The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-28
Cleveland Workers Greet
NRA With Strike Wave
Unparalleled Since 1919

workers on the picket line have al
ready felt the clubs and hooIs of
the Cleveland mounted police. SINH
larly, the laid-off c. W. A. workers
who demanded their pay checks
and continuation of their jobs. In
this situation, the representatives
of the boss class inside the ranks
Of the workers are brought forward
boldly-the A. F. of L. and Socialist
Party.
The main role of the A. F. of L..
which has had the full support of
the Socialist Party, has been to
prevent strikes, and tie the workers
to the wheels of the Roosevelt
Wagner no-strike machinery. Realiz-
ing the key Importance of Fisher
Body Co. and the determination of
the men to strike, which had been
stimulated by the activities of the
Communist Party and the Auto
Workers Union, the A. F. of l..
threw its full forces into this plant,
under the false slogan of strike
under the A. F. of L." In this way,
they exploited the strike sentiment
of the men, in order to betray them,
first by counselling delay after the
strike vote was taken, then sending
delegations to Washington, and
finally heralding as a victory the
great fraud Of Roosevelt and Green,
which did not grant higher wages
or abolish the company union.
During these serious days at
Fisher Body, these takers, McKin-
non and Mckinney, had sleepless
nights, pleading and maneuvering
with the men at the gates not to
go on strike Where the men have
insisted upon strikes, the main role
of the A. F. of L. has been to get
the strike over with the slightest
inconvenience to the boss. Instead
of placing the fight for increased
wages in the forefront they have
forgotten about this central demand.
IN order to try and save their face
1 before the workers, the local A..
F. of L. leaders have adopted a So
cialist front. They allow the So
cialist Party to use their head
quarters for all meetings. Socialist
speakers are brought to strike
meetings. The leaders of the A. F.
of l.. speak with O'Neal at the
Ohio Socialist Convention. In the
New Leader of March 10, August
Claessens, referring to Cleveland,
states:
Our outstanding achievement is
the excellent contacts established
with the trade unions. Recognizing
this talent of the Socialists, it is
quite natural that the enlightened
leadership in these unions should
welcome our assistance"
Not Enough Communist Action
In such circumstances, the acti-
vities of the Communist Party have
been increased, but as yet not
enough. While Communists have
been active in the struggle of the
unemployed and homeowners, the
main weaknesses is in leading the
wave of strike struggles. 1t is true
that the industrial unions have Or
ganized six new locals-have led
successful struggles which won 10 to
Is per cent wage increases as well
as union recognition in Chandler
and Price Cleveland Furniture,
Chase Brass, etc. Similarly, some
militant action has been conducted
in some big plants under the i'm
mediate control of the A. F. of L.
All this is not enough.
The Communist Party must boldly
be in the forefront of all the strug-
giles of the workers, particularly the
strike struggles. 1t must rally thou
sands of non-Party workers around
its slogans and fighting platform,
particularly inside the A. F. of L.
locals. 1t must broaden these
struggles and show the role of the
Davis government, which was elected
under many demagogic slogans.
Particularly is it necessary to expose
the role of the Davis government
with its Republican machine among
the Negro politicians, and show the
Negro people, in action, that the
Davis machine is part of the jim
crow lynch government, which has
lynched Negroes this year, keeps the
Scottsboro boys in jail, jim crows
the Negroes in the worst houses
and sections of the city, and
approves of all the practices of
economic, political and social in
equality right in Cleveland as
throughout the land.
Fight New Deal War Plans.
May Day, 1884, must be a day of
struggle in Cleveland. 1t will re-
vive the historical tradition Of 1919.
when Cleveland workers, $4,000
strong, shook their mighty fist
against imperialist W., Inder the
leadership Of c. E. Ruthenberg and
the growing # wing of that day.
May Day. 1884, will also symbolic
the struggle of Cleveland workers
against the growing oppression of
the New Deal Government and its