The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-29
TUESDAY, MAY %, 1884
Reject ''ArbitratiOn"!

NGJSCL ATOLLluLLOIL
THE bosses have many weapons IN their
1 strikebreaking arsenal. In Toledo, up
to now, they have been relying mainly on
guns, poison gas, bayonets. Now, without
letting up on the military pressure, they
are introducing the weapon of "arbitra-
tion," by means of which, with the help
of the top A. F. of L. leaders, they were able to
break the Minneapolis strike.
In Minneapolis the truckers who had victory
in their grasp were sent back to work under the
Arbitration" trickery without a single one of their
strike demands granted.
This is what now faces the Toledo workers.
Arbitration" sounds as if the workers may expect
something; but in reality and through long
perience, it has been proved to be just as deadly
menace to the workers rights to the aims of
their strike as the other strkebreaking methods of
the bosses.
Under the slogan of arbitration" the workers
are sent back to work, with not single one of
their demands granted The rest is left to the
tender mercies of the bosses and their agents. the
A. F. of L. top leadership. The rank and file are
disorganized; disseminated. Some are victimized,
others back at work. But nothing is gained,
as the procedure is dragged out endlessly and
finally killed.
In Toledo, the workers should be warned and
forearmed against this trickery of arbitration To
get back to work without the winning of the de-
mands or without definite agreement favorable
to the workers, is to hand the victory to the boss
The employers are now trying to maneuver a
way out to avoid granting the workers demands
Their arbitration" proposals are not designed as
they want the workers to believe, to increase wages
or to grant union recognition or to give any con-
cessions whatsoever. They are only means of
ending the struggle postponng actions on decisions
and in the relative quiet of arbitration proceed
ing to blast the whole purpose of the strike.
The best guarantee against this maneuver is
the bringing in of more masses into the strike
the development of the general strike This is
the main single task before the workers in Toledo
This struggle is test for the entire Toledo
working class. If the Auto Lite workers are de-
feated, it would be setback for every Toledo
worker, organized or unorganzed, and to the work
ers throughout the country. There is involved the
economic demands of the Auto Lite workers them
selves. These must be won. On the other hand
there are the issues of the right to organize and
belong to a union of the workers choice, the right
to strike and to picket. These are the demands
and the issues Of the strike and only by developing
of the general strike, by bringing into
the struggle, can they be
At the same time the workers must demand
the immediate release of all arrested strikers and
sympathizers, and the dismissal of all cases now
pending in court growing out of the strike. The
bosses who brought in their thugs and militia are
the guilty ones, and the criminals responsible for
the murder and wounding of strikers.
ARBITRATION" should be rejected as a new type
n Of poison gas. 1t can be rejected effectively
and the fruits of the militant and heroic battle
of the Toledo workers can be gained through rank
and file action
Instead of relying on the top leaders, who are
the ones the bosses are always willing to agree
to "arbitrate" with, the rank and file should elect
their own broad, mass strike committee represent
ing all of the strikers, with men and women from
all departments, expressing the will and organiza-
ton of the workers
This body should take the initiative in carrying
through the general strike. 1t should take the
leadership the picket lines, and in every phase
of the developing struggle, including the conduct
of all negotiations with the Auto Lite Co. and the
Toledo bosses. This committee alone is answerable
to the workers. and should be empowered to act
for the strikers All decisions regarding the ulti-
mate fate Of the strike should be brought down
to every striker to every worker who is affected and
finally passed on only by them In this way the
whole power, the whole force, the unexampled hero
ism and militancy of the strikers can be rallied
behind victory for the strike.
Organization of this rank and file strike COM
mittee is now more important than ever while the
bosses and their agents are putting forth a heavy
barrage Of arbitration" poison.
Only such a committee with the full confidence
of the workers, flesh of their flesh, can speak and
act in the interest Of the strikers; negotiate
conduct the strike and organize the return to work
with the best possible agreement.
Towards such an organization of the strikers,
and to rally support of all sympathizers, confer
ence has been called for Tuesday at pm at the
Roi Davis Building, Hall 1, 129 Michigan Street
The conference is called by the Provisional Com
mittee consisting of representatives of number
of workers organizations.
All support should be given to this conference
Every striker who can come should be present
The conference has issued its appeal especially
to A. F. of L. unions to the Mechanics Educational
Society of America to the Socialist Party, to the
Unemployed Leagues, and to workers in the various
shops.