The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-18
Anthracite Miners! Take the
StrikeIntO Your Own Hands!

Strike Into I oar OaVn Hands.
TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND miners in the anthracite
region in Pennsylvania are on strike An of the
forces at the disposal OF the operators have been
called into play against the strikers. Governor Pin
chot has issued Instructions restricting picketing to
working miners at their own coleries. InjunctiOns
have been issued by the courts against pickeng An
army of State Troopers local police and deputies have
been sent to surround the colAeries
The strike, called by the United Anthracite Miners
Union of Pennsylvania, finds two unions in the field
The United Mine Workers Of America officaEdom the
machine Of John Boylan Of District One are playing
the role of open strikebreakers in the strike.
vention Of officials Of the UWA. has issued state
ment urging all miners to scab and remain at work
But many local unions of the U.MW.A. have de-
elaTed their solidarity with the strike by voting
holiday" and walking out OF the mines.
The Anthracite Union was organized some months
ago by the miners because they completely dis
lluSioned with the Boylan machine of the UMWA
and saw 1t working night and day in the interests
OF the coal operators
With their wages and working conditions getting
constantly worse they found the Boylan machine of
the U.Mw-A. making scrap of paper out Of the
existing agreement with the operators and enforcing
only those provisions in the agreement which were
detrimental to the men, such compulsory arbitrs-
ton.
DUT in the leadership Of the anthracite union * an
~ executive board whose only difference from the
Boylan machine is the use Of more demagogy and
the desire to force the operators to deal with them
Instead Of with John Boylan This leadership added
by Rinaldo Cappellini state president, and Thomas
loney district president have tried to prevent and
postpone the strike, have tried TO end the strike
through arbitration" and have tried to kill the mill
tsacy Of the strike by refusing TO call the miners
a. the picket line.
They have not tried to draw the rank and file
ne-nberG OF the U.MwA. into the strike The de-
l1a-ds Of the strike have not included demands re-
ga-dnS wages or working conditions which were the
b--i1 Tor the miners insistence on striking
IaIoney and CappeIIini have from the start tried
to conceal from the miners the strikebreak1nx role
o. tde national government and its National Labor
Bead They have tried to protect the Labor Board
by Gopsating that Green and Lewis have msIed the
government" They have stated they will be only
too glad to dicker with the National Labor Board
Maicney and Cappelini have thus tried to maintain
the illusion that there is difference between the
Roosevelt government and the National Labor Board
1t is becoming clear to the rank fiIe how
ever that the role of the national in this
as in past strikes, is an open strikebreakins role
~ spite Of anjunctons, police the Boylan machines
strikebreaking role, and AIaoney and Cappellinfs
attempt at betrayal the first three days of the strike
show powerful and militant strike of the masses of
miners, which is still spreading.
The Communist Party and the Rank and FILE
Gus role OF Maloney and Cappeini before all of the
miners. The recent maneuyer to end the strike with
compulsory arbitration directed by the Labor Board
which Maloney is trying to inject into todays conven-
ton, must specially be exposed.
TIE Rank and File Opposition demand for the
unity Of the strikers of both unions through the
organization of rank and file united front strike COM
nitees especially necessary in view Of the fact that
IN some coleries both unions exist side by side The
rank and file members Of the UA.w-A, who showed
that they want to take part in the strike by voting
holiday" in a number Of collieries must be drawn
into participation in the strike
To leave the strike in the hands of MaIoney and
his executive board to allow the beheading Of
the strike by these misIeaders The miners r,ust
he strike into their hands The strike nust he
controlled not by MalOney and Cappelni who sold
out the November strike and whose record is one Of
betrsyals but in the hands of rank and file Stuko
committees elected in each cOIiery by all the miners
The strike must be turned into a strike not to
obtain the checkoff not only for recognition but also
10 win the economic demands of the miners The
maintenance Of the coery rate sheets nav for dead
Work, etc. are the demands which the strikers want
put forward and which be won The strikers have
to take the strike into their own hands and stav
out until their grievances are won
Maoney and Capellini have ignored the demands
Of the unemployed miners There are $4,000 iobleSs
miners in Lucerne County alone An important task
in the strike is to draw the unemployed miners into
all strike activity to establish complete unity Of the
employed and unemployed miners The demands for
the sM-hour day with full pay and for relief and nm
employment insurance for the unemployed should no
brought forward as important demands in the strike
TIE RANK AND FILE opposition has the task .,
exposing the maneuYers of Maloney and Cappelini
with the National Labor Board. No compulsory ar
DURATION must be the stand Of the strikers II &c
necessary TO expose the National Labor Board not as
nlsled by Lewis, but part Of the strkebreakinp
apparatus OF the Roosevelt government, which has
already outlawed the anthracite strike and which
through any board set up will render decisions IN
favor OF the coal operators. The exposure Of the
skeoreaking role Of the national government and its
MIRA and boards must be made clear to the miners
II the strike is not to be betrayed by Maloney and
Cappellini
The Party and the rank and file opposition have
the task of crystazing the mass strike sentiment and
the fighting spirit of the miners into organized onno
ation, inside the Anthracite Union, to MaIonev and
Cappeninrs treachery The Rank and File Oppos;-
ton still weak organizationally must be built in tha
course of the struggle
s strike to win the demands Of the ,n;nars ...,.