The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-12
Steel Union
Issues Call
In Youngstown
Workers Urged to Build
Powerful Fighting
Association

@OONGo4O TNy W, OcC. It'll
move for a drive to organize a
half-million steel workers into one
powerful union, the Youngstown
district of the Steel and Metal Work
ers Industrial Union, in a statement
just issued calls upon its members
in the steel mills and all other steel
workers to join the Amalgamated
Association Of Iron, Steel and Tin
Workers Of the A. F. of L. The Steel
and Metal Workers Industrial
Union will concentrate its efforts
among the million and half work
erS engaged in machine manufacture
In the statement, the S.M.W.I.U.
expresses emphaSically that, 1--WE
do not join the A. A. to unite with
Mike Tighe, president of the A.A)
but to unite with our brothers, the
membership of the AA. to fight for
the program and interests of the
rank and file"
The statement in full follows:
The calling off of the June 16
strike and the appointment of the
Steel Labor Relations Board solved
no problems for the workers. The
workers have not won a single i'm
portant case before that board. The
conditions against which the men
prepared to strike last Spring have
become worse, not better. The ex-
periences of the past seven months
have taught many lessons to the
steel workers and to many local dis
trict officials of the Amalgamated
Association of Iron, Steel and Tin
Workers. Chief among these lessons
are the inpossibility of depending
on the NR.A., the Labor Board and
the Government, and the burning
need for united militant action as
the only means of winning their
demands.
The need of one solid mass union
for the whole steel industry is
greater today than ever before. 1t
was in the hope of building such a
union that the Steel and Metal
Workers Industrial Union was
founded in 1929, at time when the
A. A. was only small union of
5000 hot mill workers and was max
ing no efforts to organize the 495 900
unorganized steel workers The pos
sibilities of the S.M.WI.U. becom-
ing such mass union continued for
a long time, even after the N.RA.
and the influx of thousands of new
members into the A. A. The A. A.
has in its ranks today thousands
Of members who have the same de-
sires, needs and aims as the mem
hers of the S.M.W.I.U., and who are
extremely anxious to achieve unity
Of action and organization of the
steel workers.
The S.M.WI.U. always stood and
fought for unity. We proposed a
United Front to the A. A. repeatedly
last spring and summer. We were
always ready to join in the calling
of a Unity Congress of all steel
workers organizations for the pur-
pose of forming one united indus
t6al union under rank and file
control. That this unity was not
achieved was not our fault nor was
it the fault of the rank and file of
the A. A,
But Unity MUST be had at all
costs, except at sacrifice of principle.
Though united in needs and aims,
the steel workers are still organiza-
tionally divided. This must be
changed if the struggle against COM
pany unions, for the 30-hour week
with higher wages, etc., is to be sue
cessful. The S.M.WI.U. is determined
to let no obstacle stand in the way
Of the unification of the steel work
ers' forces.
It is this burning desire for unity
that leads us, after thorough delib-
erations by the National, District
and Local bodies of the S.M.WI.U.,
to take an historic step. We hereby
announce that the Steel and Metal
Workers Industrial Union is with
drawing from the steel industry ct
will continue to work among the
million and a half metal workers
who remain mostly unorganized-
Editor and calling upon all our
members and supporters to join the
corresponding lodge of the A.A. and
to join hands with the A.A. mem
bers in drive to build up the most
powerful union this country ever
knew.
In doing this we make clear that
we have not changed our opinions
of the actions and policies of the
international Executive Board of the
A. A. or the Committee of Ten. We
do not join the A. A. to unite with
Mike Tighe, but to unite with our
brothers, the membership of the
A. A. to fight for the program and
interests of the rank and file.
Although the SM.W.I.U. withdraws
from the steel industry, its fighting
traditions and policies must and will
live on. They must be carried into
the A. A. and become part of its
principles and policies.
There was never time in the his
tory of America when the workers
of any industry needed or wanted a
powerful, militant organization more
than do the steel workers today. In
our opinion no better step can be
taken today towards the building of
such an organization than the unit
ing of the SM.WI.U. and A.A. men,
bers in the one organization. The
united forces of the S.M.WI.U.
members who join the A. A. and
the splendid rank and file already
in the AA. can launch an organiza-
tional drive which can sweep the
industry drive even greater than
that of 1919, and one which will
profit hv the lessons of 1919-34.