Montana labor news., 1935-04-04

And Drive Its Officers and
Members from the Valley.
Joseph M. Casey, a general organi-
ger of the American Federation of La
Dor, was in Imperial Valley, Calf, dur
ing the strike of the Fruit and Vege-
table Workers Local Union No. 1921,
an affiliate OF the A. F. of L. At the
request of the Central Labor Council
of Long Beach, Calf, Mr.. Casey pre-
pared an account of the labor dispute
which resulted in the strike, the mob
bing and numbering Of strikers by a
gang of roughnecks recruited by the
employers and the unholy alliance with
the mob by the California state police.
Mr.. Casey's story follows
"A real picture of the circumstances
surrounding the recent atrocities in the
Imperial Valley is impossible without
a clear and definite outline Of the dis
graceful background that attaches it
self to this un-American area.
Override Law and Right
For several years back the uncon-
scionable public officials, goaded on by
lawless absentee landlords, have sue
cessfully defied federal and state inter
vention.
''The program of infanmy pursued in
the Imperial Valley ranges from cur
r%ilously insulting attacks upon the per
son Of the President of the United
States to the savage and uncomfortable
exploitation of alien Mexicans.
"No authority, no laws and no rights
that conflict with the dastardly code Of
the powers that be- in Imperial Val
Iey'-as they love to call it-are per-
mitted an existence.
with this confronting them it is
easy to conceive what terrific odds a
group Of migratory fruit and vegetable
workers faced in the prosecution Of a
strike for their just desserts.
Migratory Workers Organize.
Each year in early winter thousands
of vegetable workers migrate to I'm
perial Valley to process and pack a
lettuce crop that normally comprises
about $4,000 car loads.
For the first time in the history Of
the valley, December of 1884 found
these fruit and vegetable workers fairly
we'll organized under the banner of the
Fruit and Vegetable Workers Local
Union No. 1921 Of the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor,
This organization had succeeded in
establishing decent wages and humane
working conditions throughout Califor-
MIA with the exception, of course, of
the Imperial Valley.
Union Representatives Ignored
without proposing a single drastic
change, the officers of the union, as far
back as December Is, 1884, asked to
meet representatives of the Shipper
Growers, as the employers are known,
and we're repeatedly stalled off.
Personal interviews were sought,
letters were forwarded, but all to abso-
lutely no avail, Finally, on February
3, 1885, the union drafted an agree
ment embodying the rates of pay and
working conditions prevalent in the
lettuce industry.
Strike Is Declared
"An order was voted to strike any
Shipper-Growe who, after reasonable
time to negotiate, failed to meet with
the unions demands.
"By February u, 1885, eight Shipper
Growers signed the union agreement
and about 81 held out. AT 3 p. m. on
this date about 1,5OO shed workers
walked off their jobs in Imeprial Val
ley.
Authorities Arm Mob Of Strikebreakers
1.-THE orderly manner in which the
walkout was conducted and the sys-
tematic and highly effective program
Of peaceful picketing that was followed,
brought about a type of opposition pos
sible only in this cesspool of America.
"A crew of irresponsible and un-
known morons was prevailed upon to
break the strike with the law enforcing
bodies arming them with pick handles,
pistols and deputies badges. This I'M
necessary and promiscuous deputizing
Of nonresident strikebreakers finally
resulted in the uncalled for and cold
blooded murder of two striking pickets
State Cossacks Hunt Strikers
Next we find the State of Califor-
MIA shamefully aiding and abetting this
land Of terroristic vigilantism and fas-
cism by sending in police from the
state highway patrol.
"The attitude of these 'cossacks' was
SO bitterly biased that union strikers
were hunted from the public streets like
dogs.
what a sad commentary on II
Wanted American civilization that
such a lawless area is permitted to exist
yes not only permitted but actually
assisted by the taxes of millions Of
C~alifornians."
Labor's greatest weapon is the
TTptop I okaI pop,op,ka~ A.