The daily worker., 1935-01-29

sput forward Sarkis Phillian for the
vacated oflce.
In resigning, the leader Of the
bankrupt Lovestoneites here read
his own statement before the Joint
executive board, which represents
about 10000 members Of the silk
federation. Keller said that he
could not work with the new people
whom the workers have elected to
the joint board from the various
departments in the last elections.
In these elections the rank and file
in the plain goods department COM
pletely repudiated the bankrupt
Lovestoneite renegades from COM
munism and elected their own slate.
When Keller finished his state
ment Of resignation, Keller made
the face-saving gesture Of saying
that he was resigning under doc
tors orders"
The resignation was unanimously
accepted.
PhiIIian Nominated
Sarkis Phillian, the rank and file
candidate, was nominated at the
Saturday meeting of the broadsilk
department for the election Of gen
eral manager and other officials to
take place Saturday, Feb. 16. The
broadsilk department also nomi-
mated candidates for four organ
izerS, to be elected at the same elec-
tions.
Sarkis Phillian is now serving his
second term on the executive board.
He ran for reelection on the rank
and file slate in the last elections
which won complete victory over
the so-called progressive slate" Of
Keller. He is weaver by trade,
and Is now working in the Paterson
mills. He has long been known for
his militancy on the picket lines,
fighting continuous battle against
injunctions and for the demands Of
the silk workers. He was largely
responsible. in his position as O.
member Of the executive board, for
unifying all the independent silk
workers unions. He helped to merge
all the existing unions into the
American Federation of Silk Work
ers. He fought against the betrayals
in the last general silk strike. not
only against German and McMa-
hon, but also against Eli Keller and
his machine rule.
Williams Is Reactionary
The other candidate, who was
nominated by the conservative
group in the Jacquard department,
Alex Williams, is one of the or
ganizers Of the Jacquard depart
ment. He IS well known to the Pat
erson workers as one who in every
strike has sent the jacquard work.
ers back to the mills. In the last
strike, picket lines had to be put
around the shops of which he is or
ganizer. He. with Keller, is equally
responsible for the mishandling Of
the last general textile strike, in
which the Paterson workers were
sent back without even vote. and
which caused Generalization in the
union ranks.
Keller's resignation shows the
complete bankruptcy of the policies
of the Lovestone renegades from
Communism leadership in the
unions, and conclusively proves the
statements of the rank and file that
Keller was in the union. not repre-
senting the interests of the workers.
He has proven himself, while in
the union leadership, as endorsing
the same policies as German and
Mcmahon.
The capitalist papers of Paterson
yesterday stated that Keller re-
signed because he could not put over
a scab contract which offered no
wage scales to the silk workers. a
contract which left the question Of
wages to the arbitration boards. He
wished a secret ballot on such a
contract, but the workers over
whelmingly rejected this proposal.