The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-20
KELLER TRIES
TO HEAD OFF
BIG WALKOUT
Dyers Keep All Mills
Closed With Strong
Picket Lines
SCABS ARE HALTED
Silk Viewers Incensed
Over Negotiations
By Morgan
SCABS ARE HALTED

PATERSON, Nov. 19.-The large
est number Of dye pickets since the
beginning of the dye strike turned
out this morning at every plant in
response to widespread publicity
that attempts will be made to start
operation with scabS today. Every
plant remained closed in the entire
strike area.
On the other hand. Eli Keller,
manager of the American Fedora
ton of Silk Workers. made des-
perate attempts to head of the
strike which the workers unani-
mously decided will begin at mid
night Wednesday. In a statement
to the capitalist press he declared
that strike sanction must be given
by the Joint Executive Board, and
the National Executive Board. But
a meeting of the Joint Executive
Board is deliberately set for Thurs
day. day after the strike call takes
effect This open strikebreaking
maneuver has aroused tremendous
indignation among the workers who
have demanded that the meeting
take place prior to Wednesday eve
ming.
AS this dispatch is being written,
an Executive Board meeting of the
broad silk department is in session,
where it is expected a decision will
be reached for an early meeting Of
the Shop Chairmen and delegates
in whose hands the conduct of the
strike was voted at Saturdays
membership meeting. There is no
doubt that the strike will take full
effect on Wednesday at midnight,
but Keller's attempts are chiefly
aimed at holding back some Of the
other branches in the industry,
such as the Wrappers and loom
flXers.
The net result out of the effort
of the dye bosses to rally scabs,
were three dye foremen at the
Vogue Piece Dye Works. Several
hundred pickets were Immediately
on hand. The vice-president of the
union, Charles Vigoritto, and the
shop chairman headed a committee
which went into the plant, and the
foremen were taken off.
Many Pickets in Lodi
Lodi likewise saw its biggest pick
ct line today. There the dye bosses
conceived of a petition among the
workers of those who want TO re-
turn" One of the solicitors for such
petition is the Kuenen Drug
Store. A large picket line was soon
on hand at the drug store, and some
picketed all day with Don't Pat
ronize" sandwich signs.
The dye house owners are pre-
pairing for Wednesday evening
when so-called impartial hearing
is to take place, to which five Of
the workers side and five of the
manufacturers side are invited.
This is organized through the eff
forts of the business men in the
city, and they will likewise hand
down a verdict" The workers will
send representatives, but it is quite
commonly considered that this is
part of the effort to mobilize
opinion against the strikers.
Weavers Incensed
Silk weavers are especially in
censed at the reported negotiations
going on between the silk manu-
facturers and Thomas F. Morgan,
as counsel for the union.
Morgan was never authorized to me-
gotiate for the workers. H is q
former partner of Mayor Hinch-
kliffe in the silk business and a local
politician. At Saturdays member
ship meeting workers demanded to
know how this former manufactur-
er came to represent the union.
But no answer could be forced from
Keller.
Keller, who at Saturdays meeting
called workers forced to work under
the scale scabs. and his clique we're
decisively defeated in the election
of delegates at the national con-
vention at that meeting.