The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-28

Tor the Workers UnemploymeT
said Louis Weinstock, Secreta
bee For Unemployment Insul
he Committee, at 1 Union
Square, New York City.
Weinstock laid before me a
stack of endorsements of the
Bill coming from the four
corners Of the United States.
Two thousand locals of the A. F..
of L., three state federations-the
Montana, Iowa and Colorado Foun-
dations = and twenty = five Central
Labor Bodies have pledged their
support of this bill, sponsored by
the National Unemployment Coun-
ellis, which designates that unem-
ployment insurance of not less than
$40 for each unemployed worker
and So for each dependent shall be
paid by the capitalists.
Organized in 1882 =.
The A, F. of L. Committee for
Unemployment Insurance was or
ganized in January, 1892, by
group of rank and file workers in
the A. F. Of L.
Our first action was to eircu-
larize referendum in the A. F.
of L. unions to see if the work
ers in this body were for or
against unemployment insurance"
said WeinstOck. "The great
amount of Endorsements we got
for the Workers Unemployment
Insurance Bill in this referendum
was heavy blow at William
Green and the Executive Coun-
ell members who fought against
any form of unemployment in
surance."
But this is not all the Committee
does. Along with the fight for I'M
employment insurance the Commit
tee takes up other questions of the
rank and file in the A. F. of L.
A broad fight has been developed
by the committee for dues exemp-
ton for the unemployed. A fight
has also been launched against the
gangsters and racketeers who per-
meate the A. F. of L. apparatus.
The committee is also leading a
struggle against the high salaries
of the officials in the union, who
roll in luxury while the rank and
file members starve.
Around these issues an opposi-
ton movement has been crystallized
in the A. F. of L. all over the coun-
try" said WeinStock. This oppo-
sition movement recognizes our COM
nlittee as its center"
4 Weinstock pointed to the fact that
he convention of the Analgamated
Association of Steel and TinWork-
%srs International, which opened in
Pittsburgh on April %, almost unan-
imously endorsed the Workers IN
employment Insurance Bill. This
endorsement was brought about by
the activities of the Committee.
Committees in Large Cities
In every large city opposition COM
mittees have been organized based
on a militant rank and file program
of struggle against wage cuts, for
shorter ! ours and unemployment in
murance.
Weinstock told how the Commit
ee is carrying on fight against
4acketeering and gangsters in the
A. F. of L. unions.
I'VE have helped to expose the
kick-back racket in the building
trades unions" declared Weinstock.
Working jointly with the Anti
Racketeering Committee, we have
exposed the racket in the Painters
Union in New York"
Defeated Work Tax
Phil zausner, Secretary of Dis
trict Council 9 of the Painters
Union, launched a move to collect
money from the painters in the
form of work tax" This money
was used to hire gangsters and
thugs to terrorize the rank and file
members of the union.
The work tax" was defeated by
the rank and file. The struggle
against it was stimulated by the
Committee.
Publishes Paper
Squirting the rank and file of the
A. F. of L. into action against the
corrupt strikebreaking leadership,
the official paper of the A. F. of L.
Committee for Unemployment In
surance, the Rank and File Fed
erationist, is being spread among
the A. F. of L. locals. Fifteen thou
sand copies of this paper are issued
once month by the Committee.
Weinstock spoke with great en-
thusiasm about the future plans of
the Committee.
I'VE plan to call state conferences
in the near future in all parts of
the United States" he said. "At