The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-24
TUESDAY, APRIL "a, 1884.
Spread the Auto Strike

THE anti-strike floodgates in the auto
L industry have finally been broken
through, and between 10000 and 10000
auto workers are on strike in Cleveland
and St. Louis Overriding all efforts of
the top A. F. of L. leaders to prevent the
strike, the Fisher Body and Chevrolet
workers in these cities by their determine
ton and enthusiasm for struggle have forced ac-
ton.
Every worker should rally to their support should
bend every effort to see that these strikes end in
victory for the workers and their organization.
But the Cleveland and ST. Louis workers do not
enter the battle unscathed. As the Daily Worker
pointed out the whole effort Of the Roosevelt adj
ninistration working hand-in-glove with the Ma
tional Automobile Chamber of Commerce and the
Green, Collins g. Co. leadership of the A F. of L..
was to delay and thwart strike action by the auto
workers at the peak of the season When the
majority of the 250OOO auto workers in this country
were ready for mighty battle that would win them
all victory the Roosevelt government thanks to
the yeomsn service of the A. F. of L. bureaucracy
was able to spike action at that time.
Now whole series Of scattered auto strikes have
been going in Wisconsin Toledo, and Detroit.
The strength of the auto workers has been
diverted and Slapped by their leaders through mani
pulations with President Roosevelt and the Auto
mobile Labor Board
But the action Of the Cleveland and st. Louis
workers should arouse the workers of the entire
auto industry to new determination and action The
strike should Immediately be spread In every auto
local. in every auto plant the workers should now
take up the question Of joining this strike of sup
porting their fellow workers in Fisher Body and
Chevrolet and fighting for their own demands.
The Cleveland and ST. Louis workers must re-
member that their leaders at meeting in Pontiac
Mich, together with Collins and the other A. F. of
L. betrayers agreed not to call strike They called
for reliance on the Automobile Labor Board. A
strike was forced over their heads. But they still
have their hands the guiding threads, and they
will do everything possible to work with the Auto
mobile Labor Board (Which will come into the strike
quickly in order to defeat the workers demands
to prevent the strike from spreading.
EVERY maneuver OF the Automobile Labor Board
L should be rejected as the direct representative
of the automobile bosses.
The immediate problem of the strikers in Or
der to strengthen their strike to avert betrayas to
rally the maximum fighting spirit of the workers
is to force through the election of rank and file
the plants should have their representatives on the
strike committee. There must be mass picketing
AS one striker in Detroit said: 1--WE want picket
line, not lovers lane" In Cleveland thousands
of workers drawn to the strike front but kept
from the picket line by their leaders. They know
their place is on the picket lines
There must be no settlement without meeting
OF all the strikers and vote of the workers The
strikers should demand rank and file negotiations
committee to meet with the bosses to discuss the
demands, and should not leave this most important
matter to those leaders who fought against and are
now trying to cripple the strike.
The Cleveland and st. Louis workers have
thrown down the challenge and are backing it up
with militant action It should be taken up by
auto workers everywhere, in Detroit, Flint Pontiac
Now is another opportunity for the auto workers to
win their demands Of union recognition and higher
wages, despite the disemboweng betrayals, the de-
lays and sell-outs by their A. F. of l.. leaders.