The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-13
The Broken Contract

THE Republic Steel Company, third larg-
L est steel company in the country, has
broken its contractual relations with the
Analgamated Association of Iron, Steel
and Tin Workers "a. F. of L., and an
nounced it will "dear' hereafter only with
its own company union.
The Republic Steel Company gives as
its reason for refusing to renew its contract with
the union (Which includes the skilled crafts in the
Republic mils) the danger that the management
of the Amalgamated may pass into the hands OF
the radical element known as the rank and HE
leaders"
OF course the real reason that the Republic
Co. has broken off with the A. F. Of L. unions
Is the continuation of the union smashing cam
paign of all the steel companies aimed to destroy
real unions of the workers. and to enforce the
company union in all mills The Republic Co.
like all companies, is increasing the attacks on
the steel workers living standards, chiefly to
increase the speed-up and reduce wages.
The fact that on June 80 the Amalgamated
local unions we're unable to secure contracts can
be laid at the door Of William Green and the
Tighe-Leonard machine controlling the A. A. This
latest offensive of the steel companies against the
workers is made possible by the policy of Mike
lEs Il L
by William Green. It is made possible because
Tighe sidetracked the strike preparations of the
steel workers last month"; and on June IA at the
A. A. convention, accepted Roosevelts company
union arbitration board.
Tighe stripped the A. A. locals of their defenses
against attack by killing strike preparations BY
his red scare Tighe succeeded in splitting the ranks
of the steel workers, rejecting the united front
proposed by the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial
Union
Tghe's betrayal of the strike preparations Of
the steel workers and his acceptance Of the
Roosevelt strikebreaking board paved the way for
the present situation-for the breaking Of the
union contracts and the domination OF the
pany unions in the Republic and other mills.
The Committee of Ten, by supporting Tighe's
betrayal, is equally responsible for the present
attack of the Republic Co. the union.
THE members of the Amalgamated Association
must now fight if their local unions not
to be destroyed as the result of Tighe's giving
free hand, and sitting any fight against the COM
pany unions There is yet time to force the COM
panies to sign agreements. The only way, however
in which these contracts be secured is through
a united struggle of the steel workers in the
Republic mills If broad, united strike committees
set up in each Republic mill, the struggle can
be prepared and the workers force the Republic
Co. to accept their economic demands and renew
the contracts The members of the A. A. locals
must at once set up these united strike committees
in the Republic mills to include unorganized work
ers and members of other unions, if they are to
defeat the offensive of the company
The Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union
has pledged the full support of its entire organiza-
ton for the fight for union recognition and for the
demands of the steel workers in the Republic mills
If the A. A. locals in these mills accept this pledge
of unity, and set up united action committees In
the Republic mills the company union drive can
be defeated.
The unorganized steel workers in order to
strengthen the fight against the company unions,
for the economic demands of the steel workers
and for union recognition should join and
strengthen the fighting union of the workers, the
Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union The
SM.WI.U. has throughout been the only organi-
cation which fought the Tighe- Committee of Ten
betrayal from the beginning, and fought for united
strike preparations.
Steel Workers-Organize broad united front
strike committees In the Republic mills Fight
for your demands and union recognition!
Unorganized Steel Workers-join and build
the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union.