The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-15

1ustries, already planning
FOR the election of delegates.
In the United Mine Work
srs, no less than four districts in
this area are waging determined
struggle against appointed and
elected officials of the John L. Lewis
machine in preparation for the COM
ing international elections Dec. IL.
In District No 5. U. M. w. A.
which has autonomy but is Lewis
dominated by President Pat Pagan
the conference is seen as an excel
lent means of coordinating the COM
paign to GUST Pagan and supplant
him with Chas. Nolker, Scotty
O'Hara, and Robert Crawford as
distri& president, vice president
and secretary treasurer, respectively.
Local unions at Renton, Russellton
Harwick, and Harmarville have re-
ceived calls and should lead the
anti-Fagan movement in the Rank
and File Conference.
rlBnI Lewis AppOlntce
Districts and 2, U. M. w. A. are
under the yoke of Lewis appointees
and are fighting for autonomy. In
District No 3, q. M. w. A., West
mo-eland County, where President
Frank Hughes and George Metrick
head the Lewis machine. the local
unions of Export, Yukon. (where the
first one-car-a-day strike occurred
Westmoreland City, Manor, Rill-
ten, and Wyano have received calls
and ara laying pans for the sending
of delegates.
District No g. U. M w. A. locals
at Central City, Homer City, Wind
be-, Eooversville, and Portage are
in the fight to gain autonomy and
Gust President James Marks and
John Ghizzoni, international board
member. At Central City the dis
trict has attempted to split the
local into four parts, and at Hoov-
ersville, Marks and Ghizzoni were
unsuccessful in attacking Frank
McKenna for serving as chairman
of the Unemployment Council and
local president.
Fayette Locals Militant
District No. 4, U. M. w. A. in Fay
cite County, home of the F--ick and
Rainey interests, has been so well
fought for by the rank and file that
already wholesale recruitment in
the Unemployment Councils from
the U. M. w. A. ranks has taken
place In many places the presi-
dents OF locals are also the militant
chairmen of U. c.. locals.
District No 6, U. M. w. A. in
Eastern Ohio, is also fighting to get
rid OF Percy Tetlow, appointed presi-
dent. and set up an autonomous
district. Here petitions have already
been circulated demanding cleo
tions. the wo-k led by local unions
at Adena, Glen's Run. Lansing,
Powhattan Point. and Dillonsville.
In all Of these fields, rank and file
fights, varying somewhat in each
different section, are now in prog
ress, and the Conference offers the
opportunity OF each district and
local union prof1ting by the others
experience.
Struggle In Steel Locals
In steel, the struggle against the
reforr1ist policies of Mike Tighe. &
Co., at the head Of the Amalga-
mated Association, who betrayed
the steel strike this June, should
be greatly spseded by the Rank
and File Conference.
The sell-out Of the strike by Tighe
and VIM. Green, though it drove
many workers out of the ranks Of
the A. A. for good, left a goodly
number of loyal union men still
holding their books, dissatisfied with
the raw deal which they had re-
ceived, but unable to date to wage
concerted war to wrest control of
the organization from present lead
ers.
In A. A. District especially,
the Western Pennsylvania area,
there exists now stiff opposition to
Tighe and his policies, but it is un-
organized. The support evidenced
at recent district conference for
the resolution passed and sent out
by District (Detroit)-a protest
against splitting the union for sep
arate local hearings before the labor
board and demand for a nation
wide conference between steel en-
ployers and the A. Ais proof of
this sentiment.
All this rank and file power can
be organized and directed into we'll
planned channels through the utili-
cation of the Rank and File Con-
ference as foundry to hammer
out future policy for the al;ti-Tighe
fight.
All A. A. locals have been sent
the Conference calls and those OF
the type typifed by Clarion are
already planning to have delegates
present.
Aluminium Workers to Attend
Delegates from the Aluminium
Workers Union, where a successful
fight Is growing around the placing
of control of the union back in the
hands Of the rank and file, will also
attend.
In all three of these industries
the workers are faced with an i'm
mediate struggle not only within