The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-20
Party Life
A TailOrs Strike
And Some Lessons
For Communists

I I 49, oeA AAN VI tAAC 49AHAACALllGL NEI-
ton of the Journeyman Tailors
local 229 "a. F. of L. which was :e-
Gently settled" by the Detroit Re-
! gional Board carries some important
lessons and information on the left
wing forces in the A. F. of L. IN
Detroit.
The strike started Oct. 10 and
concluded Nov. Is with the strikers
gaining absolutely nothing but
a settlement that places them in a
worse position than before.
A year ago a general strike took
place that was broken by the local
Regional Labor Board, which set
tied" it by a so-called honor" pact
between the union and the En-
ployers Association which called
for 10 cents an hour and A hours
per week with no discrimination
against union men or women.
In the past year at least 20 cases
of discrimination were brought to
the attention of the local union or
ganizer Laurence Lang, a gentleman
who lives in constant fear of Frank
x. Martel, Pres. Detroit Federation
of Labor. and will not interview
Msrtel unless he has few drinks
under his belt.
This gentleman" for months
ridiculed the Regional Board but
when the recent strike took place
was constantly urging the workers
to resort to the Regional board for
a square Deal" and what deal
the strikers got"
First the demands of the workers
were, IS cents for tailors doing
pressing or fitting work and equal
pay for women doing mems work;
also if worker was employed three
months with an employer he is re-
garded as permanent employee
and entitled to certain amount of
work each week.
Through the efforts of Lang and
some members of the strike COM
mittee these demands were dropped
and demand of six month
agreement with the union was
raised as bluff.
The strikers resisted strongly
any attempts at arbitration and
stated time and again that no
settlement be made without the
strike committee, which was COM
posed of militant workers plus
henchmen of Lang, with a slight
majority in favor of the left wing.
The employers seeing that at that
time the Regional board could not
be used got an injunction prohib-
iting picketing at Hughes and
Hatcher, one of the two shops out
on strike. The left wing at this time
appealed to all mass organizations
and the Party for aid in picketing
as the confidence Of the strikers
was weakening and militant forces
were needed. This we as Party mem
bers and as fraction members in
mass organizations failed to do.
This left the breach for Lang to
reintroduce the question of arbi-
tration. However, the left wingers
were able to keep the sentiment in
favor of a settlement only when
voted by the membership.
The employers, sensing this and
thru the aid of stoolpigeons who
informed them of the left wing
raising the slogan of a sympathy
strike in all shops, began to capt.
ulate to the extent that on the
night before the sellout some of
them were ready to sign with the
union.
Some of the members of the
strike committee who were party
members, despite the orders of the
fraction, would not bring the ques-
ton of settlement before the open
membership meeting, but consist
emily elaborated with the faker
Lang and even exposed new mem
hers of the party to Lang placing
these workers in a position that
meant their expulsion. This step
was not taken by Lang because the
members of the union were solidly
behind the left wingers.
Tuesday morning, Nov. 18th, the
strike was settled by the regional
board despite everything that the
left wing could do. The settlement
was as follows; A new honor pact"
between the union and the en-
ployers association stating that
there will be no strike for a year;
and in period of months if the
union wishes to raise the question
of wages they must give the Re-
gional board 10 days notice. Then
the union representatives will meet
with the employers. If no agreement
can be reached then an outside
neutral arbitrator" will consider
the case and give a decision that is
binding to both parties.
If certain members of the left
wing group who were party mem
bers had followed the line of the
leading comrade in the strike COM
mittee the sellout would not have
been accomplished, but instead a VIC
tory that already was in sight would
have been won.
What has now happened? The
workers realize that the strike has
been sold out, their faith was in the
strike committee, that could have
been controlled by the left wing, if
one comrade whose voice and vote
were the instruments that placed
the strike in the hands of the
strike breaking Regional Board had
not followed out the line of the
faker Lang, a line which is spelled
"sellout" and no strike at any
cost.
Well, the cornrade who is guilty
may see the mistake she has made
in not being strong enough to resist
the demagogy and trickery of the A..
F. of L. misleaders, and fight for the
line Of the party.
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