davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-22

leadership came out in brutal relief.
Their lawyers put up in their de-
Tense the most servile and treacher-
Gus policies Of the A. F. of L. Among
its many boasts the following stands
out in its brazen, open strikebreak-
ing: While the complaint charges
that the Amalgamated Union has
been a constant trouble-maker
these charges are unfounded for
the facts are that it takes most
elaborate measures to prev n t
strikes" 49,. THE strike of 1905, as
the exhibits d. D.. show, was an outlaw
strike, condemned by the Anal
gamated Union, for the Amalga-
mated Publicity urged all men to
return to work" without winning
their demands, Of course.
From the 1926 and other strikes
the transport workers can learn
many lessons. Bnt the most i'm
portant one is that with a strong
rank and file organization, free
from the shackles of the company
unions and their A. F. of L. TWINS,
the workers can not only easily win
a strike but will not even necessarily
have to resort to it. For the com
panies will give it to their demands
when confronted with an iron union
of all transport workers.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-22

Duffy, to act as arbitrator. The
IRT, had faith in it's strikebreak-
ing machine and the inactivity of
the A. F. of L. Arbitration was
refused. The company increased it's
terror against the strikers. Private
detectives bounded the workers and
restrained them from approaching
company property to reach the men
on the jobs. The police arrested
strikers who distributed a referen-
dunn among the men on the lines.
However, new hope came to the
strikers when on July II, 105 men
of the East 74th st. power house
struck There seemed to be pos
sibility to strengthen the walkout
and bringing it to a successful ter
mination for the workers.
But the IRT, BMT., City Ad-
ministration and the A. F. of L.
made a concerted effort to break
the strike. Hedley threatened to
take away the seniority rights of
the men who did not return to
work. Backed by the Supreme Court
he withheld the back wages of the
strikers as a forfeit in law suit
for damages which the company
was conducting against the strik-
ers. The B.M.T. announced a wage
increase to its employees, effective
August l, 1926, to keep them on
the job and isolate the strikers.
Herman A. Metz, spokesman for the
New York Transit Commission,
Joined in the strikebreaking work,
He urged the leaders 10 induce the
men to go back to work and to go
into the company union, "the best
form of cooperative bargaining" He
Slyly urged the men to support the
companies demands for higher
fares. He hoped to turn the mill
fancy of the men to getting in
creases in profits for the Wall
Street owners of the IR.T. The
A. F. of L. did not enter the situa-
ton to organize the workers until
after the strike. And then only to
split the workers and have some of
the militant ones exposed and fired.
Ended in July
The strike ended July 81, 1925.
The men were defeated because they
lacked organizational strength and
support of the workers in the A.
F. of L. was withheld by its reac-
tionary leadership. Bark, LAWN and
Phelan, leaders of Local 7, were re-
fused reinstatement. The A. F. of L.
absorbed the newly-formed Con
solidated' Union and broke it up.
During the trials for injunctions.
damage suits and counter suits
which grew out Of the strike the
character and tactics of the A. F. L.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-22

the new contract. BY vote of the
Membership, the Delegates from the
Local, Harry Bark, Edward P. LAWN
and Joseph G. Phelan, were in
structed to request Connolly, presi-
dent of the Brotherhood, to pre-
sent their demands to the I.R.T. Co.
for wages of 81 per hour for Motor
men and rs cents for Switchmen.
The Delegates carried out the deci-
sions of the Local Membership and
Connolly was requested accordingly,
But Connolly, past master of the
art of betrayal, and acting in the
interest of the company, refused to
make these demands. The Switch
men and Motormen were aroused to
action. They called another meet
ing where they denounced Con-
nelly's treacheries and broke with
the company union. At this same
meeting they formed new union
called the Consolidated Railway
Workers of Greater New York" A
vote to strike if the demands pre-
viously presented to Connolly were
not granted, was taken and passed.
The workers also demanded the
company's recognition of their new
independent union.
Bring In Scabs
The I.R.T answered the workers
by massing scabs into the sheds
Scabs were brought from Chicago,
Philadelphia and other places. They
were also recruited from among
former employees who had been dis
charged for drunkenness and fire.
quency of accidents. The strike
breakers were given 81 an hour plus
board and lodging. After the strike
broke out, some switchmen who did
not Join the strike were made to
function as motormen. The New
York City administration backed up
the strikebreaking of the company
by placing $500 police on strike
duty.
On July Z, 1926. 752 Motormen
and Switchmen. out of a total
membership of about 1900 in Local
7, came out on strike. Some work
ers on the IL quit work at the
same time. Their leaders, headed
by Chairman Patrick Courtney, per-
suaded them to return to work and
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-22
What's Wrong
With the Irish?
Asks Irishnan
By MAC

IT is about time that the Irish
l workers in this city woke up to
the fact that they are more en-
shaved in this supposedly free
land, than they were under the
worst days of the British regime
at home. Let us look at the facts.
Have we got free speech? Abso-
lutely. not. If you think so, Just
raise your voice at any of the
various company unions meetings
to protest against the graft and
corruption, and you will find your
self out of job.
Have we a free press? Again
the answer is no. The Irish news
papers in this city are controlled
by big business. That is why they
support AL Smith the associate of
j. P Morgan. They have en-
blazoned on their front pages,
these words, American Industrial
Lberator" Well, let's look at
their record.
Aided the Bosses
They allowed Tom Mooney to
languish in Jail l8 years. They
helped the B. M. T. to put on the
one-man car by their silence. They
were silent when the I. r. T. put
over the ten per cent cut. They are
still strangely silent about the 10
hour day you are working. Fellow
countrymenl Our standard of living
is now lower than that prevailing
at home. Let us compare the two
standards.
First, let us take the street car
workers. A tramcar in Dublin or
Belfast must have a crew of two
men because Of the Board of Trade
ruling that it is not safe with less
These men receive 2.5 Pounds per
week for 48-hour week, together
with free uniform and an annual
vacation of six working days with
pay. This man rents a four-room
house for $1.50 per week. It will
thus be seen that he is much bet
ter off than the street car worker
in New York who works u hours
per day or normal day and a half.
This man has a larger car to OPP
crate, he has ten times as much
traffic, he has to watch lights, pick
up passengers, collect fares and
dodge automobiles, for measly so
cents an hour. This man pays one
third Of his salary for renting two
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-22
BY BERG

IN May 20, 1926, the The Inter
" borough Rapid Transit Company
issued an order to all motormen
on the lines to the effect that the
men would have to take their trains
into the barns, after their runs,
without additional pay. Up to that
time this work had been done by
the switchmen, vino were paid for it.
A meeting of Local 7 (Motormen
and Switchmen) of the Brother
hood" was Immediately called by
the Committee of Delegates. A vote
to strike against this vicious order
was taken and passed. The Com
pany backed down and hastily with
drew its order.
Shortly afterwards, July /, 1926,
the contract between the IR.T. Co.
and the Brotherhood of Inter
borough Rapid Transit Employees
Company Union) expired. This
company union had been in exist
ence since the 1916 strike. 1t was
former by the president of the COM
pany Hedley, together with the
legal department of the IR.T. Co.
The Constitution and yellow dog"
contract of the Brotherhood was
drawn up by this Legal Department
at Hedleys instructions. The men
who formed the organizing com
mittee were picked out by Hedley
and sent out to swing the men into
the company union.
The expiring contract with the
Brotherhood provided for pay of
SO to 81 cents per hour for Motor
men, At the rate of SIS hours work
a week q days. that amounted to
from 1884 up to 1882 per week;
the maximum amount being paid
to workers who had been motor
men over six years. The pay for
switchmen was from So to 81 cents
per hour, bringing their weekly pay
q days. to from $32.43 to s34.16.
The top of 81 cents per hour was
for the men employed as switchmen
over three years.
The Motormen and Switchmen
held a meeting of their Local 7 of
the Brotherhood" and considered
their demands in anticipation of
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-22

was clogging the sewers, the break
ing of eggs, all add to the rising
prices.
Why does the B. M. T. make sure
to have as few articles as possible
on the present cost of living? Be
cause it is too touchy subject for
them to handle. To the workers
the cost Of living is the most vital.
Since they cannot force the COM
pany, through their representatives
to restore the cut in our wages,
they are joining the Transport
Workers Union, a union which can
see how vital it is to the workers.
New Lay-O Offs Coming
The company is well aware of the
fact that the workers are flowing
into the Transport Workers Union.
In order to stem the tide, the COM
pany thinks by feeding the workers
an occasional article on the Cost
of Living" they will be contented.
But articles will not feed our fam
lilies. We know that we are living
on starvation diet while the COM
pany's profits are ever greater and
greater. But still this does not sat
isfy the greed of the B.M.T. They
will be introducing a new train soon
which will eliminate conductors and
trainmen. The motormen. besides
operating the train, will also open
and close the doors at the stations.
In this way doing the work of two,
while getting paid for one. This
clearly shows that the company is
not interested in the welfare of the
workers or the safety of the trav-
cling public. Their motto is Grab
the profits and damn the public"
But there is way out for us.
The only way is the Transport
Workers Union, which we must Join
and help build into a powerful or
ganization for the workers interests.
By doing this, we will be able to
prevent lay-offs, speed-ups and in
security of our jobs.
Now is the time to Join the union.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-22

tionalists and help the fight for ma
tional freedom in Ireland?'
The Irish in the States, Connolly
argued, were about the one race
definitely organized in America for
the support Of a capitalist political
party in Ireland. Hence he proposed
to fight the boss with his own
weapons. The Irish exiled workers
also would organize and put for
ward program for the national
freedom of Ireland. But they would
aid, not the middle class careerist.
but the men and women of their
own class, the truest and most res
olute national fighters for freedom
organized in those days by the Irish
Socialist Republican Party.
New generations have risen in Ire
land and America to test the truth
Of Connolly's ideas. He pointed out
30 years ago that the hard earned
dollars of the Irish exile were being
used to bolster up a political party
Of slum landlords who masqueraded
as the United Ireland Party, the
Home Rule clique. What happened
to the war chest? We know the
TRACE story: 1t was used to build up
a constituencies band of rogues and
traitors who later, like John Red
mond, herded thousands of Irish
men into the British army to fight
in the cause that Britain. with its
unequaned capacity for easy irony,
described as the rights of small
nations"
Compromise, deceit and betrayal
so characteristic of the middle class
politicians, has imprinted its foul
story on every page of Irish-Ameri-
can history since then. The scoun-
drels spawned by the old Home Rule
clique showed their patriotism in
1916. 1t was not enough to drape
themselves in the Union Jack and
tell their dupes: Fight for the en-
pire that holds you in bondage" 1t
was they, through William Martin
Murphy's Irish Independent" who
howled for the blood of the Con-
nollys and Pearses who organized
the battle for independence, and led
the protest against recruiting and
against imperialist oppression in the
rising Of 1916
What became Of the millions of
dollars collected to help the Irish
Republican campaign from 1916 on?
The wealth was used to raise to
power the tyrants who we're the
spokesman of the big businessmen in
1921 and who, because Of their class
af1liation enforced the treaty" with
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-22
b M I Bulletin
Cam COcer Up
Real Pay Cuts
Average Trainman Gets
$I,I0O TO $500
a Year
AN ANSWER TO THE B.M.T.
BY a B.M.T. Worker

In the attempt to sugar-coat its
claws which are tearing at the
workers, the B. M. T., through its
mouthpiece, the Monthly Bulletin,
is trying to show the workers how
well off they are. In the May is
sue of the Bulletin is an article
which compares the standard of liv-
ing of 1921 and 1881. They are so
anxious to convince the workers of
their better present-day conditions,
taking care not to mention any
thing Of wage-earnings during those
years. Now let us take the COM
pany's own figures for the Cost of
Living" of 1881, the year before they
graciously handed us 10 per cent
wage cut.
We quote from the Monthly, Page
3, Column l.
'Phrased another way, items of
living in New York City that cost
81 in 1881 could be purchased for
9Sc in December, 1888"
In other words the cost of living
in this city has declined seven per
cent. Assuming that the figures
are correct, let us see how it COM
pares with our earnings for 1881
and 1898.
What We Lost
First, we lost our bonus and door
accident prevention bonuses were
cut in half. The Is cents for con-
ductors in charge OF platform was
taken away. Then the company
gave us one day off out of seven
without pay in order to make room
for the extra men. This wasn't a
spree of good-naturedness. The
company wanted to nullify the
clause in the agreement guarantee
ing the extra men $18 per week.
The two cent differential for the
subway men was also Topped off.
And on top of it all the 10 per cent
cut.
A conductor in 1881, working
seven day per week, with a special
on the platform, for six days re-
ceived as his weekly wage, based on
an eight-hour day and not includ-
ing the Is cents for taking charge
of platform, the total of $45.8
Today the same conductor
works six days per week and three
days on the platform although
the favorites still work six days
on the PLATFORM, receives S31.35
per week. This is drop of 80
per cent or S14.53.
In the case of conductor who
did not work a special, he received
for seven days in 1881, $3472.
Today the same conductor for six
days draws $2640, a cut of 1892 or
241a per cent.
These figures do not include the
bonuses.
How many workers receive s31
per week? The B. M. T. wouldn't
dare reveal the average earnings of
conductors and trainmen. We know
they are receiving the measly salary
of $l,100 to $500 per year
Cost of Living Goes Up
And while our salaries are dimin-
iShing, the cost of living has been
steadily rising. The most elementary
necessities of life, food, clothing and
shelter are constantly rising in cost.
For example, the price of our uni
form has jumped from $14 to $18,
an increase of 281a per cent.
The government initiation with the
destroying of wheat, uprooting of
fruit trees, dumping of milk Ito
such excess that our Health Com
missioner, Shirley w. Wynne was
forced to stop it because the milk
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-22
Why the 1926 I. r. 7. Strike Was Lost

wait for a general stoppage on the
IL" lines.
Immediately after the strike be-
gan various workers groups in New
York City came out in support of
the Motormen and Switchmen. The
Left Wing opposition groups. the
Furriers, and Local of the Elec-
trical Workers Union raised funds
for strike relief and sent speakers
to address the strikers. The strike
spread. On July 8 more than three
quarters of the Motormen on the
9th and 9th Ave. %" struck. On
July the power house workers of
Local l came out.
The company issued an order pro-
hibiting any further meetings of
Brotherhood" locals. There was
great unrest among the IR.T. work
erS and other traction workers. The
IR.T. Co. called into action more
detective agencies and other strike
breakers. Millions of dollars we're
spent for their services" Between
$4,000 and $4,000 a day in fares
was lost because the public, both
out of sympathy with the strikers
and in fear of the numerous ac-
cidents which took place due to the
inexperience of the scabs, deserted
the subways.
Daily Worker Gave Support
The Daily Worker was the only
paper which gave full support to
the strike. It put its pages at the
disposal Of the striking workers to
print their appeals to the men who
remained at work and to the public.
Signed appeals by the leaders were
published in the Daily Worker. In
an editorial on July IL, the Daily
demanded that the A. F. of l.. sup
port the strike and organize the
workers. The A. F. of L. made no
attempt during the strike to get the
workers into the "Amalgamated
Association of Electrical Railway
Employees" and refused to lend any
support. To save its face the A. F.
of L., through their attorney, Will
liam D. Perlman, made a half
hearted appeal to the IR.T. Co. to
be allowed to organize the men or
they will be driven over to the
Communists" However, the I.R.T.
decided to manage its own strike
breaking.
The strikers we're practically
leaderlesS. They were unable to
spread the strike to the rest of
transportation. The strikers we're
willing to arbitrate and submitted
the names of three men the Rev
trends William Montgomery Brown,
5. Parks Cadman and Francis P.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-22
WHAT'S ON
SATURDAY

SATURDAY
WEEK END Outing to opening Of Camp
Kinderlsnd arranged by Fed spark Club
325 includes round trip. three meals and
nights lodging We leave Saturday. Juns
%, u noon from our club rooms, 81 and
Ave. near 4th ST. For information call
al above address.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-22
Eve Follow the Lead of Connolly
When We Are No More Tools of
U. S. Than of British Imperialism

, soldiers and guns provided by Eng
land
Fisnns Fail
And now Fianns Fail. It's party
organ. the Irish Press, was founded
with the help Of the exiles' dollars.
TO advance the republican movs-
ment," its leaders said In practice
today it means TO halt the repub.
lican movement, to tolerate and en-
courage its enemies like the blus
shirts, to pack the prisons with re.
publican and anti-fascist fighters
Clearly what was true Of Irish.
America in Connolly's day is as true
today. The Irish are still the pawni
Of the middle class politician who
builds them into a team for the use
Of American imperialism. And just
as the old Tammany-inspired
friend of ireland" directed the dis
content of the Irish voter into the
one channel-against England-and
preached boss-class politics while he
did it, so the long distance Irish pa
triot of today serves more than one
political boss when he shouts to tbs
Irish unemployed; You're unem-
ployed because England won't pay
her war debit You have no unem-
ployment relief while the English
man has the dole, because England
won't pay her war debit Your home
and property is in danger, because
England won't pay her war debit
Make England pay! Make our navy
second to none!"
War-MOngers
As capitalist statesmen prepare to
scrap their precious pacts and
treaties the war-cries rise fiercer.
Irish editorial lions, taking their cue
from Washington and Hearst. OUT
do their masters in war propaganda.
The United States is pictured as the
starveling Cinderella who made
nothing out of the war" To thess
wilfully- blind demagogues the Amer
lean armament companies must have
been living in Never-Never Land in
19l7-19. The Carnegie Steel Cor
poration. the United States Steel.
the Bethlehem Steel Corporation,
DuPont-thse fsmished sharehold-
ers who made nothing from the war;
They made millionsi They're ready
TO make millions in the coming war
and precisely for that reason organ
ize such lingo groups as the Navy
League, whose publicity receives
such generous display in the coll
umns of the American press.
Clearly the Irish Hearsts are help
ing to whip the Irish into war
fever under the convenient gUise of
Make England Pay" and Prepared
ness" Clearly their useful weapon
is hypocritical exploitation Of the
Irish question.
Clearly The way to expose them is
through building up the Irish Work.
ers' Clubs.
The Irish Workers Clubs, follow
ing the example of James Connolly,
must prove to the Irish here that
empires (this means American also)
are not Interested in freeing subject
nations, however much they trifle
with such causes purely to taunt
and embarass rival powers.
Just as the fight for Irish indie
pendence must be led by the most
resolute fighters. the revolutionary
working class aided by the small
farmers, so the rish-American
auxiliary must be led by their class
brothers and sisters in America.
Then the role of ell the Irish in
America will become once again
truly progressive and worthy of the
finest traditions of the Irish struggle
for freedom
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-22

bAlC WIN AOyd4Jy Llley really mean
servility. The boasts of these ex-
ploiters of human labor are based
upon the belief that all fighting
spirit has been bulldozed out of the
men and crushed.
They comfort themselves with the
belief that their" workers are with
out courage and leadership to resist
the degradation imposed upon them
While it is true that there are men
who have become discouraged and
meek through long vars of service
with the bullying corporations, these
spirit brokn men do NOT represent
the majority of the New York City
transport workers by long shot.
Through series of sell-outs and
betrayals by the A. F. of L. many
of the B.MT. and IR.T. workers
lost faith in organization. Under
these circumstances they were easily
herded into the company unions
These company organizations under
company controlled, assisted by the
boot-licking, hatin-hand, treacher-
Gus officials, accomplished their mis-
sion of placing the workers com
pletely at the mercy of Hedley
Dahl and Co.
1t would be hard to find a man in
the employ of the B.MT. or I.R.T
today who is not aware of these
truths. And it would be equally
hard to find an honest two-fisted
worker who is not ready to organize
under honest, independent rank and
file leadership to demand and fight
for better conditions.
What are our demands?
The Record
Before answering this question, let
us see what has taken place since
1929, In addition to a 10 per cent
wage cut sliced from our already
measly wages against which the
labor takers of the Brotherhood
and representative" not only failed
to raise voice. but actually helped
to put over the companies have
laid off thousands of men. Through
the stretch-out and speed-up system
the remaining men have been COM
PEELED to shoulder the additional
work at 10 per cent less wages. This,
in effect, is double-edged wage
cut and is felt by the workers in
every yard, shop, barn, line and de-
partment. These are visible as plain
facts even to the most backward
worker.
Since January, 1893, the transport
workers of the B.MT. and the I.R.T