers must
go to work in the morning."
The FCWIU has always pointed
out that the fishermen and cannery
workers must build q united front
against the attacks of the capitalist
build rank and file control in the
union.
The fact is now understood by the
workers after their struggles have
been sold out by the leadership
The members of the AT of L are
now convinced and determined that
they will build rank and file leader
ship on the united front basis and
Dust these takers from their ranks.
BY group of Rank and File AT
of l. Members.