The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-03
The Dye Strike
Victory

THE DAILY WORKER halls the sub
stantial victory won by the $4,000 mil
liant striking silk and rayon dyers. The
dye workers won their strike because Of
their great solidarity, their militant
methods of mass picketng, their refusal to accept
compulsory arbitration by government boards ana
because the rank and file controlled the strike.
Real gains were made in the settlement won by
the striking dyers. The strikers won increased
wages to &c cents per hour, 8 36-hour week, union
recognition and other worthwhile gains. They retain
the right to strike against violation of the Griev-
ance boards decisions.
The strikers took the right course on Nov.
TO- when they voted down an unsatisfactory agree
ment which their lawyer JOeIsOn, and such union
leaders as Ammirsto tried to force them to ac-
eept
1t was not the JOelsOns who won the strike
III was the militant fight of the rank and file, who
controlled the strike, and it such rank and
file leaders as Thomas VigOritO chairman of the
settlement committee, who refused to accept the
Nov. 10 agreement who gained the victory.
The strikers took the right path when at the be-
ginning of the strike they refused the plea of the
Textile Labor Relations Board and other Roosevelt
'rnediators" that they return to work pending
arbitration" If the strikers had returned to work
before their demands we're settled they would have
lost all their demands.
The strikers won for one reason, because they
told the national leaders of the UT.W. German and
MacNIahon to keep their hands of the negotiations.
The strikers knew that German and MacMahon
had sold out the general textile strike, and they
did not want similar betrayal in the dye strike.
In spite of every maneuver of the bosses, the
strikers stuck out solidy with pcketing, until
they won a satisfactory settlement. The employers
tried to get the veterans to act guards to protect
scabs and the veterans refused. The mayor was
unable to break ranks of the strikers with his
"citizens committee" and his strkebreaking confer
ences. The service clubs did not get to first base
with their scabbery Threats by the employers to
move out of town, and threats of the mayors to
open the mills with scabs and police were of no
avail before the picket lines Of the strikers
When Ammirato raised the red scare and tried
to split the militant rank and hlers from the main
body of strikers, this splitting red scare de-
cisively rejected by the strikers. The Nov 10 settle
ment' favored by Joelson and Ammirato, was re-
jected by the strikers. The strikers refused to
accept the secret ballot naneuvers Of the en-
ployers and some high union officials.
OF course even more complete victory could
have been won if the national leaders of the UTW.
and the A. F. of L. had thrown the support of the
A. F. of L. behind the strike. William Green did
not lift finger to raise funds for the strike to call
union conferences in support Of the strikers. Cor
man and MacNdahon gave no financial support to
the srike They did not do anything to support the
strikers. If they had, certainly complete
victory could have been Won
But the dye strikers themselves supported by the
rank and file of the labor movement, through their
militant methods and their rank and file control of
the strike gained notable victory
The task now is to strengthen the shop commit
tees, to strengthen the union in every shop under
rank and file control, to guarantee that the
agreement will be carried out.
The Daily Worker and the Communist Party
which raised the correct course to win, which sup
ported the strike from the beginning and was active
in the battle every day, halls the victory OF the
strikers.
We urge those militant strikers who now see that
the course Of militant class struggle and rank and
file control is the road to victory, to join our ranks
A strong Communist Party among the dye workers
will strengthen the union still further and assure
greater gains for the future.