The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-20

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plain their enthusiastic support Of
the N.R.A., which they hailed would
solve the problem of the P. M. Of
A." and which actually led to the
losing of several mines, loss Of the
strike, because as Foster said, they
depended on the conferences with
the NR.A. board, on $50, 100000
lawyers and the Peabody courts.
The Pearcy machine was very silent
on the N.R.A. and even did not
oppose the resolution against the
NR.A.. which was introduced by
the opposition forces. This maneu-
yer was used as a cloak to continue
the same old policy.
81 The oficialdom did not even
attempt to give any program Of
action to remedy the worSening
conditions in the mines, manifold
grievances, speed-up under the Z
hour day, discrimination, etc., nor
any outlook for April /, 1885, when
the present contract expires. In
stead the whole attack was directed
against the militant elements in the
union in an attempt to divert the
attention from the real issues to a
campaign of red-baiting,
Only few days have elapsed
since the convention ended, but al
ready the above estimate is borne
out. While the convention adopted
a resolution against the N.R.A, the
Executive Board since the conven-
ton, sent a telegram to Roosevelt
offering support ito solve the coal
problem" Likewise, among the re-
dictionary deeds, the front page edi-
torial of the Progressive Miner OF
Sept. 28th, screams to Mr.. Public;
"Those who believed that the Pro
gressive Miners of America were
under the influence or control OF
the Communist Party, will readily
see by our convention that they
are only a small and yelping minor
ity."
The action Of the officials at the
convention and the present policy,
which they pursue is actually open
ing the doors for the Lewis U. M.
w. A. machine, because many min
ers, seeing no difference in the P.
M. A. oficialdom from that OF
Lewis. are beginning to talk
whats the use of having two
unions with the same kind Of rot
ten leaders,"
Lewis Busy
In the meantime, Lewis forces
are active in the Progressive
Unions field, such as Springfield
and Belleville. A statement made
in the East St. Louis Journal a few
DAYS ago, on the activity Of Fox
Hughes, vice president District IL
UM.W.A., states that work is being
done to bring the progressive min
ers back into the U.M.W.A. fold,
because "the existence of the Pro-
gressive Miners would seriously
hamper the U.M.W.A. in drawing
I'D a new contract on April l, 1885"
An example is in the action Of the
A. r. of L. Central Labor Council
of East st. Louis, which placed the
progressive mined coal under "un-
fair list"
On the other hand, the Musteites
and the leaders of the Socialist
Party actually help to bring about
such a situation, because Of their
blanket support to the A. F. Of l.
as against revolutionary and indie
pendent unions. For example, at
the S. P, convention held in Staun-
ton, Ill, a resolution was passed
endorsing the A. F. Of L, Likewise
the Musteites find themselves in a
precarious position, since their ma
tional policy is A. F. OF l.. as against
the TU,UL. and the independent
unions-because, according to them
the A. F. of L. is the largest and
therefore decisive-yet, when asked
point-blank what about the PIMA
going back to the U.M.W.A., they
saw. rather reluctantly, that this is
an exception.
Rank and File Shows Way
In the present situation, with the
decline of the PIMA, the growing
attack upon the miners in both the
PIMA. and U.MW.A., there is a
danger that another fake rank and
file movement may be started 70
bring about consolidation OF the
takers at the expense of the miners.
The Communist Party has proven
that it has the only correct pro-
gram for the Illinois miners, now
the task is of broadening the pres
emit unity movement over the heads
of the U.M.WA. and PIMA. Off
cialdom, as expressed in the recent
statement of the sub-district COM
mittee, which points out:
"In order to defeat the slave
contract and starvation conditions
in the mines and among the I'M
employed, the rank and file must
unite their forces over the heads
of Lewis as wclI as the Pearcy
machine. We must organize unity
groups inside of the U.M.W.A. to
struggle against the gun-thug
rule, bad conditions inside the
mines, and for joint action with
the Progressive Miners. We must
likewise organize groups inside of
the PIMA. to fight against the
Pearcy machine and for united
action of the rank and file in both
unions. Only on the basis of joint
strike action for common de-
mands, for a 6-h0ur day, $500
basic scale. and for better condi-
tions in the mines, will we be
able to establish one mighty or
ganized force Of the rank and
file. ANY scheme of back-door
conferences, or any plan to cata-
pult the progressive miners back
to Lewis is fake unity at the
expense of the rank and file. Only
on the basis of joint action for