davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03
By . Worker Corresnondent

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.-The bosses
NJ Mitchell's Specially Co. are max
ing strenuous efforts to smash the
Radio and Metal Workers Indus
trial Union in their plant by try
ing to force a company union on
the men. The toolmakers, however,
arc resisting the effort, and pledge
continued support Of their union.
Because of the success of the tool
makers, and because of the miser-
able wages of IS cents an hour for
punch press operators, workers in
The production department pressed
Tor organization. At a shop meet
ing last Monday, June "a, 40 per
cent of the workers Joined the
Radio and Metal Workers Indus
trial Union,
The bosses Immediately got busy,
and on Wednesday, as the men were
preparing to leave the plant after
work, they were told to remain, and
that they would be paid overtime.
The president of the firm then
hsrangued the men for over an
hour, trying to persuade them that
a company union was more de-
sirable and more valuable than
their own rank and file union. But
the men were not to be fooled, and
only 10 out of more than 100 pres
emit joined the union, under pres
sure Of the president.
The tool makers then forced the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03

The morning after the Baer-
Camera fight I shouted: Read all
about the fight-against company
unions in the steel industry" Some
smiled, all were stirred.
If worker carried a Mirror"
under his arm, I'd refer to the
steel headline on it and the letters
of the steel workers on page four
of the Daily"
The one method that has definite
results is the approach through
conversation. I ask pa5scrby a
question-"What do you think Of"
and for three minutes walk and
talk with him, Selling upon an issue
which seems to be close to him, and
try to show the need for organiza-
ton and unity and bring in the
role of the Daily This does the
trick.
To seize what is popular at the
moment; to convert it to class lines,
works. The first day ten new
readers were made Il was with an
other comrade). This will be fol-
lowed up until organizational re-
suits arc obtained. L. B..
Unit IL, Sec. 5.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03
Workers in Mitchell's Plant.
Phila., Fight Company Union
Bosses attempt By Trick Ballot to Smash Radio
and Metal Workers Organisations

bosses to meet with them and the
bosses were forced to recognize
their shop committee, but ordered
them to keep away from the pro-
duction department.
Shortly after this, on Friday
June %, the bosses distributed bal
lots amonk the workers and ordered
them to vote. The ballots had three
questions on tn EN-, confusingly
phrased, with the purpose of fool
ing the workers into voting for the
company union under the impress
sion that they were voting for a
union of their own. The ballots
read:
l. Do you want employee repre-
sentation by means of your own or
ganization? Yes or no?
2. Do you want representation
by an outside union? Yes or no?
3. Do you want representation
by means other than individual
recognition? Yes or no?
The confusing way the first ques-
ton was stated fooled many work
ers into thinking they were voting
for a union of their own choice,
and they voted yes. However, when
they found out that the bosses had
tried to fool them, they pledged
continued effort to build the Radio
and Metal workers Industrial
Union, which they recognize as the
only union capable CT fighting for
better conditions for them.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03
~ Doctor
.lAA11E>IEaOGg
n % 90
adA]aAR0:
By PAUL LUTTINGER, MD.

Among the preparations which
gave no protection were the Valaze
burn Oil manufactured by
Helena Ruhinstein, Sun Tan Oil and
Life Guard Tan.
In buying a sunburn preparation,
you must be sure to scrutinize the
label carefully, so that you do not
use a preparation for burns" in
general for the purpose of sunburn
prevention. The claims made by
the manufacturers are often ambig-
uous, so as to serve a double pur-
pose.
A severe sunburn should not be
taken lightly and should be treated
by physician. Light cases can be
relieved by the old-fashioned Carron
Oil, which is a mixture of equal
quantities of water and linseed oil.
Pure olive oil or olive oil containing
enc per cent thymol has also been
recommended as affective and
alternating the symptoms of sun
burn.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03
Daily" Helps Defeat Company
Union in Harrison Steel Plant
Conditions Are Menace
To Health of Crucible
Steel Workers
By a Worker Correspondent

HARRISON, N J.-Working con-
ditions in the Atha Works of the
Crucible Steel Co. are far from
being conductive to the good health
of the workers. The buildings in
the main have been erected prior to
the World War. The amounts de-
Quoted for depreciation and main
tainance were more than enough to
replace all the buildings and equip
ment. Yet one finds this huge
plant in state of decay. The
roofs leak, the rain drips down on
the workers. After rain the oily
floors become very slippery, making
it extremely dangerous. The great
est part of the machines, erected
during the war, offer little protec-
ton. Guards on many could be en-
ployed to advantage.
In winter the little heat supplied
to the workers on machines is from
old oil drums with holes punched
in the sides in which fires are kept
going. A common expression is,
You roast in the rear and freeze
in the front" The company Off
Gals evidently think the workers
would work even harder to keep
from freezing. The smoke is so
thick and heavy that the men are
continually coughing, The company
refuses to turn on steam into the
radiators.
Drinking facilities abe abomin-
able. Here one can get water that
is being used for a stage in the
processing of materials; there one
can get a drink out of an anti
quated drinking apparatus that once
iced water, this equipment being
covered with years of dust. In
places one can get drink from the
faucets of the washing basins, these
being so filthy that men refuse to
wash in them. And in scattered
instances the iron pail and the tin
dipper are used.
Unsanitary toilets, the type that
offer no privacy whatsoever, are
placed in spots not according to
the convenience of workers but
where the places could be of no use
otherwise. The workers use these
toilets for emergency. And this
when there are toilets put up for
women during the war that are in
a perfect condition that have been
disconnected so that they cannot
be used.
Locker rooms are little dungeons
of brick into which moo sunlight or
air ever enters. The small windows
are encrrsted with the dust of
years. The lockers offer no pro-
lection whatsoever, since few of
them are capable of being locked.
There are no shades for the lights
that hang over various machines.
The workers have constructed
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03

Only Is more days left before the
date set for the opening of the
great International Women's Con-
gress Against War and Fascism, in
Paris And delegates must be
elected, financed and on the water
a week before that! The greatest
intensification of support is neces-
Sary, both for the election and
financing of delegates. The Con-
gress itself looms as increasingly
significant and important with the
swift intensification of interna-
tional contradictions, and internal
conflict or unrest in capitalist ma
tions, when tell-tale sparks fly from
Germany's disrupted and clashing
governmental and economic ma
chinery.
If there was a key of gunpowder
on the international scene in 1914,
there are hogsheads of nitroglycerin
now. Anticipating hugely magni-
fled slaughters, capitalist nations
stress the necessity of grooming
women for participation France,
Italy and Poland having already
passed laws providing for the con-
scription Of women, and militarists
elsewhere Grating heatedly along
similar lines.
The regional conferences for the
election of the American dele
gates to the Paris Congress (the
latter converting on the eve of the
Goth anniversary of the outbreak
of the World War are close upon
us and funds are still lacking for
sending our delegates. Both the
national and various local COM
mittees are in high state of
anxiety about it.
On New York will fall heavy
burden, as four delegates shold go
from there-one from Harlem Ca
laundry or domestic worker, one
from the needle trades, one from
the metal trades, and a housewife.
In addition New York will have to
help to finance a Southern dele
gate, probably Sharecropper.
Half a dozen committees have
been set up in various trades in New
York. A number of mass meets
and parades have been planned for
the next week, as reported in yes
terday's Daily''-incIuding three
parades on July 6. A baby carriage
parade in the East Side of Man
haitian, to end at the Church of
All Nations, was scheduled for
July 2.
The Williamsburgh parade on
July 6, beginning at Varet and
Graham AYES. at 7 pm. and led by
a band, will touch IA or Is streets
in its route, and end in meet at
South Second and Hooper. A rally
will be held at the same time at
Grand and Havemeyer SITS.
When we realize that the COM
mittees set up in preparation for
the Paris Congress will be perma-
nent, we can appreciate that the
framework will be laid interna-
tionally for the erection of i'm
passable barriers against war.
A statement on the Importance
of New York representation at the
Congress was issued by the Dis
trfct Secretariat of District 2 of
The Communist Party, which fur
ther stated:
This Congress will undoubt-
eddy result in nation wide move
ment of women, especially the
women from shops and factories,
to take their place firmly along
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03
here Is Leisure
Time? Asks Worker
On IO-Hr. Day Job
BY a Worker Correspondent

BY Worker Correspondent
CLEVELAND, Ohio.-The fol-
lowing letter has been sent to
General johnson.
Dear Sir:
When the N.R.A. came into
existence the operators of the
Cleveland Auto Wrecking Asso-
citation decorated their places of
business with the Blue Eagle.
We employees were under the I'M
preston that our bosses would at
least comply with the minimum
requirements. After a year of
waiting, we still work 10 hours
per day and hours on Sunday
"a total Of Sc hours per week,
while the nightwatchmen must
be on the alert for approximately
100 hours per week.
Newspapers and politicians are
Boosting about the leisure time
the workers have. Which workers
have they in mind? Certainly we
mechanics do not have leisure
time after working &c hours per
week; nor do the night watch
men who are on duty 100 hours
for the same period. They in
particular do not have enough
time to take nap-not to speak
about recreation.
We are going to establish our
own codes by organizing and
going on strike.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03

shields Of kraft bag paper that
offer meagre protection.
In the ordnance department alone
there have been 80 accidents in the
first four months of this year as
compared to II for the entire year
1888, according to company figures.
This is due to the speed-up.
Another abuse on the part of the
company is the lack of a flat rate
per hour for certain kinds of work
Men doing identical kinds of work
receive different rates.
When a worker receives a job, he
signs two cards. One gives the
Crucible Steel Co. permission to
search his personal property with
out the company assuming any
liability. The other announces the
worker voluntarily contributes one
per cent of his weekly pay to char
ity. At the top of the card in large
letters is the slogan, You have
Give to those that haven't" This
is deducted to the nearest nickel
If you average SIG a week, Is cents
is deducted. The workers have never
found how this money is disposed
of.
Open Fascism is denoted by com
pany signs bearing the swastika.
These are found scattered through
out the shop.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03

struggle against the bosses.
A letter from Department L"
complains of dirty machines that
are dripping Oil and CRIME but the
company does not provide rags for
the cleaning of machines; the
should be corrected" The editors
see nothing in this letter. 1t goes
over their heads. What is the pur-
pose of letters from workers? Is it
merely to give the men chance to
blow off steam" or to give us
valuable information, advice and
suggestions? The point raised in
this letter should have been
grabbed-up" This question is ex-
cellent around which to organize a
good, short and successful campaign
with a department committee from
the ranks to see to it that this i'm
portant yet small, practical and
realizable demand is won,
Almost any shop furnishes washed
wiping rags. Further, fifteen
period Ton company tine) before
the whistle blows should also be
demanded to give the workers an
opportunity to clean the machines
toward the end of the working day.
This also is often granted the men
in many shops. Our comrades
should be on the lookout for such
splendid opportunities to raise is
sues, become leaders of small but
necessary and realizable needs of
the workers and to use every one
of such little actions to crystalline
and consolidate their forces and to
build strong movement by gain
ing the support of the workers who
appreciate such leadership.
There are many other short
comings which the short space does
not allow us to go into, but one
item on the back page with the
heading, Employ Local Workers.
demands attention. The article
reads, THE c. T. Co. is advertising
in out of town papers for men,
when thousands of capable Peorians
are roaming the streets looking for
work, causing Peoria workers to
lose their homes and furniture and
everything and go on relief so that
the G. T. Co. will have a surplus OF
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03
=: SHOP PAPER REVIEWS ::

labor at hand making it easy to
bulldoze the men and keep down
wages and kill all union talk among
the workers by laying off the most
militant men,"
The conditions complained of are
accurately stated. But what is
wrong here is that the Cat-Trax
Worker falls into the error of act
ing because of lack of political
understanding precisely as the
local Chamber of Commerce would
desire. The local businessmen also
complain of outsiders" They whip
up local patriotism and call on
the people to employ local help, to
spend in the local enterprises, etc.
Yet these same businessmen not
only spend their money out of town,
they also advertise for out of town
help, as the article correctly states.
We must get away from this
backward, narrow, purely local in
terest which is deliberately Guilt
waited by the bourgeois and their
labor lieutenants," the labor takers.
VIC AilUSU AOSCCl CldSS CCllSClOuSllSSS
and class solidarity above all. We
can't afford to split the workers on
issues of local VS.. outside workers
or on capable VS.. incapable workers.
We must raise instead, the issue of
protecting the unemployed and to
, fight for more relief. We must
fight to protect the employed by
fighting for union control OF the
job so that if the company needs
workers they must obtain them
through the union committee and
not through their own spying en-
ployment office, job-agencies or
through advertisements. In con-
nection with this the problems of
organization, issues, and struggle
must be the basis of such a fight.
Finally, if the Cat-Trax Worker
is the organ of the union local in
the shop, why does not the editor
at least mention the name of the
official organ of the Steel and Me-
tai Workers Industrial Union, to
J say the least? How can we build
the union If it's most important
weapon The Steel Metal Worker is
not brought to the forefront?
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03
THE C1.T-TRAX WORKER. Is
sued by Steel and Metal Workers
Industrial Union, Caterpillar Lo-
cal, Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria
Illinois. Vol. l, No. 1, May, 1884.
By SIDNEY BLOOMFIELD

About half of the first page of
the Cat-TraX Worker is taken up
by the masthead. 1t would look
much attractive if this space were
half of the present. There would be
more room for other material In
stead of running the lines clear
across the page as is done in this
issue, they should be split into two
columns. Also more care should be
exercised in putting the pages to-
gether so that they will be num-
bered in consecutive order instead
of as in this issue where page is
page and visa versa.
The cartoons in the Cat-Trax
Worker hit the right spot. The
comic strip entitled Lessons in
simple economics" is fine and con-
veys in a simple way, the idea of
the boss robbing the worker. Some
day a collection of such good car
toons should be made into one book
to be used as a guide for all shop
papers in making cartoons that
have telling effect. Such car
toons iven up a paper. Good jokes
and humorous items should be used
TO overcome the dull and dry nat
ure of many papers. Such lines as
thrown in here and there like
"Watchmen and shoppers stay out
Of cur lockers" also liyen up the
paper and can be used as the basis
of a campaign in fighting against
the boss watchdogs.
In the article entitled why the
Cat-Trax Worker" the editors, in
speaking of organization. STATE that
the workers don't organize for fear
that if we do the employer will find
ways and means to can anyone
that dares." There is no effort to
follow up this defeatist attitude to
try TO diSpel such fears. BY max
ing such statements and merely let
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03
Steel Workers Learn Need of
Rank and File Organization

With the game And then time took
its course while leaflets and organ
izaticnal work was on, on the part
of the steel workers. At the same
time, the local and national boss
press was full of lies and terror,
about machine guns in the plants.
1t is well known that this plant,
the Republic Steel Co. in South
Chicago, is the center of boss terror.
When the strike was near, on June
5 at 5 o'clock in the morning, 1
YVES in the 10-inch mill, where roll
ers and workers had q meeting and
decided to walk out because the
company police were unfair to
union men. The man that said that
was a member of the rank and file
of the A. A. Some workers remained
on the job on the shipping end of
the 10-inch mill. In the morning no
one did any picketing at the gates.
That was the end of the so-called
strike in our department, in con-
nection with the general news on
Junle is that the strike had been
sold out on national scale.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03

ting it stand, is to create a resistance
to organization by feeding the fears
Of some "tinaid souls"
In another article on compulsory
Insurance" a GOOD exposure of the
company racket is made. But like
the other articles, except for the
concluding sentence calling Work
ers protest this unfair practice. ;"
organization conclusions or direc-
tivsS on how to fight are not in
Guided. This article states also,
Why have so big a rate when a
worker could do on a smaller policy,
as the 1920 paid for insurance
means that the worker has to deny
himself and his family that much
on food, clothes, etc." The calling
for a smaller policy does not solve
the workers problem either. In
proportion, he may have to pay a
higher rate. AS workers we would
rather have a larger policy be-
cause of the greater benefits when
it becomes due, if we live or remain
long enough on the job to get the
benefits. The issue therefore, should
be that we demand that the boss
pay for the policy, that in case OF
discharge, the worker shall not lose
it, that the dividends and interest
shall be paid to the worker, etc.
There are six small paragraphs
sent in by workers from different
departments, but standing without
analysis, comment, and direction
the paper serves merely as forum
and not as teacher, organizer anc
leader. In one of the letters g
worker concludes that 1--WE workers
need capable strategist among the
bosses to stimulate some competi-
tive wage raising" There should
be reply from the editor to this
This reply should dispell the il
fusion that strategy among the
bosses" on our part will obtain
wage raises, and clear up the
worker ideologically, showing how
to organize and fight for wage
raises by building rank and file
committees on the job and fight on
the basis of the class struggle and
against the use of strategy among
the bosses" as a substitute for class
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03
By a Steel Worker Correspondent

SOUTH CHICAGO, Ill. = AS we
all know, in the last few months we,
the steel workers, have been in a
race with the company unions and
officials of the Amalgamated Asso-
citation for better working condi-
tons and for unity on class line.
I, as steel worker, nave been in
steel mills for many years, and have
been on the job in this drive, too.
The sentiment in the shop was for
united action until the struggle
came to the point and then the
workers went on different lines.
Some remained in the company
union, some went with the A. A.,
while good deal were with the
Steel and Metal Workers Industrial
Union.
Some workers from the company
union and from the rank and file of
the A. A. we're with the sound pro-
gram of the S.MW.IU., and at the
same time they pointed o9t that in
coming struggles the workers will
not permit their leaders to run away
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-03

trial Union. and the systematic
sale of the Daily Worker, which SO
clearly exposed the attempts of the
bosses, their New Deal president
and the A. F. of L. leadership to
set up company unions, to utilize
the A. F. of L. as an emergency
switch which they can put on when
the company unions fail.
The S. M. w. 7. U. has been
carrying on activity for the last two
months. The S. M. w. I. U. ex-
posed in time every attempt of the
bosses to cut wages. The S. Nj. w.
1. U. exposed the phony represen-
tatiye plan by telling workers that
the committee is appointed by the
bosses to work for their interests.
and if honest workers get on the
committee they cannot do anything
for the workers.
Not all the workers were con-
vinced. But it did not take them
long to be convinced. One honest
Negro worker was on the commit
tee. He went into the office and
carried out the instructions the
workers gave him. He told the
company that the workers in his
department wanted more money.
The bosses wanted to know, who
were the workers? Give us their
names! But the Negro worker re-
piled: cannot give you their names
because the whole department
wanted more money, and not only
a few. This worker lost his job.
The S. M. w. I. U. told the workers
that only by joining a militant or
ganization controlled by the work
ers themselves could they get an
increase in wages and better their
conditions. The workers in large
numbers began to join the S. M. w.
I. U. This alarmed the company
so much that they tried to put over
the phony Atha-W Works Council,
which according to an unofficial
report of the bosses was defeated
by 211 for and 700 against the COM
pany union.
The Daily Worker is playing a
very important part, so the bosses
hired thugs to terrorize Marion
Laughlin, who is selling the Daily,
in spite of the fact that she was
arrested once and in court won the
right to sell cur Daily, Detectives
told her that they will do away
with her, But she told them: If
you do, there will be hundreds that
will take my place
They succeeded in arresting her
only when the cops had their hair
mussed up and their collars in the
opposite direction. We admire her
for her courage.
She told us that she will be there
again Tuesday. The workers at
first did not want the Daily, but
now they ask for it. Some workers
go broke in the middle OF the week,
and ask for the Daily on credit,
but they all pay for it on pay day.
Wishing you luck in your drive for
new readers. -TOOLMAKER.