The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-01
BY JOHN sANTO


The transport workers of New
York City began recently the build
ing Of a new independent, rank
and file organization-the Trans
port Workers Union. The first and
second general strike of the taxi
drivers against company unions and
for Improvement Of conditions
found a, wide echo among the
workers Of the I. R. T. and B. M. T.
They too feel that now is the time
to organize and prepare for strug-
gle.
Signs of Revolt
The mood to struggle is evident
everywhere among workers of the
transit system Since the crisis
wages were reduced through a series
of indirect measures. Not being
satisfied with this, in 1882 wages were
reduced 10 per cent with the help Of
the company union delegates" and
representatives At the present
time new layofs are taking place,
part time and split time is prac-
ticed as we'll as demotion of higher
paid men to less skilled jobs that
naturally pay less. Hours of labor
range from so to IS per week for
certain categories. of workers. On tor
of all this the companies use "scien-
tific" espionage. "beakies" and spot
ters not only during working time
but also to pry into the private lives
of the men.
Against these conditions there are
signs of revolt everywhere. The
most outstanding example is the
148th Street I. R. T. repair shop
where close to HOO men are en-
ployed. The firing Of ID men started
the fireworks, The rank and file
forced the Brotherhood" officials
to call a special meeting where a
unanimous vote was cast to de-
mand from the company the stop
ping of all lay-offs, This was "sol.
emily" promised at the time O
the 10 per cent cut. They also de-
manded the relliring Of the ID laid
off men and the immediate intro
duction of the 44-hour week with
the same pay as previously for the
50-hour week. Mr.. Dovle. Assistant
Manager Of the L r. T. first prom
isad" to consider these demands
After the company union official;
had succeeded temporarily in bull
doing and intimidating the rank
and file, all demands were rejected
But the revolt continued to spread
to other shops,
In the 9th Street l. r. T. repair
shop the company union officials
allowed" the workers to elect 9
shop council" This shop coun'
Gil has no other power except tC
take the grievances Of the workers
from the shop to the company unior
officials. OF course, this is about
as useful as filing complaints tc
the devil about his grandmother
but it shows at the same time that
the company union is completely ex-
posed in the eyes of the transport
workers.
Bctrayals by A. F. Of L. Bureaucratic
The Amalgamated Association Of
Street and Electric Railway En-
ployees bureaucracy has very vel
earned the hatred and contempt Of
the TRANSPORT workers of New York
They betrayed and sold out TIN
strikes of 1920 and 1926 and lair
the basis thereby for the estsblis'k
ment of company unions. just RI
Gently they added to their blacl
record Of betrayal that of the bus.
drivers Of the Fifth Avenue Coach
Company as we'll as the Bee Line!
of Jamaica, Long Island. At botr
instances the N. R. A. Labor Boart
was the solution" offered by Mr.
O'Shea, leader Of the Amalgamated
No militant tactics. no mass picket.
ing no spreading of the organization
and of struggle-but negotiation
with Mrs. Herrick and trips t.
Washington. The results? Abou
two dozen best union men of thu
Fifth Avenue Coach Co. fired anc
in Jamaica the strike Of the Bee
Lines is dying off by inches.
The road toward better wages anc
shorter hours in the transit industry
lies over the dead body Of the com
pany unions as well as that of tht
Amalgamated Association through
the building up of a new rank ai1e
file Transport Workers Union
Aims of the New Union
The new union, basing itself OF
The principal Of militant industris,
unionisrn aims to include all tran