The daily worker., 1934-12-26
Rank and File
Painters Hail
Call for Unity
Protective Association to
Organize Fight for
One Union

The steps taken recently by the
Alteration Painters, Decorators and
Paperhangers Union in an effort to
bring about the establishment Of
one union in the industry by their
uniting with the Brotherhood Of
Painters of District Council No. 9,
A. F. of l., received yesterday the
endorsement Of the Painters Rank
and File Protective Association Of
the Brotherhood.
The Association is an influential
organization Of rank and file men,
bers Of the Brotherhood. In tbs
last elections. in June, its candi-
date polled 1851 votes. as compared
with the 2.400 claimed by Phillip
zsusner, secretary Of District Coun-
Gil 9.
The endorsement Of the unity
proposal of the A. P D. P q. by
the Association is contained in
statement issued by the Executive
Board Of the Association.
The statement follows:
THE Painters Rank and File
Protective Association, in the name
of the rank and file membership
Of our organization, greets and well
comes the initiative steps taken by
the Alteration Painters Union TO
unite all the painters into one
union.
Unity Is Burning Need
THE unbearable conditions Of
the thousands of painters, both
within and outside of the organiza-
ton, and the further attacks
planned by the employers and real
estate owners to lower our stand
ards of living even more, point 70
the burning need of unity Of all
painters in the industry.
THE rank and file membership
of the Brotherhood Of D. G. 9 never
considered the A. P. U. dual Or
ganization. The reasons for the ex-
istence of the Alteration Painters
Union are we'll known to our mem
bership. The A. P. u, while in ex-
istence, played an important role as
a driving force in compelling the
Brotherhood to begin unionization
in the alteration trade.
Officials Always Opposed Move
For many years the rank and
file in the Brotherhood advocated
and agitated for the organization Of
the alteration trade. This, however,
was disregarded by the officials Of
our union, on the grounds that the
membership was kept working on
new construction.
The result Of such policy was
that tens of thousands Of painters
in the City Of New York we're left
to the mercy of the bosses, With
the 1929 crash the number of unem-
ployed members in the Brotherhood
grew, and ley began to look to-
ward the alteration field for work.
The criminal neglect Of our officials
to organize the alteration painters
resulted in wage cut after wage cut
for both the organized and unor-
/ ganized.
THE racketeering and gangster
methods practiced by some officials
in the local unions. as well as in
the District Council 9, the high
initiation fees of S75, $3.50 and $500,
the denial of trade union democ-
racy, stealing of elections and such
other methods of the officials, kept
thousands of unorganised painters
away from our Brotherhood. The
unorganized painters, therefore,
were forced to organize into union
which would protect and safeguard
their interests. They organized the
A. P. D. P. U.
THE Painters Rank and File
Protective Association calls upon
the broad membership Of our union
/ to force the action for unity pro-
posed by the A. P. D. P. U. TO sue
cessful conclusion. Let us all join
hands in the fight for better con-
ditions and for one union In the
painters trade"