The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-08-03
on
r. r. Unity
Movement
By \ Railroad Worker Cor
respondeRt
San FrancIsrn "a

San Francisco, Cal.
Jack: Say Bill, what do you think
of this unity movement for us
workers?
Bill; I don't know; what is it all
about?
Jack: Well. I don't know too
much about it, but I picked up a
pamphlet the other day and it said
that they were going to organize
the rank and file Of the unions into
unity groups, who will take up the
fight for the interests Of the mem
berShip.
Bill: My union does that now.
Jack: How are they doing it?
Bill: I don't know, but our Off
GERS say they are fighting hard to
make our conditions better, and
that the management is so well
intrenched behind their economic
set-up that it is impossible at this
time to secure advances for our
welfare.
Jack: Do you believe they are
trying to secure better conditions
for us workers?
Bill: Now that you have asked
that question, it makes me think.
I will have to analyze it before l
can answer you. 1t may be that
they are not, still they tell us in
their communications that they
are, and it looks reasonable that
they are working hard.
Jack: Well, Bill, you and are
letting those guys tell us that we
don't know anything about doing
business with our bosses and that
we have to keep these takers on our
payroll or We will be lost. Do you
know, Bill, don't believe word
of it. have not been lined up"
as long as you have, but studied
my constitution and find that we
can't do any thinking for ourselves.
We give our right to think and talk
to our union officers, who, be-
lieve, are parasites. They have a
fine job and a fat salary, and are
more interested in getting new
members than they are making it
less expensive for us to stay in the
union, or in creating better and
safer working conditions, or getting
what money we earn.
Bill: have never given that
thought before, Jack, but now
that you mention it that way. I
believe you are right; why only the
other day, when Art got hit in the
leg by an air-hose and lost five
days from this injury, his boss told
him he was careless worker and
was lucky to be permitted to come
back to work, and that he should
be paid, but the grievance man said
the same as the boss, you are lucky
to be working so you had better
keep still.
Jack: I asked our safety man to
prevent that kind of an accident by
using a cock with a relief port.
When the main pressure is cut off
the relief port will be opened and
the hose may be uncoupled without
any danger of a kick, but he said
he would see what he could do
about it, and later when I asked
him what he had done about it, he
said he could not do anything, that
the men should be more careful not
to get hurt.
Bill: How could the unity group
help us in a case like that?
Jack: Well, Bill, it said in that
pamphlet that the unity group
would remove from office any Of
ficer who would not do his duty
And our safety man would lose hi;
office and his union salary if he
did not improve our working con.
ditions, and another thing it said
Our union BASES itself on the
principle of rank and file control
unrestricted trade union democracy
and at all times a policy of aggres.
sive struggle for an ever higher
standard of living"
Bill: That is what I would like tt
have applied to our union, but
don't know how it can be done
What do you say we go to the
unity meeting and find out how i
can be done?
Jack: BY Joye, Bill, I'm with you
Well go and find out for ourselves
what can be done to better oul
conditions and get rid of the para
sites in our union.
A Railroad Worker of the