Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-05-29
MEET -.
po-NoTHiNo DEWEY
THE WAGNER BILL
TEETH IN THE NRA
: BY ALAN MAX

BY ALAN MAX
Read the longshoremen's side OF
the strike by Dewey Bennett, leader
of the II.A." says the Seattle Times.
This is Dewey Bennett, militant
labor leader" writes the Seattle
Star under a big photograph Of Mr..
Bennett.
How come this sudden popularity
OF the militant" Mr.. Bennettf A
few days ago the pictures IN the
paper were all Of the motionless
water front. This Is national mari
time day-but the harbor IL tied
up, "Longshoremen's strike para
lying misunderstanding thous-
ands out Of work"
And now Do-nothing Dewey's
watery- eyed picture is ON every
news stand.
Why? Because the papers are
rushing to the rescue OF Mr.. Ben
nett now that the rank and file are.
beginning TO put the skids under
him.
The militant" Mr.. Bennett Is the
shipowners' local hope in breaking
the strike. But the local hope Isn't
panning out so well.
After the second day of the strike,
the rank and file recognized that
their leader couldn't lead anyone
toward victory over the shipown-
ers.
mo mass picket lines" said mill
tant Dewey Just talk to the
scabs."
And the rank and file swept the
scabs off the docks.
I'VE must load the ships for
starving Alaska, said the militant
Dewey.
And the rank and file refused to
load after they discovered Alaskans
nibbIe on iron piping.
Now Bennett is making another
desperate effort. on order Of Pres
ident Ryan, to free the Alaska
boats.
The capitalist press knows that
Bennett Is slipping. that the rank
and file have learned more about
strike strategy In tho past two
weeks than they ever knew before.
The capitalist press never picks
the wrong man. They never print
pictures OF John So SO, one Of
the rank and file longshoremen who
led the fight against the scabs."
But it's to these militant rank
and Ulcers, that the majority Of
the strikers are beginning to look
for leadership. And Benefits days
are numbered.
The longshore strike Is causing
the capitalist class the biggest
headache 1t has had in some time.
They see how the rank and file
is able to break through the AT of
L bureaucracy and fight militantly
for better conditions,
They see how the Program of the
Communist Party and the Marine
Workers Industrial Union Is being
put into life by the unity Of seamen
with longshoremen.
They see how the unemployed,
led by the Unemployed Citizens
Leagues and unemployment Coun-
ellis. are refusing to scab on the
longshoremen.
The capitalists picture to them
selves the next war.
They see a general waterfront
strike on the whole West Coast.
They see the longshoremen refus-
ing to load and the seamen refus-
ing to transport. munitions against
the Soviet Union.
This Is the nightmare that the
present strike Is causing not only
the shipowners-but the entire cap
italist class and it's government.
They see In the present strike
what happens when the workers
begin to look for leadership to the
Communists In their ranks when
they begin to read Communist leaf
let's and literature on how to carry
through the strike.
They see that tho NRA cannot
stop mass strikes from breaking
out.
Therefore-the Wagner Bill!
30 " puh hiAo hOSAh NhC
MIRA. Originally ballyhooed as out
having company unions, the bill
now definitely legalises them. And
the bill provides that the decisions
of the arbitration boards shall be
binding and carry imprisonment for
one year or a thousand dollar fine
or both-for refusing to abide by
the decision or for interfering with |
the board in any way.
The Wagner Bill. II permitted to
go through, will be the greatest
step the administration has taken
towards fascism.
And this is the bill that the Be-
attic Central Labor Council has en-
dorsed! AS usual. Roosevelt's path
is cleared for him by the AT OIL
leaders.
All unions must let Congress
know that the Wagner Bill must
be thrown out. There is no time to
be lost.