The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-12
MEMBERS OF A. F. /. STEEL UNION PREPARE STRIKE
Rank and File Passes Action Program;
Defeats Tighe Machine at Convention
Elects Committee To
Prepare Strik e,
Present Demands
By JAMES EGAN

THE Amalgamated Associa-
ton of Iron, Steel and Tin
Workers convention, recently
adjourned, sounded a call for
struggle which bids to set in
motion large sections of the
steel workers throughout the
country.
The accumulated grievances of the
rank and file of the A. F. of L. union
held back for years by the reaction
airy oficialdon, have now, with the
help of the new and militant men,
bership recently recruited, success
fully pushed aside the barriers set up
by their officials and succeeded in
forcing through the convention a
program of demands calling for Of
fensive action. 1t hurls into the
teeth Of the steel corporation the
threat Of a general strike if their
demands are not met by the middle
Of June.
Turnout the course of the conven-
ton. President Mike Tighe, Shorty
Leonard, and the whole Tighe ma
chine utilized every strategy and
maneuver that they have learned in
their long years of betrayal in order
to stem the tide the opposition, but
were unsuccessful in face Of the de-
termined rank and file delegates
Tighe brought forward such per-
sonages as Senator Jim Davis
(of recent lottery fame) and intro
duced him to the convention as
"Puddler jim" the boy from the
steel mills who rose to q cabinet
position of Secretary of Labor under
Hoover, this friend of labor" who
was commander n-chief Of Hoo
ver's wage-cutting, starvation pro-
gram and the stagger system, the
man whom Green called TO the
Vancouver Convention of the A. F
of L. to defeat unemployment in
Surance.
The delegates had his number
and refused to let him speak in the
convention and openly proved or
the floor that Davis was assisting
the company unions. The only way
Tighe could finally get the flool
for "Puddler jim" was to call ar
open session to which the public
was invited and to which the del.
egates were CONSPICUOUS by theil
absence.
No Strike Davis
Davis pleaded the cause Of thu
steel trust and counseled agains
any strike action, telling how HI
abhorred all strikes.
Davis also abhors the fight fol
unemployment insurance, the ef
forts of the workers for higher
wages, shorter hours, against thu
inhuman speed-up. But he does no
abhor the wage cuts, the lay-offs
the starvation, the misery and deg,
radiation inflicted upon the Amer
lean workers. while he wes Sec.
rotary of Labor, and he does no
abhor the failing and deportation o.
militant workers. many Of then
steel workers, while he was Sec
rotary of Labor, and carried on
under his instructions.
Tighe and his henchmen senset
that Davis did not halt the advances
of the opposition and became DIES
perate in his attempts to get con
troll of the convention, which HI
characterized as the worst conven
ton the Amalgamated ever held
mo doubt the steel corporation
also agree with this Characterization
of the convention0 He then brought
forth Mrs. Pinchot to influence ant
calm" the delegates, but she wa
equally unsuccessful with Davis.
you're Out Of Order"
Tighe then sought to arbitraril!
rule out of order the opposition pro
gram of demands and program O.