The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-02-13
BrOcktOn Workers
Starving in Model
ShoeCity Tenements
EsetOry Owners Do All
They Can To Aid
Segregation

friendship from one group to sn-
other.
This tendency to segregste them
selves into national groups seems to
he instructive, yet it Is encouraged
and helped by the manufacturers,
several Of whom own large blocks OF
these tenements, some as many as
TWO hundred or three hundred homes
Lithuanians who rent flat are put
IN building where Iithuanians live
and so on.
The problem of keeping them sep
arated in national groups which
might be important In a non-urlion
area does not seem to enter here
because shoe workers have been or
ganized in a union for over 80 years.
A new generation has grown up feel
ing that belonging to a union is just
part of the scheme OF life. Even in
these days of unemployment and
lower than living standard wages, the
union spirit is strong.
For years the shoe workers paid
dues to the Boot and Shoe Makers
Union, affiliated with the A. F. Of L..
Things ran smoothly. Manufacturers
we're busy and workers managed to
earn good living. There were abuses
in the union about which they grun1b-
ed but did nothing. Things we're
too comfortable.
Union Leaders Sanctioned
Wage Cuts,
But when work became scarce and
these who did work failed to earn
enough to keep their homes and
families together the grumbling be-
came louder. Cut after cut was put
INTO effect by the manufacturers with
the approval of the union Manu-
facturers said they had to reduce
wages because they were making a
cheaper shoe; Union members were
discharged because there was no work
for them. Slowly the union began
TO lose memberships; then with a
rush memberships dropped terrific
ally. Workers saw no sense paying
dues TO union which did not help
them hold on to their jobs or, il they
did have jobs, helped the manufac-
turer to reduce wages.
Among the almost 5000 members
there was tremendous unrest. The
manufacturers watched it carefully
wondering whether the union would
be broken. In the midst of this I'M
rest, manufacturer and union Off
cial got together and set up a die
tatorship over the various locals 10
help the manufacturers reduce wages
without a board Of arbitration hear
ing as was provided for in the con-
tract the union had with the man
ufacturers.
A number OF locals protested and
the union dictator promptly revoked
tE1elr charters. The edge trimmers
4 specialized form Of work, with not
more than $50 in the whole town
immediately organized a secret group
a half dozen of them WENT from
house to house talking to their fellow
craftsmen. When all edge trimners
were lined up they formed the Edge
Trtmn1ers Mutual Benefit Association
and announced they would accept nc
more cuts.
Other specialized branches of the
industry organized benefit associa-
lions. BY last summer Il such as
sociations were In full swing. A meet
ing was called, delegates elected and
the Brotherhood Of Shoe and Allied
Craftsmen came into being.
Go On "Sit Strike"
The Boot and Shoe Union inme-
dlately demanded that the manu-
facturers discharge all who were moi
members of the Boot and Shoe. Non
members could not work in factories
Many members of the new union
were still members of the old one
and when the discharges were made
the new union members decided or
a sit strike" as it became known.
Each day they appeared at the
factories and sat quietly at their
benches. Not machine stirred: not
a shoe moved. At noon they ats
their lunch and went back to the
ease of loafing at their bench. Fran
tic manufacturers demanded that thu
Boot and Shoe Union do something
about it; factories were closing; the
wheels of industry that ran Brock
toms economic life had been stopped
while two labor fractions fought for
control of the shoe industry. The
strike lasted ten weeks with the A.
r. of L. union completely wrecked.
1t has fewer than 300 members now
while the new union membership Is
placed around 1000. r
Since the new union now controls
the shoe industry here from the labor
standpoint, it is important to get an
insight into the thought processes OF
John Murphy, its president and chief
leader in the occasional movement.
THE manufacturers will be able
10 work with Murphy and get along
fine" said Joseph F. Reilly, secretary
of the Brockton Chamber of Com
! merce. 1.-The only question is whether
I Murphy can hold his men in line.
i I'm afraid he can't. There Is strong
radical element, especially among the
Masters who want to affiliate with
s2ther unions in neighboring towns
and make strong, big union. MUIR
| ply wants to hold his union tight
here in this town, SO there is an
undercurrent OF dissatisfaction.