The daily worker., 1934-04-12
Rr John /. sPIYAK

FRESNO, Cal.-The A. F.
Of L. locals here feel the ef-
fects, especially since their
own unions have not been
particularly aggressive in bet
tering union conditions or even in
fighting for the enforcement Of code
guarantees. II is only within the
past year that the standard trades
like building have shown the slight
est sign Of life. During the past
five years many Of the former con-
seTystive union men and their
families have been driven either to
charity or into the migratory class
Of workers-and over 400 former
union men became migratory work
ers who used to be members Of
Fresno local alone.
These former union men who now
wander endlessly about the state
from field to field, in the process
Of their migrstions, return to the
area they started from. They meet
their former associates and tell of
the conditions they work under, the
wage scales, the indifference Of the
A. F, of L. TO organizing agricul-
tural workers unless they can be
classed as trade like lettuce pack
ers, and point out that Communists
are organizing winning strikes.
1t might be advisable to take I'D
here the question Of why organizers
are able to make very perceptible
gains and have apparently not been
able to make them in other areas I
visited. AS near as I have been able
TO ascertain there are two reasons:
1.-The strikers greatest advantage
is the crop itself. The crop must be
picked Immediately after It is ripe
or the entire crop is lost to the
farmer who had borrowed money
towards it, had worked and had
waited whole year for this har-
7esting. Peas for instance, must be
picked within the week, cotton be-
fore it rains, etc.
2-The absence of highly central
lied and efficient anti-red propa-
ganda. This area has not been sub
jected to the high pressure anti
Communist propaganda carried on
in the East. This applies equally to
the business man as bo the A. F.
Of L. and the newspapers.
Ever since the I.W.W. passed out
of the picture as factor in organ
izing migratory workers, things
we're undisturbed here. There was
no threat against farmers or their
labor clearance houses. like Agri-
cultural Labor Bureaus which set
wage scales, hours Of work, etc.
When Communist activities
among migratory workers, and later.
among small farmers. started in
1892, the red-scare machine was
not functioning. Communists we're
thus able to gain q foothold which
was tremendously strengthened by
their winning several small strikes.
Newspapers and business men are
only Just waking up to the Red
menace" and an intensive publicity
drive Is on now in the capitalist
press as well as almost hysterical
activity by vigilante groups, fascist
organizations and the law itself.
CONSERVATIVE la Dor leaders
v have tried TO close their eyes to
conditions in the agricultural fields
because they didn't want to be-
come radical" as c. E. Dowd. presi-
dent of the Fresno Labor Council.
told me,
Why, do you know, a reporter told
me that he was present when sew
ersl Tulare County farmers took
some Of these migratory strikers
and shot them down in cold blood.
The reporter was there. He saw it.
These workers were marrned, too;
They didn't even have club with
them when they we're shot down.
Now the district attorney in Tu-
lare County has drawn up an ordi-
nance which would make it a crime
for two or more automobiles to park
close together at the same time
anywhere in the county. You know,
we're supposed to have freedom of
assemblage and that ordinance is
designed to stop it. They're trying
10 keep these migratory workers
from oongregating anywhere for
meeting. That's the purpose Of the
bill.
AS rule the A. p. Of L, is not
interested in organizing migratory
workers They give as reasons that
they are notoriously bad dues pay
ing members and too wandering
tribe to keep track Of. Yet, though