The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-11
Boat Builder
On Strike /
BrooklynYar
By JOHN RATOR

NY, won their strike for uni
recognition and an increase of
cents an hour. Ever since tn
Wheeler has been trying to ms
panic in the ranks of the worke
by firing strike leaders. The fl
man to lose his job was the sh
steward; man who had worked
Wheeler's for five years. His wo
had been satisfactory all this tin
but suddenly one week after
strike ended Wheeler decided tn
this man is inefficient, and he
his walking papers, The wor
eTS Immediately elected anoth
shop steward-a man who work.
at Wheelers for four years. He, tC
was fired. In six successive wee
Wheeler discharged six shop steS
ards.
No doubt remained but tn;
Wheeler was firing men for Il
sole offense of being union men
bers. The workers demanded II
instatement of the dismissed me:
and when their demand was denie
strike was declared, and picket
ing began. Some white livered seal
remained in the shop, but Wheel
er's production schedule was badl
disrupted. After all, with the bes
men out on strike, the few bleatin
scabs could not maintain a pro
duction schedule. Wheeler was sur
that new workers would replace tn
strikers, but NOT ONE new VIC 20
entered the yard, after he lea
that a strike was on.
Faced with another strikers VIC
tory, Wheeler did what so oftel
has been done by other bosses. HIT
descended. to the lowest depth o.
sadistic deprayity. To Wheeler
an x-minister-the most Shiny
brutal and inhuman means are not
too beastly to bust" strike. He
sent for police to patrol the ship
yard, although picketing was as
peaceful as any Sunday school out
ing of Wheeler's erstwhile cong'e-
cation. The police, of course, =
sidered a gathering Of two WORT s
a mob" and kept them NOV. G..
On the morning of Saturday,
June 2, a striker walked into
Wheeler's yard, to call for his tools.
Wheeler told him to come back at
$3.50. When the worker returned
there was no cop in sight. Police
had been there every day from 8
am. to 80 pm, but now at $3.50,
the police were not there. The strik-
er did not have long to wait to
have his suspicious confirmed.
Twelve gorillas jumped out of
two Franklin sedans, and push
ed the worker through the gate
and into the yard, and there, in
front of Wheeler, they began beat
ing him numerically. He pleaded
with Wheeler to call of these jack
ais, but TO no avail. After satisfy
ing Wheeler's fiendish desire, the
gangsters bundled the worker into
one of their cars and drove him
to an empty lot, where they kicked
him out, beat him again, and left
him lying there, prone and helpless.
The work of these hoodlums was
not done. They approached other
workers, threatened them with
guns and warned them to keep the
hell away from the shipyard, or
somebody will be found in a lot
punctured with ice pick holes. +"
These ruffians trail workers from
the shipyards to their homes to in
timidate them; they accost them on
lonely streets and on elevator sta
tons, and warn them against the
consequences if their dirty faces
are seen near Wheeler's shipyard. .
These are the terrorist methods
employed to break strikers. To do
the job properly there must be a
neat arrangement between hood
lums and police, for the police t.
absent themselves when dirt.
work" is to be done. This is the
bosses answer to peaceful picketing-
In their crusade of terrorism they
unleash with unbridled fury pack
of nlercenary gangster dogs, who
cripple and MAIN peaceful workers.
But the heroic strikers are firm.
They continue their strike; they
continue to picket. There has been
enough provocation to cause the