The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-11


have accepted graft from the
bosses and they are guilty of
every crime from strike
breaking to union-wrecking.
The rank and file painters
exposed Zausner years ago, when he
was caught with Charles Koenig
robbing the union treasury of thou
sands of dollars. Thanks to the
impartial" capitalist court he
escaped a long Jail term.
About Is months ago Edward
Ackerley, Third General Vice
President of our Brotherhood, to
recompense Zausner for helping him
to office, appointed him manager
for our District Council The rank
and file put up such a protest
against this action of Ackerley that
ne was forced to reconsider the ap-
pointment, and zausner had to go.
zausner did not, however, give up
his ambition to become boss in our
District Council. A few months
later, with the aid of the Master
Painters and the underworld, he
got himself elected as secretary
treasurer to District Council 9.
His return to the organization
was followed by a reign of terror,
instituted by a well-known gang
ster firm of Brooklyn.
Trade Union Democracy Vanishes
Even the remnants of trade union
democracy disappeared from the
union. From illegal taxation he
raised more than $4,000, which
was spent to pay off the friends"
who helped him into office. The
master painters also got their share
Their investment to elect zausner
turned out to be a good paying
proposition. 1t brought more than
6 per cent interest. zausner's first
action was to accept a cut from
S11.20 day to SO. This was given
to the painters as a victory. The
SO was supposed to be for a seven
hour day. In reality, the 50 turned
out to be Sc, and the seven-hour
day heightened to eight and nine.
Campaign Against Zausner
The militant members of the or
ganization have conducted a very
good campaign against the Zausner
machine. Through leaflets, mass
meetings, the press, ETC., we have
exposed the Zausner machine and
given program based on a class
struggle policy, for higher wages,
shorter hours, for the enforcement
Of the union agreement, for unem-
ployment insurance, dues exemption
of the unemployed and trade union
democracy in the local unions.
Around this program we we're
able to rally not only individual
members, but we succeeded to get
whole locals (499 348 and 905). We
entered the election campaign this
year as an independent militant
rank and file group, with a class
struggle program. We have put up
local candidates as well as District
Council candidates without any
combination of groups or clubs.
The election results were excel
lent. We were able to elect five
council delegates and if it hadn't
been for the stealing of the cleo
ton in Locals 905 and 261 we would
have nine rank and file council
delegates, and with proper work
we would have the majority of the
council.
The Council Elections
The District Council election will
remain an outstanding point in the
history of the New York painters.
Despite the Brooklyn underworld,
the Master Painters Association
and the zausner strong-arm squad,
we got the majority votes of seven
local unions and secured 1851 votes
for the candidate for secretary
treasurer. zausner claims he re-
ceiVed 2,42l votes Actually he re-
ceived less than 600. After he Sc
cured the election by stealing the
votes his District Council machine
rejected the five rank and file coun-
Gil delegates as unfit for the Dis
trict Council.
Revolt Spreads
The painters are in revolt. The
meetings following the council cleo
ton adopted protest resolutions
against the council The meetings
of Locals COS and 261 were broken
up. The enraged membership re-
fused to recognize the newly
elected" local officers on the
grounds that it was just as crooked
as the general elections. The rank
and file members are demanding
new elections. The machine ig-
nores the demand of the rank and
file. They have set up a council
for themselves and try to rule the
painters. They disregard the re-