The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-07
News Writers
Face Refusal
ByPubIishers
Final Recourse Must
Be Unity of All
Departments
By GEORGE LEWIS

The New York Newspaper Guild,
which at last accounts had / ,463
members and has since been or
ganizing new chapters, including a
chapter of the New York AmSter-
dam News, is now faced with several
important problems. The New York
Publishers Association has refused
to negotiate contract with a COM
mittee of the guild. A second letter
to the publishers association has
gone unanswered.
Attempts to negotiate with indi-
dual publishers have not yet sue
ceeded. The New York Times BUSH
ness manager has let it be known
unofficially, through Allen Raymond,
president of the New York Guild,
that the New York Times is mot vet
ready" to negotiate. The New York
Evening Post, whose owner, David
Stern, has signed a contract with the
Philadelphia branch of the Guil6,
has put a notice in it's New York
office that it is operating under a
contract with the Newspaper Guild,
but the New York committee knows
of the existence of no such contract.
Probably early action on this ques-
ton will get some recognition from
the Post, which wants to pose as q
liberal paper, and would add some
prestige to the Guild for the rest of
New York newspaper emen.
Since the majority of New York
newspaper men, who are naturally
on lower political level than work
erS in basic industries, still have
great illusions in the MIRA, it has
been decided to appeal to the N.R.A.
for a ruling forcing recognition from
the publishers. This is not a bad
idea, if it is not permitted to lulI
the members of the Guild into
carrying on no other activity. Tt
would be a good idea also for the
Guild to agitate for a ruling from
the MIRA. on the refusal of the
New York Times and other papers
to deal individually with the Guild.
Bad Effects
An example of the bad effects OF
relying only upon such negotiations,
without also carrying on a daily
agitation and struggle for better
conditions is seen in the case of the
Jewish Daily Bulletin There the
newspaper workers suffer such bad
conditions that it seems they were
considering striking for a 48-hour
work. However, a committee of the
Guild, far from encouraging them to
struggle and getting the rest of the
Guild RI nft hold
them off from any struggle by hold
ing out the promise of getting their
demands for them by negotiations Of
the committee with the bosses. The
Jewish Daily Bulletin staff is now
waiting, but so far no negotiations
have taken place.
Relation to Printers
The relation of the Guild to the
printers is another important ques-
ton. This must be sharply differ
entiated from the relation of the
Guild to the officers of the printers
and preSSmen's unions, and to the
whole A. F. of L. burocracy. Since
Charles Howard, president of the In
ternational Typographical Union,
| confessed that the A. F. of L. buro-
crazy or the mechanical Union buro-
crazy saw no way to give support to
! the struggles of the newspaper work
/ erS, many Guild members who had
| previously been for formal affilia-
ton with the A. F. of L. are con-
sidering seriously whether anything
is to be gained by such move
However, this should be no bar TO
solidarity with the printers and
pressmen, but on every specific
question appeals should be made
both to the rank and file mechan-
zeal workers as well as to such or
CARNATIONS as the International
typographical Union for support,
even if the support is nothing but
the passing Of resolutions, at least
in the beginning. This will help TO
create that feeling of solidarity be-
tween al newspaper workers which.
when it grows strong enough through
careful and constant tending, will be
a weapon which no publisher can
resist.