The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-28

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can Federation of Labor and its
affiliated unions like the A. A. but
all genuine workers unions, and
even the very idea Of unionism.
These acts on the part Of thess
leaders have given a powerful trn-
petus to company unionism.
Demands of Steel Workers
But the Steel and Metal Workers
Industrial Union realizes that the
compromise Wagner Bill already is
in force. We recognize that Presi-
dent Green and Mike Tighe are
here speaking ostensibly in the
name Of some thousands Of organ
lied steel workers, whether they
really represent their interests or
not.
We come here, therefore, to make
proposals which we believe will, if
adopted and enforced, establish the
right of workers to Join unions Of
their own choice and to elect those
who really represent them. We
believe that our proposals. il
adopted and enforced, will enable
these rights to be established in
spite Of the legal limitations i'm
posed by N. r. A., the steel coda
and the revised Wagner Bill now
signed by the President.
The regular A. A. Convention last
April adopted set of demands to
be presented to the steel companies.
These demands were:
al Six-hOur day, five-day week.
b. One dollar an hour mini
mum wage.
q Skilled and semi skilled
trades and occupations to receive
increased wage in proportion.
d. Abolition OF differentiaI be-
tween North and South.
e) Equal rights for Negro work.
ers.
f. Recognition Of the union,
and tie recognition of mill and
department committees to adjust
grievances.
81 Adoption Of the Workers
Unemployment Insurance Bill,
H. r. 1898, now before Congress.
h. Abolition of the speed-up.
In the interests Of unity of an
steel workers the S. M. w. I. U. app
proved these demands and pre-
sented them to the companies
where it has members employed.
The American Iron and Steel In
stitute and the various companies
to which the demands were pre-
scented, refused to grant all or any
of them or even to negotiate with
A. A. or SM.WIU. representatives
The proposal made by President
Green leaves out completely the
economic demands and raises only
the issue of collective bargaining"
Therefore, it cannot solve the inn
mediate needs of the workers in
the steel industry even were it
adopted in full by all the steel COM
panies. The Green proposal con-
tains four points. They are:
al To receive complaints and
investigate and adjust on the ba-
sis of such complaints any viola
ton of the labor provisions of
the code for the iron and steel
industry.
b. To mediate and conciliate in
any dispute arising between en-
ployers and employees under said
code and to undertake to arrange
for a conference for collective
bargaining with any employer
when so requested by representa-
tives of employees selected under
Section Ia of the National Re-
covery Act.
c) To offer their services as ar
bitrators in any labor dispute be-
tween employees and employers
under said code, provided such
dispute is voluntarily submitted
for arbitration by both such par
ties.
d. To hear and determine inn
mediately any matter of discrimi-
nation against or discharge Of
any employee in violation Of Sec
tion Ia of the National Recovery
Act.
Same as Steel Trust Proposals
With the exception of the point
dealing with majority rule, this
Green proposals are substantially
the same made by the American
Iron and Steel Institute and APP
proved by General johnson. In adj
dition, both of these proposals are
substantially the same as the SUBJ
stitute for the Wagner Bill, passed
by Congress and already signed by
the President. None of these pro-
poSals contain guarantees for the
free expression by workers. They
do not contain real guarantees even
for collective bargaining They do
not contain guarantees against dis
elimination against workers who
voice opinions and vote against
company unions. They do not con-
tain any provisions for stopping are
bitrary discharge and blacklisting.
Consequently, elections held un-
der the measures proposed by
Green, or any of the other propoS-
ais, would be held under the exist
ing conditions of suppression, dis
elimination and terror in the plants
and mills, in the company towns
and the communities dominated by
the steel companies. These cleo
lions could not be free elections.
These contentious are upheld by
the recent elections and the fantas-
tic results of these elections as an
nounced by the steel companies.
Only in Hitler's Germany and Fas-
cist Italy is such unanimity OF
opinion expressed.
The Steel and Metal Workers In
dustrial Union is convinced that the
problems of the steel workers will
not be solved in Washington
through the Green proposals or BY