The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-02
FIGHT SHARPENED
AGAINST COMPANY
UNIONS IN STEEL
Men Beginning To Realize Consequences of Jure
Betrayal; 'TO He'll with Federal Labor
Boards Is Their WatchwOrd

thing is quiet in steel. But why does
Roosevelt personally intervene in
steel and meet with Green, Tighe
and the Iron and Steel Institute,
and propose a six months truce for
steel and more promises of 'recog-
milton" The answer is that the steel
workers in the mills now see through
. the labor boards and are saying
quite openly "to he'll viii the labor
boards" AIiquippa, the outstanding
example of a company controlled,
thug dominated, town has fallen be-
fore steel workers determined to orr
ganiZe. 1t is now union town. The
workers reason: 1.-THE coal miners
didn't wait for the labor boards to
give them recognition, they struck
for it and got it. Why should we
wait for something that we'll never
get waiting?"
Duquesne recently unanimously
rejected an arbitration plan pro-
posed by Tighe Strike sentiment
and the rank and file movement is
growing. The rank and file of the
A. A. since the organization drive OF
1888 has always been militant and
against Tighe's leadership. But not
until recently did it begin to con-
solidate this broad rank and file
movement with a clear program and
capable leadership. At the A. A. con-
ventions of last summer the loosely
formed and unelear rank and file
proved easy prey to the demagogy
of Roosevelt and Green. Not so to-
day when even district presidents
and many lodge officials are actively
supporting and leading the rank and
file with a militant program of ac-
ton.
/ Roosevelt, Green, Tighe and the
Iron and Steel Institute decided
something must be done to check
the leftward swing of the steel
workers, to bolster up their rapidly
fading illusions in the MIRA and
labor boards, and to hold back the
inevitable strike. They meet in con-
ferences in WASHINGTON, issue vague
statements intended to convey that
recognition would be given.
1.-THE only point of difference is
minority or majority rule" says
| Green. What does this mean? 1t
means in the main another ma
neuver aims to delay the action
which the steel workers are prepar-
ing. The discussion around minority
and majority rule is a maneuver by
1fyl1f o1, oh ~
cover up the fact that the kind Of
recognition they would seek to nego-
tiate with the U. S. Steel Corpora
ton is the same kind of "recogni-
ton" that Lewis negotiated for the
miners in the captive fields.
All the miners in the Western
Penna. fields went on strike in 1893.
The coal fields have recently been
divided" into commercial and cap
tive mines. The commercial mines
are those mines that produce for
the general market. The captive
mines are the mines owned by the
steel corporations and produce only
for their mills, The miners, by the
strength of their strike. forced the
commercial operators of the COM
mercial mines to sign an agreement
recognizing the UMWA., the pit
committees and checkWeighmen.
The steel corporations in the cap
tive mines would not sign the agree
ment. Lewis then made the famous
agreement with the captive mine
operators chat the steel corpora
tons recognize John l.. Lewis land
why not, he is their employee, any
how as the president of the UNI.
WA" They did not recognize the or
gani2ation, they recognized only the
individual j. L. Lewis. This left the
basis for the company to build the
company unions in the captive
mines under the name of the Work
mems Brotherhood, etc. and used
this agreement with individuals and
their company unions to smash the
real union Of the workers.
Understanding this development
in the mine fields, it becomes clear
that this is the basis of the kind Of
recognition" that Green and Tighe
speak Of in the secret truce negotia-
tons in Washington.
The outcome of the minority~ma-
jority dispute means nothing to the
steel workers Even should the ma
jority rule be applied a captive mine
agreement would be tackled on, ie.,
| recognition CT the "oficials Of the
A. AZ and not the organization it,
| sol ND VIA,
gain nothing. Such is the basis OF
the truce arrangements, and Roose-
| velt- Green Tighe and the Iron and
Steel Institute will only play this
trump card in the face OF an inn
| mediate mass strike in steel. The
steel workers must be prepared to
meet such maneuver in the near
future and understand how to de-
feat it, and rallying the steel work.
ers behind a clear slogan of recog-
milton Of the A. A. and OH local mill
and department committees, and
the abolition Of the company union.
Minority and majority in elec-
tions-these are terms injected by
lawyers and labor boards interpret
ing Section IA and eagerly picked
up by Green and Tighe to dangle
before the steel workers to keep
them from decisive action.
/ To the steel workers the issue
must be clear and simple. Nc CONF
pany union-our own union, the A.
| A, in the control of the rank and
file. To he'll with the labo; boards.
Well gain our demands by cur Or