The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-13
Furniture Union to
Tackle Mich. and
Big Southern Plants
Delegate to Convention
Exposes Milwaukee
Prison Labor
BY HARRY RAYMOND

BY HARRY RAYMOND
NEW YORK.-Wherever there are
big furniture factories-in High Point,
N. c., Grand Rapids, Mich, and in
the New England states-here will be
the major concentration points for
the locals Of the Furniture Workers
Industrial Union when the delegates
return from the First National Con-
vention, which ended here last night.
Statistics brought before the con-
vention in the organizational report
Of Joe Kiss, national secretary of the
union, showed that in the Point re-
gion alone there are over 5000 fur
n1ture workers who are totally I'M
organized and working under the
vilest conditions. In Grand Rapids,
Mich, one of the largest furniture
centers in the country, there are
10000 workers in the trade. Although
the union has made good advances in
Boston, having organized over 1000
workers, there are still 5000 unor-
ganized furniture workers throughout
the New England states.
These are the most important
Centers in the furniture industry
said Borodkin. chairman of the
resolutions committee. Our main
task is to concentrate in these cen
ters."
Delegate c. Hannula, representing
1,100 workers of the Allied Furniture
Union of Gardner, Mass, reported
that his organization was in touch
with all these centers, especially
those in the South. He offered the
cooperation Of his organization to
build up fighting unions in these Sec
tions Of the country.
Minor Gets Ovation
Enthusiastic applause greeted Rob
ert Minor, Communist candidate fol
mayor of New York in the recent
elections, who brought greetings to
the convention from the Central Com
mittee Of the Communist Party.
Minor was arrested a few months
ago while leading a picket line during
the strike of the Progressive Table
workers and is still out on bail facing
charges for his activities in fighting
against an injunction gotten oui
against the furniture workers.
There is no use kidding our
selves" said Minor. william
Green and Vol, leaders of the
American Federation of Labor, are
openly working for the bosses,
breaking strikes and attempting to
stop every movement Of the work
ers. The Communist Party strives
to unite the entire working class
in the struggle for bread. While
there may be some delegates who do
not agree with me politically, we
must all stick together on the
picket line"
Max Bedacht, in q ten minute
speech Monday morning, brought
greetings to the convention from tbs
International workers Order. Tht
convention voted unanimously to AFT
late nationally with the I. w. o. ant
send news Of the affiliation to al
locals throughout the country.
The resolutions committee began
reporting during the latter part o
Sundays session and continued Mon
day morning.
To Build Strike Fund
A resolution calling for the building
up Of q big national strike fund wa
loudly greeted by the delegates.
There was a resolution calling TO
q struggle against the Roosevelt code
which has cut the wages to 80 cent
an hour in the South and rs cents II
the north. The resolution calls fo
tight for 70 cents minimum TO
unskilled and 10 cents to SITS fo
skilled operators, metal bed workers
broom workers, varnishers, t1nisf1ers
etc.
For Jobless Insurance
A resolution calling for the organi
2ation of the furniture workers in sup
port Of the movement, which the I'm
employed Councils and other Iabo
organizations started, to pass TIN
Workers Unemployment Insurance
Bill, was unanimously adopted.
There we're resolutions dealing viii
the special problems of women in tn
furniture industry, demanding equa
pay for equal work, resolution de-
handing equal rights for Negrt
workers, one supporting the struggl,
against the vicious deportation pro
ceedings which the Roosevelt govern
ment is taking against militan
foreign born workers.
Tackle Youth Problem
The special resolution on the you'll
question points out that % per cen
Of those working in the furniture in
dustry are young workers. It call
for the formation of a youth com
mittee to deal with the problems o
| the young workers. Numerous othe,
resolutions call for determined
struggle TO free the nine innocen
Scottsboro boys, Tom Mooney anC
all class war prisoners. A resolution
protests against the fascist terror il
| Germany and demands the freedom