The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-16
Strike Talk SurgeS
AtAutOHearingSOf
Natl Labor Board
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are leading labor" members of the
strikebreaking Nib.
Both Green and Lewis failed to
show up today to question their en-
ployer masters. Their absence was
so noticeable that even one Of the
Nib. officials confided to your cor
respondent that they were idiots"
Collins. who presented his COM
pulsory arbitration proposals to the
Board at yesterdays hearing, was
conspicuously afraid of the strike
sentiment that simply COED from
the workers at the meeting He
pleaded with the employers to tell
him what they want us to do to
prove that we are representatives,
asking the avowed anti-union en-
ployers just how he could fix the
A. F. of L. organization to suit their
wishes.
At today's session the delegates
of all unions were still talking about
the militant speech delivered yester-
day evening by Phil Raymond, Ma
tional Secretary Of the Auto Work
ers Union. All over the big court
like room one could hear delegates
commenting on the array of facts
and the "guts" in Raymond's speech.
James Boens, Negro veteran Buick
worker from Flint, Mich. as an A.
F. of L. delegate, complained bit
terly to the Nib. that "for the
first time in my life I couldn't get
anything to eat" in white ruling
class Washington, and compli-
mented Raymond on his militant |
presentation, particularly on Ray
mond's demand for the abolition Of
Negro discrimination in the auto
industry.
1t is significant that not one
member of the National Labor
Board especially Green and Lewis,
replied yesterday to Boen's charge
of Negro discrimination in the res
taurants of Washington.
Knudsen in an obvious attempt |
to forestall the impending strike
demagogically promised an in
crease in wages, effective on or
about March 81, 1884 in It's plants |
operating under the automobile |
manufacturing code, to reduce the
hours of productive workers from
an average of 40 hours to So hours
weekly and to raise wages cores
pondingly over rates prevailing in
February 1884.
THE workers haven't told all |
that has been going on in these
plants. I know that manufacturers
have speeded UP production from |
80 to $50 per cent per man and |
hav reduced wages all the |
worker Is today is a slave" Jones
charged before the Board. He an
nounced that he would bring the
matter before the Labor Commit
tee of the House, but remained
silent about the necessity for the
men to strike, the main thing that |
they want to hear.
Speaking quite accurately, Knud-
sen informed the N. L. B. that Cen
eral Motors will never" be on the
other side of President Roosevelt.
He pointed out what the A. F. of L.
officials have attempted to con-
ceal, that Section IA of the MIRA.
does not protect the right of the
workers to form their own unions.
We're operating in good faith"
said Knudsen. THE auto code pro-
vides machinery 1.-THE code author
Hy is the employer himself-S.W.1
TO handle these complaints. I
should like personally to say that
General Motors will never be on
the other side OF President Roose-
velt."
Matthew Smith, the head of the
Independent Mechanics Educa-
tional Society, speaking for "16 900
tool and die workers" attacked both
the A. F. of L. officialdom and the
strike breaking Labor Board, but
profeSsed to see the auto COM |
panies standing opposed to the Adj
ministration.
Discrimination is practiced on an
unprecedented scale. The COM |
pany unions, like all kept institu-
tions, obey orders. Getting us
to join the A. F. Of l.. is only to |
convert us to something more
peaceful than the company union. |
Raymond electrified the meeting
this morning with his demand that |
the Labor Board commander the
Photographic plates of the news
paper photographer who had taken
picture of Ford worker testi-
flying at the hearing. II ask again |
whether the government will guar
antee our delegates against victim
ization. Did the Board give this
photographer permission to take
pictures of the men?" Raymond |
demanded. Chairman williams
said that the plates would be con-
fiscated. But Raymonds demand |
that the Board should question the
employers was refused
Collins own declaration that the |
employers have brought in 4,5oo |
new people to prepare to break a
strike, and have also advertised in
small papers for workers, did not
prevent him from disclaiming strike
action and talking down the use of
the strike weapon. I'm honest
about the strike. l know too much
about strikes and what they do to
workers" he said. Cringing, he
added, Unless we can get prompt
action from the National Labor
Board I'm not going to be respon-
sihle for what the men do"
Nevertheless, the A. F. of L. dele
gates are terribly worried over what