The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-03
Shows How Communists
Helped the Furniture
Workers Win
By Joe Kiss

THE first General Strike Of the
l furniture workers this Fall sea-
son, prepared and led by the Ma
tional Furniture Workers Industrial
Union, is about to end with the ex-
ception Of a few scattered strikers
here and there.
Due to- the correct application OF
the policies Of the Trade Union
Unity League with which this union
is affiliated nationally, the union
was able to follow correct tactics in
the strike, bringing forward mill
tant policies. The National Furni-
ture workers Industrial Union not
only carried out its task Of winning
better economic conditions for the
workers, but did its utmost on the
basis of the experiences in utilizing
the General Strike to enhghten the
organized and unorganized furniture
workers as to the real meaning of
the N R. A. and the New Deal"
as instruments of the trusts and
monopolies against the working
class, and to develop their class con-
seriousness and understanding of the
capitalist crisis.
United Front Established With AFL
The National Furniture Workers
Industrial Union correctly orien-
tated itself in cementing the unity
of the furniture workers for the
strike, as the first prerequisite for
victory. A successful united front
was established with seven A. F. Of
L. furniture locals, and national
united front with the Wood Carvers
Association, one of the oldest allied
furniture unions of the A. F. of L.
The locals of the N. F. w. I. u.
carried through successful local joint
actions with A. F. of L. locals and
independent unions in their locality
AS result, the union has won
higher wages, shorter hours, two
per cent unemployment insurance
fund paid by the bosses, and union
recognition in places where the
strike occurred. Eight new locals
were organized in the course of the
General Strike, and now the union
has over 10000 members in about
20 important furniture centers
throughout the country, penetrating
into new unorganized furniture CEN
tiers.
Answer to Red Scare"
We cannot overlook the mass at
tacks concentrated upon the Ma
tional Furniture Workers Industrial
Union. The bosses everywhere were
determined to annihilate the mill
tant locals of the N. F. w. I. U.
Such, for example, was the case in
Boston, where the Furniture Manu-
facturers' Association set up fund
to destroy the union, with each
manufacturer putting up a $500
bond
The main argument used by tho
bosses, with the aid of the A. F.
of L. top bureaucrats such as Hatch
was that this union is led by Com
munists. Realizing that the mill
tant policies and activities of the
Communists in the union prevented
betrayals and sell-outs and were fol-
lowed by the membership as
whole, the bosses attempted to dis
credit the leadership and SANDER
the membership of the N. F. w. I.
U. especially where unity with the
A. F. of L. membership had been
achieved over the heads of the bu-
reaucrats. The union leadership
was charged with being agents of
Moscow, and the union membership
were called "scab outfit" Of
course, these charges were not &C
companied with offers of higher
wages, shorter hours better condi-
tons for any furniture worker.
Attacks Fail
These attacks, however, did not
make Roadway. 1t is true and is
known to every member of the Ma
tional Furniture Workers Industrial
Union that among the membership
and in the leadership there are
Communists. But the N. F. w. I.
U. is not political party. 1t is a
broad trade union organization
which unites workers of different
political beliefs who agree on the
necessity Of militant trade union
organization under rank and file
leadership to fight against the
bosses attacks and for the workers
interests. The Communists in the
union constitute a small minority
of the membership. There are Re-
puhlicans, Democrats, Socialists,
Syndicalists in the organization.
But no one can deny that the Com
munlStS are the most sacrificing,
actively participating in the fore
front of every activity of the union,
building the union. The experiences
OF the last General Strike have
proven to the militant organized
and unorganized furniture workers
that the Communists have been in
the front ranks in the struggle for
higher wages and shorter hours. and
have at no time protected the prof
its of the bosses. Nor does the lead
erShip, in which the Communists
play prominent role, ever make
compromises with the bosses at the
expense and welfare of it's members
or accept any policies of betrayal.
These facts are known to every
member of the union. And during
the strike, especially, the furniture
workers were able to realize that
the Communists are the best
champions for unity. The workers
could also see the achievements of
unity in the ranks of the organized
and unorganized furniture workers,
through which living and working
conditions have been greatly i'm
proved.
Communist Party Supports
Struggles
THE Communist Party has dem
onstrated that it fights at all
times in the interests of the work.
ing class, against the capitalist class