The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-19
President Too Busy" To Hear Plea for Scottsboro Boys
Taxi Strike
Spreads To ALL
N. Y. Companies
Continued from Page "

WI AAAAAAlAA1f 4AuAAlA4E oil Adhc dbbEllllJ
ing to operate. Cabs of companie
which had settled with the uniol
can be distinguished by union stick
ers on the windows of the cabs.
n. Y. Workers Back Drivers
The organized labor movement il
New York pledged it's support to tn
strike yesterday at a mass confer
ence of delegates held at Webste
Hall, 18th st. and Fourth Ave. TIL
conference had previously beef
called for Manhattan Lyceum, blu
the hall was too small and it wa
therefore moved to Webster Hall.
Three hundred twenty-four rep
resenting 100 trade unions ant
working class organizations pledget
to support the Taxi Drivers strik
against the company unions. TIL,
delegates got donations amounting
to $1,000, which were turned owe
to the strike committee. JOSEPH
Gilbert, general organizer of TIN
Taxi Drivers Union, hailed the con
ference as an important move il
the struggle against the menace o
company unionisrn.
To-day we feel we are not alone
in the struggle against company
unions" said Gilbert. I'VE feel
we have the support Of the en-
tire labor movement of New York
City. A victory in this strike will
be a victory for all of the work
ers. Workers in other trades can
rest assured that they have the
support of 10000 taxi workers
who will fight shoulder to shoul-
der with them in their struggles
to better their conditions" Gil
bert's remarks were greeted by
prolonged applause.
Irving Goldstein, President Of
the Brooklyn local of the Tax
Drivers Union said, I'VE will moi
quit until we break the resistance
of every fleet owner in New Yorl
City. The taxi drivers today are
not the drivers of yesterday. Today
We want a union"
Exposing the maneuvers OF Mrs
Herrick to herd the drivers back t.
work without their union, Samue,
Orner, president of the union
urged the drivers to continue their
militant fight which is now backed
by the entire labor movement OF
the city.
1.-THE settlement of the last strike
was merely an armistice, a tenn
porary retreat to gather more
strength" said Orner. I'VE were
caught in trap in the last strike
by people who were parading as
friends of organized labor, but now
we know who the friends of the
taxi drivers are. There lGS beer
much. talk about gangsters ano
guerillas by company men and rep.
resentatiyes OF company unions
Our men can lick any guerillas ir
New York City"
Tumultuous applause greeted Irv-
ing Potash, leader of the Needle
Trades Workers Industrial Union
who told the drivers the workers
in the needle industry are 100 pei
cent solid behind the strike. CAS-
long as the fight will go on we viii
mobilize all our members to give
active support on the picket line
and financial support to the strike
Communist Party Backs Strike
Greeting the conference in the
name of the Communist Party, Car
BrodSky pointed out that the Com
munist Party has always supported
the strike of the taxi drivers anc
will continue to give its active
support and leadership. He said
the strike has the backing of the
entire membership of our Party
Brodsky brought a donation of $50
Practically every organization
that was represented brought funds
which had been collected in the
shops and union halls. The Cafe
terra Workers pledged 500 to the
Taxi Drivers Union. Womens
Councils, the Freiheit Singing So
ciety. the Needle Trades Workers
Industrial Union, the Buttonhole
Workers Union, the Young Pho
neers, the Trade Union Unity Coun-
cil-all answered the appeal of the
Taxi Drivers Union for assistance
by bringing donations to the halls
The Theatre Union promised to put
on special benefit performance at
the Civic Repertory Theatre within
the next few days to support the
strike.
Two thousand Independent cab
owners who have been signed up
by the union have pledged So per
day each to the union in support
of the strike.
Samuel Orner, President of the
Taxi Drivers Union, said that a
demonstration and parade Of taxi
drivers would be held early next
week. All during the day the strike
halls were practically empty, the
taxi drivers being on the picket
lines and on the streets hating all
cabs which attempted to operate
without the union label.
Among the companies to settle
with the Union are The Dynamic
Transportation, Bobby Cab, P and
w Cabs, Mira Cabs, Grand Taxi,
Joe Schrage Company, the Markell
Taxi Corporation and New Era Cab.
AS we go to press a number of
fleet owners were at the union hall
to negotiate with the strike COM
mittee. Tt was pointed out by
Samuel Orner in the headquarters
of the union yesterday afternoon
that cars are being driven by COM
pany spoilers and police hack in
spectors. Orner sent a vigorous
protest to the Police Department
demanding that the police be re-
moved from the cabs.
Many of the small fleet owners
who came to the union hall re-
ported that extreme pressure is be-
ing exerted against them by the
General Motors Corporation in an
attempt to keep them from signing