The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-11-09

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union and pressure be brought by
them to bear upon their leaders to
avoid the repetition Of the same
mistakes in the future.
The strikers demands included
recognition of the union, the 40-hour
week, a $35 minimum weekly wage.
elimination Of the "stretch-out"
system, no discrimination against
Negro workers and no overtime.
When overtime is put in, time and
half for overtime is demanded.
The splendid strike mobilization
of the building service employees
who responded to the call of the
union more than 5000 strong and
successfully tied up most of the
buildings in the garment center for
two days, resulted in a partial vic
tory for the men. BY the agree
ments reached the strikers won the
closed shop, a $40 minimum weekly
wage and a fiat increase of 81 for
all those who get $40 or more, with
the exception of superintendent.
The agreement also provided that
all economic demands be subject to
a decision of a Board of Arbitra-
ton composed of an equal number
of representative of the employees
and the owners with an impartial
chairman.
The agreement also made it oblig-
etory for both parties to agree to
the arbitration and to abide by the
decisions of the arbitration board.
At his conference the leaders of
the union agreed to truce pre-
pared by LaGuardia, on the basis
of all the workers returning
to work and THAI the owners Of
buildings who have not signed up
with the union be given Until
Wednesday, 7 pm. as a deadline by
which time they are to do so. Their
failure to comply with this provi-
sion was to result in the resumption
of the strike in their buildings on
Thursday morning.
These demands and conditions
were included in the agreements
signed with individual owners at
the conference according to George
Planson, secretary to James ]. BAN
brick, President of the union.
1t has been reported that James
J. Bambrick promised at the con-
ference, that before the spreading
of the strike in the future, it will be
first presented to the Regional
Labor Board for mediation.
Mayor LaGuardia in Strikebresk-
ing Role
The calling of this truce confer
ence was a result of the frantic
efforts of Mayor La Guardia, who
was reported sick at heart" over
the possibility that the strike might
spread to be city-wide, to break the
strike. This situation must not be
permitted to develop" La Guardia
stated on the first day of the strike.
This is not the first time that
the Mayor appears in this role be-
fore the New York workers. 1t was
La Guardia's administration that
was responsible for the shameful
sellout of the first general taxi
strike.
In the second general taxi strike
Mayor La Guardia proved himself
as the tool and puppet of j. P.
Morgan's General Motors when he
ordered his Police Department Ito
crack the skulls of the taxi strikers
if they continued mass picketing."
The leaders Of the union
made one of the most important
mistakes in the conduct Of the
strike, when they consented to this
truce and to the arbitration under
he pressure of Mayor La Guardia
The leaders Of the union, who, &C.
cording to the statement of Mr..
PlanSon, during the strike, had
enough of arbitration with Mrs.
Herrick of the Regional Labor
Board" and had more effective
means at our disposal now" have,
by agreeing to La Guardia's arbitra-
ton proposal, returned to the very
thing which they spoke against
when the strike call was issued by
them.
Strike Action and Workers Soil
darity Bring Gains
1t was the excellent turnout of
the building service workers to the
strike call ana the solidarity action
of the needle trades workers that
was responsible for the partial vic
tory, in forcing the concessions from
the owners.
The continuing of the strike at
the time when most of the buildings
in the garment centers were COM
pletely tied up and the service Grip
brought bigger concessions from the
owners, and debated compulsory
arbitration.
Compulsory Arbitration Bars
Strikes
The clause in the agreement max
Ing the decisions Of the arbitration
board obligatory and final un-
dou5tedly is one of the worst parts
of the whole transaction. Such
compulsory arbitration agrees to
bar them from strike in the future,
for attaining further gains.
1t has been reported that at no
time during the conduct Of negoti-
ations with the owners, the Regional
Labor Board and La Guardia did
the leaders present the proposals
made by the owners to the mem
bership for approval At this writ
ing all efforts to reach the leaders
of the union for confirmation OF
this report were not successful.
Other mistakes in the con-
duct of the strike and the ne
gotiations were made by the lead
ers Of the union. Outstanding
among them is their failure II ep-
peal foG assistance to the thous- |