The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-24
ZauSner WithdraWS
" Ork Tax; Plots
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
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zausner and was intended as an ex-
cuse for putting over, in the way
he did, the daily so cents work tex.
Not that it was wrong to use all
available means to popularize the
strike. But when this publicity was
not true to fact, and nothing or next
to nothing was being done to prepare
and mobilize the rank and file for
a militant struggle with the employ
ers for a real agreement, embodying
improved conditions, this publicity
becomes nothing else but tricks of q
quack advertising agent.
Later on. when Locals 400 and 846
took up the fight against the work
tax, and were supported in this fight
by hundreds of rank and file mem
bers Of the other local unions, again
a flood of lies and villifications was
released by Mr.. zausner in the kept
press trying to picture this fight as
one Of disruption and as ian I'M
holy alliance Of reds and blacks"
hoping thereby to justify the reign
Of terror he let loose in the various
locals and the intimidation and dis
elimination. Members saw in ZauS-
ners exaction of the tax not means
Of organizing the trade, to which they
were not opposed, and for which, on
the contrary. they were clamoring
for years, but rather as a means to
organize and repay handsomely his
henchmen.
Jobless See Tax Swindle
Under pressure of the rank and
file, 2auSner was forced to d.scon-
tinue the registration of the unem-
ployed members, who refused to be
fooled any longer by the contention
that "the registration was necessary
for the success of the organizing
plan" The unemployed members be-
came disguised with this huge bluff,
when they saw that none of the thou
sands Of dollars collected from the
membership (almost $150,0O0) was
used in any way to help the unem-
ployed, but was being handed out
daily to individuals, whose main SER
vices during the entire organizing
campaign consisted mainly of slug
ging and terrorizing the rank and
file, in order to make them submit
to the plundering of the members
pay envelopes by zausner and his
henchmen.
Force Referendum
Later still, zausner was forced,
under pressure from the ran and
file, led by the progressive and mill
tant Local 400, to finally send out
the question of the tax for refer
endum of the members. The mem
bers of the union, in spite Of the ter
rorism and the intimidation by the
officials and strong-arm methods,
particularly in Locals 261, 442 and
1011, in true working-class spirit of
solidarity voted overwhelmingly to
discontinue the tax, since it was not
used for organizing purposes at all.
They learned that the D. G. was
spending thousands of dollars weekly
with hardly a shop organized or any
new members taken into the organ
ization. Particularly did this become
manifest in the last five or six weeks.
OF little use was zausner's secret
session with the chairinen and finan-
cial secretaries of Local Unions 261,
442 and 1011 on Wednesday night,
Jan 10, which lasted till four o'clock
in the morning Tor the purpose of
fixing the referendum. IT was at
that secret session that the votes of
those locals, which in no case were
more than 100, according to sworn
affidavits of members of those locals,
were fixed to read nearly the full
ledger membership Of the locals, so
as to enable Zausner to show slim
majority for the IS cents work tax.
Mr.. Zausner, sensing that fixing
the referendum vote to show slight
majority would not make 1t easier
for him to collect the tax, any more
than it was since the abolition of the
registration, very demagogically re-
fuses to accept this vote, since he
interprets it as a lack of confidence,
and rightly so, and temporarily dis
continued the tax altogether.
for some way that will enable him
to come back with it under some
high-sounding pretsSt. Hence the
statements in the press about the
code and the possibility Of another
general strike Of paintersl
Did he not himself, when he made
his settlement with Whalen, giving
up all the demands OF the last gem
eral strike. assure the painters that
all they have to do is to wait for
the code and everything would be all
right?
Did he not. as "a matter Of record,
make the N. r. A. and the code as
his principal campaign issues?
What has he done and what is he
doing now to prepare the member
ship for proper struggle against the
proposed slave code for the painters.
Was not feeding the membership
on false hopes, and creating illusions
in their minds about the code, a
means to break the last strike, by
undermining the fighting spirit of
the painters during the last strike?
No amount of demagogy will again
move any Of the rank and file ito
give him another chance" He had
his chance and he failed fniserably.
A wolf can never become a sheep
no matter how many sheepskins he
will put on. A bosses man and an
enemy of the painters, inlpevgonated
in Mr.. Zausner. can never become a
friend OF the painter. Out with him
Until he and his friends have been
driven out of the union no effective
struggle viii be possible against the
bpssss and their says code