The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-19
Food Union Carries on
Fight Against Black
listing of Men
Bv HARRY RICH

For two weeks, the leadership OF
the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and
Butchers of North America has
been placing several thousand strik-
ing slaughter and packing house
workers right into the hands Of the
Meat Packers.
Two weeks ago Mr.. Sheppard, In
ternstional Vice President of the
Amalgamated pressed by several
hundred new recruits for action,
and facing q serious decline in the
membership Of the union. declared
q general strike in the industry
Several days before the strike,
every employer was presented with
demands, never at any time dis
cussed with the workers, and which
in most cases were exorbitant. con-
sidering the organizational status of
the union. There had been no strikes
of any importance in the industry
for more than fifteen years, wages
and working conditions had gone
down to the lowest possible point.
Without preparations, without
even having meetings beforehand
and preparing the organization ap-
paratus to carry on the strike with,
the strike was begun in Fl. Greene
Market in Brooklyn, a strategic dis
tributing point for the meat in
dustry
Totally unprepsred, but willing
TO fight for improvement of their
working conditions, the workers
walked out in a body. Workers in
other markets walked out on the
following days,
No Leadership
From the first day of the strike,
no leadership was given the work
ers. They were confused as to their
demands; there we're no strike COM
nittees set up. The officials of
the union, without discussing with
the strikers, proceeded to sign up
number Of independent packers.
permitting them TO buy meat from
the Western Houses C'Big Four'D
thereby breaking the back of the
strike, by demoralizing the strikers.
F. w. 1. U. Offers Aid
The Butchers Section of the Food
Workers Industrial Union, imme-
diately at the beginning of the
strike, threw in all of its available
forces to help the strikers. 1t was
only the aid of the members of the
Industrial Union that succeeded in
keeping up the morale of the strik-
ers. At the direction and guidance
of the industrial union, the work
ers proceeded to set up their own
strike committees. The officials Of
the A. F. of L. union, claimed to be
in hiding under instructions from
their international, since two organ
tzers had been shot at in Chicago
undoubtedly for racketeringl.
Insistent demands on the part of
the strikers to declare the indie
pendent houses on strike again met
with no response on the part of Mr..
Sheppard. The officials OF the
Arnalgamated again and again re-
fused to spread the strike. When
questions were raised at the floor
Of meetings, the only response of
Sheppard was to break up the
meetings, and call for police pro-
lection.
When the anger of the workers
reached high pitch, police who
had been prepared beforehand,
entered the union hall with riot
guns, to protect the leaders. The
workers demanded that the entire
apparatus Of the union be turned
over into the hands of their own
committee.
Press Plays Role
The next day, the capitalist
press carried press releases handed
out by the officials to the effect
that five hundred Communists
had marched on the union head
quarters and broke up their
meeting"
The workers sensing the futility
of carrying on the strike under
these circumstances, with many of
the workers going back to their
Jobs in disgust with the leadership
decided to select their own nego-
tiating committees to call off the
strike. This was carried through.
Several workers we're blacklisted.
With the help of the Food Workers
Industrial Union these workers are
now carrying on a fight for rein
statement.
As this is being written many of
the strikers are already back at
their jobs with about one hundred
still coming to the strike area. The
police, realizing the weakness of
the strike, are keeping the strikers
several blocks from the strike head
quarters area. The N. r. A. Off
Gals, realizing that the strike is
waning, have adopted hands off
policy.
The A. F. OF L. has been COM
pletely discredited amongst the
strikers. The aid and participation
of the Food Workers Industrial
Union in the strike has left its i'm
preston amongst the workers. Al
though the workers have been de-
feated, they have placed the respon-
sibility directly at the doorstep of
the A. F. Of l..
steps are being hurriedly taken
to overcome the Generalization
brought on by the Amalramated
Lea dership, The workers are realiz-