The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-24
Rank and File Victories
In A.F. of L. Elections

ELECTIONS held in the past few days in
- three A. F. of L. unions-the miners,
musicians and cloakmakers, show a rapid
growth of the rank and file opposition to
the class cooperation policies of the inter-
national officials The results in these elections con-
the Communists in the trade unions. In these cleo
tions the Communists played an important role in
developing the united front of all honest and mil
liant elements against the policies Of the reaconary
bureaucrats
In the United Mine Workers of America elections,
the rank and file slate actually won the elections
in the Pittsburgh district by big majorities over
the slate of the Lewis-Fagan machine The Lewis
Pagan machine is now attempting to keep in power
in this district by stealing the elections The re-
suits in the national balloting are not yet known
but how Lewis feared the rank and file sentiment
is clear by his action in taking the leading candi-
dates of the rank and file off the national ballot
In the elections in the large New York local
300 of the American Federation of Musicians the
Blue Ticket" of the united opposition slate elected
their candidates for secretary treasurer -presi-
dent, the executive board and the trial board bv
votes Of two to one, getting over three thousand
votes for some candidates.
The results in the musicians elections were the
rank and files answer to the red scare raised by
their international president Chauncey Weaver who
made vicious attack on the Communists and other
militants at the last A. F. of L. convention The
opposition slate of local 8O2 was elected on plat
form of fight for economic demands, for the I'M
employed, inner democracy and local autonomy in
the union, and no discrimination because of color
sex or political belief.
The left wing candidates of local one of the
IL.GWU. (cloakmakerC, secured forty per cent
Of all votes cast the basis of officially counted"
figures In local nine, thirty-hve per cent of the
votes were counted for the united slate of the left
wing and progressive groups. In both locals forty
five per cent of the vote was against the present
administration, according to officially counted
figures In local one two left wing candidates were
elected to the Executive Board. There was whole
sale stealing of votes, ballot box sufing and ntmi-
dation by the official Dubnsky machine
Thus it is seen that in all three union elections
Ghe PttSourgh district miners, the New York mu-
sicians and cloakmakers, the membership is de-
termined to fight for their economic demands, and
rejects the no-str1ke clsss-co-operation policy of
William Green and his International officials
This Is in line with the developments in numer-
GUS A. F. of L. unions in the recent period since
the Communists have been working more energeti-
cally in the A. F of L. unions The district election
-
wing among the textile workers in Paterson the big
vote for the rank and file slate in the Interna-
tonal Mine Mill and Smelter Workers Union, the
developing rank and file movement in the steel
union CAD; the election of the left wing slate in
the longshoremen's local union in San Francisco
etc. all indicate the mounting opposition to the A
F. of L. bureaucracy the growth of the rank and
hle movement. The mass support in the A F. of
L. unions for the Workers Unemployment and
Is fi1rth ipdio
trend.
The growth Of the rank and file opposition In
these unions is the answer of the A. F. of L. mem
bers to the vicious red scare raised by the Greens
the VOLS, the Weavers and the Lewses The mem
oers of the A. F. of L. are uniting, are forging the
united front of the rank and file against hunger
fasc1sn1 and war, are giving battle to the Green
bureaucracys no-fght policies.