The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-26
By HAYS JONES

SaIlk5Ss CERTAIN JIE4lQS oJd44Q ONt
clearly: the growing demand for
unity in action, the increased mill
tancy of the workers, the collapse
of the N. R. A. illusions. and the role
of the American Federtion Of Labor
officials as supporters Of the govern
ment and the capitalist. Twenty
thousand longshoremen have struck
Il the last month. on the Gulf.
West and East Coasts. The West
Coast is tied I'D now, in spite Of all
efforts to break down the militant
spirit of the longshoremen.
The strike on the West Coast has
remained a coastwise strike, in
spite of efforts by the government,
and the I. L. A. officials to split it
up into ports. and settle with each
local apart from the others. The
longshoremen have resisted this
tendency from the start, insisting on
a c0astwfde agreement and coast
wide action. Ryan was more sue
cessful in the Gulf. The strike
started as a coastal affair, showing
that the longshoremen realize the
need Of covering all the ports at
once. But the strike in Mobile failed
after a few days, the company
unions in New Orleans abandoned
the strike for 10c wage increase,
and Ryan himself divided off the
Sabine River Ports from the Texas
ports in settling the strike,
Moreover, on the West Coast, the
seamen Joined the longshoremen on
strike giving it an industrial char
acter. The seanen came out in re-
Spouse to the call of the Marine
Workers Industrial Union, or with
out any organizational call at all,
when asked to work cargo. Later,
under mass pressure from their
membership, the International Sea-
mems Union officials were forced to
call their members out on strike. but
they have consistently refused to
Join in the Seamen's United Front
Strike Committee The I. w w.
performed its customary function of
trying to split the workers ranks,
by refusing to join the United Front.
I, W W. members Joined it, how
ever. There are now 5000 seamen
and u to Is thousand longshore-
men on strike on the West Coast.
The strike marks the collapse of
the N. r. A. illusions. The men
waited almost a year for the N. r.
A. to help" them. With the Sec
ton "a" delusion in their heads,
they reorganized the I. L. A., which
was smashed in 1919, and replaced
bv Fink Halls,-company unions.
After their leaders had double
crossed them out of striking in
March, with the aid of telegram
from Roosevelt, they we're handed
over TO a mediation board This
board found public meetings en-
barrassing because too many long
shoremen attended. They withdrew
into secrecy and reached an early
agreement. This agreement recog-
nized the hated Blue Book (com-
pany union) as the equal Of the
l. L. A.. as an independent organ
ization Of the workers. 1t denied the
strike right, and set up a compul-
sorry arbitration scheme. It denied
the important demand for job con-
troll and union control of hiring and
firing It granted only part of the
wages demanded Then the I, L. A,
officials tried to put this over. by
trick votes in the locals The men
woke to the meaning of mediation
and gave a weeks notice Of their
determination to get their demands
or strike. The week ended and they
struck. They have no more faith
in the N. R. A. nor in the Federal
Government as a friend
N. Y. Strike sabotaged
Outstanding as a piece of official
sabotage is the New York strike
Here the men did not belong to the
I. L. A.. but Ryans delegates put a
Gordon across the Clyde Mallory
Dock gate, drove the 1ongshoremen
away without telling them why the
strike was on. He stopped the de-
mand for militant action, and big
strike, by this use of his gangsters
in cooperation with the police tc
keen the workers from picketing
while scabs had free access to the
dock. Mr. Ryan did this, not to
raise wages or reduce sir : eads. He
said their workers are satisfied
that all they wanted was the
privilege of joining the I. l.. A.. and
letting him speak for them. After
ten daTs the strike is called off
with "plebiscite' in which the ner
have the dubious choice of Mr.. Ryan
or Mr.. Mallory, the I. L. A. or q
company union. both of which the
men would reject If third alter
native were offered, But the Re-
gional Labor Board rigidly refuses
to allow a third choice.
Hit Red Scare
Efforts to isolate the leaders of
the rank ana f1le movement, TO
damn them as communists" met
quick response, and proper response.
on the floor of the unions. The
NJ w. I. U. failed to gain the
prestige it deserved because the
comrades were too afraid to bring it
forward in early stages Of the strug-
gle
The strike Of seven hundred Negro
longshorernen in Norfolk rightly be-
longs in any. consideration of these
strikes, although it was under M. w.
I. u leadership, not that of the
I. L. A.
When the NJ. w. I. U. organized
these men, neglected by the 7. L. A.,
and led them on strike, the I. L. A.
in Hampton Roads.
his willingness to fur
lisa Sesbs to break the strike. More