The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-19
Some Notes for the Biography of a Rat
George Williams, Strikebreaker and Labor Spy

put the Illinois coal industry on a
open shop" basis.
Now For the Open Shop"
The following letter, signed b
Williams, was circulated among th
mine owners:
And now for the open shop"
"The advent of radicals amidst
the coal miners means that they
are here to stay. and that turmoil
and chaos will predominant in the
fields; also with the introduction
of labor saving machinery, work
ing conditions must change so
that the mine operator can oper-
ate at a profit and be able to COM
pete with the numerous substi-
tutes used to replace coal, and
with non-uniOn fields in West
Virginia.
ANY form Of union organiza-
ton must go, and in the present
fight the operator has the chance
of a decade to free his business
and go ahead!
1.-THE Williams Service in their
long years of experience and with
an excellent staff, can introduce
the open shop without costly ex-
pense in money. We, eliminating
terrorism, would be able to OPP
crate your mines with part of
your own help and organize a
working force that would mean
the end of terror and union dom
inatiOn. Undoubtedly Williams
had in mind making coal miner
out of the New York gangster,
Eddy Gatti.-H.R.)
1--WE suggest that you bring this
matter up before your Organiza-
ton or take it up with other OPP
orators in your district and the
writer would be glad to present
his plans and mode of operation,
the appointment to be made at
any place designated by you.
1--WE are the only company
with coal mining experience and
so far we have handled every
major strike in the mines and
never lost one.
1--WE would submit our refer
ences for your approval,
(WHICH SHALL 1T BE,
UNION OR OPEN SHOP?
GEORGE WILLIAMS,
President"
Thus the shiny strikebreake
solicited business. No doubt til
coal mining experience whicl
Williams referred to was the littl
job he did in the West Virgins
fields, where he is reported to hav
hoodwinked a lot of men to do
strikebreaking job and then lef
them stranded without pay. o
perhaps he has in mind a job h
did some time ago for the Pitts
burgh Coal g. Iron Co., where h
got money from the company Off
Gals and sneaked off leaving hi
partner, another strikebreake
named Roche, in the hole,
A man who knows Williams yer
we'll described him in 1880 in tn
following manner:
He comes around solicitinl
wearing a big fur coat and a fU
hat. Mr.. Williams claims
have access to the books of tn
Communist Party and he furnishc
inside service, as well as claims t
break strikes. His first approach
when calling on prospect, is t
guarantee to give him the name
of II or Is men in the prospect
plant who are members Of tn
Communist Party, or some radics
body, and the prospect can chez
up on this, and If he has the me
in his plant by the names give
him, he is to pay Williams $12.5
for each name.
"Mr. Williams claims he has tn
inside of the entire Communis
Party, and knows the names Of a
members of all radical parties i
this country"
Like a Shiny snake, this notoriou
stool pigeon, racketeer and labo
spy continues to ply his trade il
New York City, under the eyes
the LaGuardia administration.
What is the Mayor doing abou
Williams and Sherwood? Will h
continue to allow them to operate
TOmOrrow's article will deal
with Bergoff and Shaw, labor
spies, who have long been active
in the business Of breaking strikes,