The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-16
Steel Workers
Meet to Build
UpTheirUniOn
Continued from Page II

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is really interested in the progress!
Of the union. Bill Spang made i
as clear as possible that this wa,
not a secession movement, that tht
workers did not want to form a new
union, that all they wanted was
to put new life into their old union
which has been in existence for So
years.
Said Roy HaIIas from Claireton
Pa: We are confronted with the
most powerful enemy, the Steel
Trust. We have practically no lead
ership. Our organization is not
growing. Still, the response to the
call for this conference proves that
our membership is alive to the is
sues.
1--WE Have Waited Long Enough"
In a mood of great indignation,
Hallas declares: We have lain
around in the bulrushes long
enough. We have waited too long
for the labor boards and other gov
ernmental agencies to get us out
Of the mire. How long shall we
wait for the Executive Council to
carry out the decisions OF our seth
convention? The Amalgamated AS
ISOLATION does not belong to Tighe.
1t belongs to us. The A. F. of L. is
our organization; we must not leave
it. We must insure the democratic
rights of the steel workers. We can
organize the steel industry despite
the officials. Let us organize the
key mills in every district. When a
strike comes we shall strike these
mills first; the rest will follow. What
we have to do is to bring this prob
lem to the mass organizations in
which the steel workers are mem
bers. We must utilize them for our
struggle. We must utilize the Ian
guage papers. We must develop daily
struggles in the mills and among
the unemployed. Experience has
proven that those lodges that have
conducted work among the unem-
ployed have retained their member
ship. We must unite both Negro
and white, native and foreign-born
steel workers. We must see to it
that Negroes become organizers.
We have about 100000 Negroes
among the steel workers. If we
smash the Jim Grow fences we can
win our struggle.
Must Advance or Give Up"
Said delegate Powers from Balti-
more, Md: Our leadership has been
retreating for the last four years.
We are fighting with our backs to
the wall. We must either advance
or give up. We decide to advance.
Those who propose to split the
union are wrong. The Amalgamated
Association is good enough for us.
We need no new organization; we
need a militant program. We need
an organization drive. We need no
new federation. The American Fed
Grafton of Labor has five million
members; let us organize them into
a powerful rank and file movement.
The spirit in our lodges is better
today than it was six months ago.
The lodges are taking things into
their own hands.
Said delegate Allen from India
napolis: One of the tricks of the
bosses would be just this-to launch
a dual union against us, to break
the ranks of the workers. This
would be their way OF stopping a
strike in Steel coal, aluminium. auto,
which in my judgment is imminent.
If Mike Tighe cannot control the
militant union, then our withdrawal
would only make it easier for the
steel corporations to use the Anal
gamated Association as a company
union. The leadership of our union
is a rotten outfit, but the union it.
self has a 60-year prestige. Let us
send a committee to Tighe, let us
demand his resignation. If the COM
mittee is kicked out, let us organize
a rank-and-file march of 1000 steel
workers demanding his resignation.
This will electrify the steel workers
throughout the country. We must
have the S0-hour week and higher
pay. The 30-hour week alone is not
sufficient. We shall have to strike
to realize our demands.
Red Scare" Exposed
Delegate Lesko from McKeesport.
Pa, protests against Tighe's calling
the militants Reds" He SAYS:
When Mike Tighe spreads his red
scare he does it against the inter
ests of the people. Who is to blame
Mike Tighe. They say we are
Reds" was born in this coun-
try. belong here. The United
States belongs to us; we do not
want any other country; but we
want to be able to live. When I
was in Washington as a delegate
to the Unemployed Insurance Con-
greSs, Jan. to 7, we sent del
egation to see our official, Bill Green
Mr.. Green said, II don't want to see
a bunch of dogs"-that's what he
calls us. John Lewis, whom we feed
out of the mouths of our kids, re-
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