The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-13
A. A. Mem berS Should
Demand Strike Action

policy laid down by the Steel and Metal
Workers Industrial Union for preparations
of the steel strike, to be entirely correct.
AS predicted by the S. M. w. L u, the
Roosevelt government through General Johnson,
offered the steel workers nothing but the company
union in the most open and brazen form. Johnson
spit upon the workers, treated them with contempt
IN real Hitler style.
The Roosevelt administration went even further
than the auto strike sell-out, proposing only the
"plan" of the Iron and Steel Institute as the N.
R. AS own plan-that is board of three to ar
bitrate" through the company unions only
The declaration Of the National Board of the
s. M W. L u, that the N r. A. and the entire
Roosevelt administration is following the policy of
attempting to prevent the steel strike and to defeat
the demands of the steel workers by arbitration"
schemes has been borne out to the letter
Mike Tighe strikebreaking president of the Anal
gamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Work
ers "a. p. of L. also remained true to his ira
ditional role of open strikebreaker Tighe accepted
the company union plan of the N. R. A. and the
steel companies Fundamentally and tried to force
the steel workers to accept it. He has tried to
fuse and split the steel workers. effectively delaying
strike preparations while the steel companies were
arning to the teeth He tries to take leadership of
the strike preparations in order to behead the strike
In this situation, the criticisms also leveled by
the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union at
the Committee Of Ten elected by the recent con-
vention of the Amalgamated Association, has been
fully justified by events The Committee of Ten
embraced Mike Tighe publicly in violation of their
conventions instructions.
At the same time the Committee of Ten rejected
the proposals of the s. M w I. U for united strike
preparations and joint committees in the mills to
prepare the strike. The Committee of Ten made no
strike preparations but lost valuable time staying
in Washington, issuing statements praisng Roose-
welt and Tighe. They dropped the economic de-
mands decided upon by the convention which elected
them They put forward only the demand for the
right to collective bargaining under the N. R. A.
They spread illusions that Roosevelt would help
them and that the N. r. A.-which was working
to the company union down their threats
had their interests at heart.
These district leaders Of the Analgamated As
ISOLATION upon leaving Washington declared that
they have no more faith in Roosevelt that they
are disillusioned with the N. R. A. and are going
back into the field to prepare for action.
THE time has arrived now when these district
leaders of the A A. including the Committee of
Ten, must take a stand either for or against the
demands of the steel worker-either for or against
immediate strike preparations.
Mike Tighe has called convention of the A. A.
to take place this Thursday June H. two days be-
fore the strike is scheduled to begin. Tighe has
already invited Johnson to speak and take part in
tbs convention There is doubt that the strategy
of the Tighe-Leonard machine, of the Roosevelt
government and the steel companies will be to try
to demoraize the ranks of the steel workers. to try
to delay the strike, to lead the steel workers fight
into the channels of government arbitration" and
straight to the company union, to try to force the
steel workers to drop their demands for better wages
better working conditions and union recognition
Roosevelt is being held in reserve to appeal per-
sonally to the steel workers to abandon their de-
mands and accept the fascist company union ar
bitration.
The time for shilly- shalIying is past Either
the district leaders of the A. A. must prepare the
strike and organize the struggle for the steel
workers. or betray the steel workers and continue
to follow in the path of Tighe, johnson, and the
steel companies
The tasks of the rank and file delegates to the
June IA convention are to prepare the strike: to
insist on putting forward the economic demands
already voted on by the steel workers. to reject all
arbitration by the government, which means to
reject company unionism to prepare the steel strike
on the basis of complete unity of all the steel work
ers, as proposed by the S. M VIII
In order to carry out this task it is absolutely
necessary to brush aside Mike Tighe and his ma
chine to completely break with his treacherous pocv
of strikebreaking and company llnionism The Com
mittee of Ten must now take definite stand -
either for or against unity. Either for or against
the strike, either for or against the economic de-
mands of the steel workers. either for or against
the company union arbitration
The steel workers watching these district
leaders of the A A. closely. The rank and file in
the A. A. must take the strike preparations at once
into their own hands. They should elect their
united front strike committees in every mill They
should brush aside the Tghe-Leonard machine at
the June IA convention and brush aside any dis
trct leaders who lay the treacherous game of Tighe
OF delay and sabotage of the strike preparations
The steel workers know that only by fight can
they win their demands They will support those
local leaders who prepare the strike and depose all
traitors and waverers
THE Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union
has the task of preparing and leading the strike
IN each mill where it has sufficient organization
The S. M w I. U. takes the lead in each mill where