The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-09
Used in Many Forms To
Cut Miserably Low
Wages of Miners
FIGHT SYSTEM sl az
D.
Demand Redistribution
of Dues to Locals
FIGHT SYSTEM
BY FRANK BoRIcH


is one Of the greatest curses for the
miners It is legal form Of robbery.
In the period Of universal part time
employment and exceeding low wages
as is the case today, the cheek-off
system robs the miners Of more than
half of their earnings
The operator checks off for the
store bill, house rent, supplies, fuel,
insurance, doctor, sports, snithing,
funeral, etc. The high-salaried union
officials, check-off limitations, dues.
assessments, checkweighman and
fines The appalachian Agreement,
a product Of the MA, provides fines
and check-off for violation OF the
agreement, amounting to as high as
81 a day per miner. All Of this IS
Hhecked-off before the miner can buy
any food or draw any money.
What is the result Of the check-off
system? An empty pay envelope and
many time no bread in the house.
Because of the mass opposition Of
the miners to the check-off, the fol-
lowing clause has been inserted In the
Appalachian Agreement" for It's pro-
lection: THE United Mine Workers Of
America agrees TO protect the Opera
tor under this section"
Fight All Check-off
The right Of the operator to check
off for the company insurance, doctor.
sports, etc, is one Of the conditions
for the check-off Of union dues AS
long as the operator checks off union
dues he viii insist on the right TO
check off for himself. The checking
off Of the union dues Iegalizes this
right Of the operator. The abolition
Of checking-off the union dues will
lay the basis, strengthen the whole
fight against all forms Of check-off,
and make possible its defeat.
Every workers organization, includ-
ing the U.M.W.A., is a voluntary asso-
citation The membership In the or
ganization is based on the principle Of
voluntary affiliation. Since this is
the basic organizational principle Of
the UM.WA., it is but logical that
dues payment must be based on the
same principle, that is must be volun-
tary. The check-off is form OF. com
pulsory dues payment. 1t is obviously
clear, therefore, that checking 4bff Of
dues is in contradiction to TIE basic
organizational principle Of The U. M.
W. A.
Don't Attend Meetings
The check-off is one of the basic
reasons that tens Of thousands Of
members never attended union meet
ings and take no part in the life and
struggle Of the union. This narrogs
down the union activity to a small
group Of individuals, quite few OF
whom are active only because Of per-
sonal gains, and always subject to
corruption, which paralyzes the whole
work Of the union, and make 1t pos
Sible for the top officials to build for
themselves a powerful machine for
the control OF the union. The aboli-
ton Of the check-off and establish
ment Of voluntary dues payment,
accompanied with a real educational
work, would involve tens of thousands
of miners in the daily life and struggle
of the union.
This in itself would be one Of the
best guarantees to make ii impossible
for the top officials to control and
misuse the organization and would
help to establish the rank-and-file
control over the union, which is one
Of the greatest necessities Of the day.
The check-off has always been a
powerful weapon In the hands Of the
tpyN fFfirfalr Tf4n at@sh osscl,fvN
If the miners in any mine go on strike
in order to protect their interests, the
officials revoke the charter, reorganize
the local and make every miner in
the mine to re- join, to pay full inita
ton and fine, or lose his job. All OF
this has been done and is being done
mostly as result Of the check-off.
Where Dues Go
Through the check-off and unfair
distribution of dues and initiation,
millions Of dollars go into the tress-
uries of the districts and the interna
tional office. The money Is being
used mainly for the building and
maintaining Of a powerful machine
composed OF district and international
organizers and board members, whose
main job has always been to main
tain the gangster rule Of Lewis.
Under the Appalachian Agree
meut" the check-off becomes pow
erful weapon Of Lewis and his hench-
men. In the past the dues money
was turned over to the local by the
operator. The locals would send 70
the district and international offices
their respective share. This has been
changed now. Now the operator
sends the dues money directly to the
district office.
In the past at least occasionally.
the international and districts would
spend small sums of money for strike
relief and other strike activity. Nov
the entire UMWA. officialdom is
definitely and openly against strike.
They have signed an agreement with
the operators depriving the miners Of
the right to strike. Not only this.
They have agreed with the operators
to impose fine upon the miners who
will dare to strike for their condi-
tions.
1t is clear that one OF the greatest
tasks of the miners at the next con-
venion viii have to be TO fight against
every form OF check-off. whether ii
be for the operator or for the llnior
dues. The miners will also have-stll,
task OF fighting for the redistribution
OF the dues SO that the larger shar,
will remain in the local treasury
which will be needed in order t,
carry on fight for the improvement
of the working and living condition,