The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-01

the hlgher wages under a
threat that unless these
higher wages were paid,
said workers would go
out on strike again con-
trary to the rules and regu-
lations of the Industrial Re-
lations Board which provides
that strikes are outlawed
and that all disputes and
difficulties must be brought
before the Industrial Rels-
tions Board for arbitration,
and as result Of this the
said Roy Silk Mills, was
forced to continue paying
these higher wages"
This frank statement is an eZ
act quotation from the injunc-
ton issued against the National
Textile Workers Union and the
strikers of the Roy Silk against
the National Textile Workers I'M
ion and the strikers of the Roy
Silk Mills by the Industrial Re-
lations Board and the employers
of the Roy Silk Mills (now the
Albert Silk Mid of Paterson. It
must be understood that the In
dustrial Relations Board consists
of representatives of the Silk
Manufacturers Association and
the Associated Silk Workers Of
Paterson. The main union rep
resentative on this Board is an
Eli Keller, a renegade Lovestone-
lite, who was expelled from tbs
Communist Party a few years
ago.
The reason for the injunction
could not have been stated more
clearly by the National Textile
Workers Union itself. It is GER
tainly clear that this position Of
the National Textile Workers
Union conflicts with the plans
of these A. F. Of L. leaders and
their colleagues on the Industrial
Relations Board, the silk manu-
facturers,
The plans of these latter gem
tlemen are also cleary stated in
the injunction as follows: "said
Board in conjunction with the
established wage scale (S.0344
per yard for as pick rayon) de-
cided that if within two months
it became an established fact
that this scale was higher than
the scale set up in other locali-
ties, the scale would be reduced
proPortionstely." This plan, Kel-
Ter, Elias and other leaders Of
the Associated Silk Workers al
ready put through in part by
forcing q per cent cut on the
Paterson weavers. 1t was pre-
cisely against this cut that the
strike in the Roy Shop was ori-
ginally called by the National
Textile Workers Union. The Ne
tional Textile Worker Union or
gained struggle against this
cut in number of mills in Pat
erson, and actually prevented
the cut from going through, as
the injunction correctly states.
Pledged To Cut Pay.
The A. F. Of L. leaders on the
other hand have definitely
pledged themselves to help re-
duce the wages of Paterson
workers to the level of the low
est paid localities. This means
they will put through even more
wage cuts on the Paterson work
ers.
But the most significant part
of the injunction is the section
stating that the Albert Silk Mill
has entered into a contract with
the Associated Silk Workers as
ISOLATED with the American Fed
Grafton of Labor to employ silk
workers associated with said I'M
ion, and so continued the in
junction, "weavers eonnecte
with the American Federation of
Labor, locally known as the AS
ISOLATED Silk Workers, wer sent
to US for employment"
Can there be any more obvious
act of treachery carried out by
the leadership of the Associated
Silk Workers Union? Keller per.
sonally sends members of his
union to the Albert Shop to scab
on the present strikers, which
include both National Textile
Workers Union members, and a
few Associated members.
Mass Resentment.
Mass resentment is growing
among the rank and file of the
Associated Silk Union against
this open strike-breaking role of
Eli Keller. Associated members
are beginning to help the Ma
tional Textile Workers Union
picket line and are demanding
that Keller recall the scabs he
sent in to work. Keller refuses
point blank, saying that he is out
to smash the National Textile
Workers Union and he doesn't
care how he does it.
The National Textile Workers
Union is holding a Public Trial
of Keller for this treachery and
calls upon all Paterson workers
on all organizations to partici.
pate in this trial, to testify to
his strikebreaking role, and to
help bring in a verdict.
The trial will be held in the
Washington Hall, 81 Goodwin
ST., Paterson, Friday, June /,
at s p. m. Martin Russak, ed
itor of the Textile Workers
Voice." will be the prosecutor,
and Alfred Wagenknecht of
the Workers international Re-
lief will act as presiding
Judge. The jury will be elected
right from the audience.