The daily worker., 1934-02-24

were led to believe that the mOney
ance The delegates to the last cons
vention of the Locomotive Engineera
forced through a vote In favor Of
Federal Unemployment Insurance,
but the leaders of that organization
refuse to carry out the will Of the
Convention. Convention after Con-
vention Of the Railway Clerks have
come out for Unemployment Insur-
ance. Hundreds of Lodges Of fire~
men, carmen, machiniStS, mainten@
ance Of waymen have passed resolu-
tions for Unemployment Insurance
But there the fight began and ended.
Railroad workers represent a pow
erful and strategic section Of the
| American working class. There are
almost million men still employed
in the industry. Another million
men can be found in the ranks Of
the unemployed, but they are and
always will be railroad workers, In
close contact to their brothers in the
shops, yards and terminals. They
must be reached through our mass
organizations, particularly the unema
ployed councils. Many thousands
are already in the unemployed coun-
ellis and could be used to carry the
fight for our Social Insurance Bill
into the railroad lodges.
Over 100000 railroad workers are
| organized into the 81 standard labor.
organizations. To win even a part
of this trade union membership to
support the Unemployment Insur~
ance campaign would greatly
strengthen the fight for Social In~
surance in the other unions. This
should be one Of the main tasks Of
the growing oppositions in the rail-
! way organizations. Lodges should
also be. urged to appoint relief COM
mittees to assist members in distress
both those totally unemployed and
those earning less than living wage,
| by no means an uncommon thing
where the stagger plan is in opera
tic These committees, by uniting
in local councils with other unem-
ployed organizations will be brought
into the general mass agitation for
local, state and national relief.
Local Grievances
Many local grievances of railroad
workers are tied up with the question
of the unemployed. The unions are
daily losing thousands of members
because the unemployed and part
time railroad workers cannot con-
tinue to pay the high dues and as.
sessmentS charged to maintain the
Grand Lodge apparatus.
| Employed and unemployed still il
the unions can strengthen the strig-
giles OF the unions against wage cuts
and violation of working agreements
by keeping the unemployed where
1 they belong, inside the unions. This
means a struggle for carrying the
unemployed dues free, but with fun
rights and privileges, reducing dues
and assessments for part time and
lower paid workers, and cutting down
salaries and general expenses of the
Grand Lodge apparatus all along the
line. A campaign in the lodges
against the practice of the railroads
to force workers to contribute to their
charity campaigns is another issue
to win the workers in the lodges.
The question of hours Of work is
directly related to unemployment and
starvation wages. The voluntary stag
ger system has been introduced on
the railroads to the point where men
are forced to accept two or three
days work week in addition to wage
cuts. The fight for the six hour day
and 30 hour week is necessity for
railroad workers, but only when a
monthly minimum is guaranteed
which will ensure decent standard
of living.
There are many features in the
Workers Social Insurance Bill which
appeal especially to railroad labor, One
Of the most important Of these is a
nationl provision to compensate works
ers injured on the Job. Railroad
workers, because they are engaged In
interstate commerce are excluded 10
most instances from the provisions OF
state compensation laws. On this
issue alone there is splendid chance
to get the support of railroad labos
for our Social Insurance campaign.