The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-09
United Body To Fight
for Pay Rise and
Better Conditions

The united front of the shoe
manufacturers throughout { h
country In their onslaught on the
conditions Of the workers places
the question of unity Of all the
workers, regardless Of union aff1lia.
ton, to beat back these attacks
first and foremost on the order Of
the day.
The unification Of the existing
unions into one powerful, militant
union, controlled by the member
ship, and the initiation of a cam
paign for the organization Of the
bulk OF the unorganized shoe work
ers is advocated in a statement is
sued recently by the Executive
Board Of Local % of the United
Shoe and Leather Workers Union
The statement follows:
To All Shoe workers:
The time has come when deeds
must follow words, when action
must take the place of arguments,
when promises must become reali-
ties and when the unbearable con-
ditions Under which the shoe work
ers and their dependents must live
be wiped out.
For many years the workers have
been separated, betrayed and de-
MED the right to work and to earn
a living, to this very day the work
ers find themselves unemployed,
hungry and starving while those
workers who have job are forced
to work for pauper wages, and-all
of this in spite Of the fact that we
are surrounded by mountains of
wealth, created by the hands, the
brains and by the skill of the
workers who toll in the sweat of
their brow.
Boot and Shoe Code Protects
Moving Of Shops
The manufacturers, with the aid
of the administration and under
the protection of the Boot and
Shoe Code, are moving into unor-
ganized centerS to escape union
demands for a decent living wage
and working conditions. In the Or
ganized centers new wage cuts are
being forced upon the shoe workers.
The experiences of the past-the
lessons learned under independent
militant left wing unions and lead
ership, together with the sharpen
ing attacks upon the workers
standard of living by the bosses
with the help of the administra-
ton, plus the failure of the A. F.
of L. bureaucrats to aid and help
the workers-all of this ripened the
struggle of the workers for rank
and file leadership and eliminated
in an amalgamation, and the estab-
lishment of the United Shoe and
Leather Workers Union.
The United is now entering its
second year Of existence. The
Ainalgamation Convention, held ir
Boston on Dec. IL and IL, 1888
welded together four separate shoe
unions into one organization. This
was an inspiration to all shoe anc
leather workers throughout the
country The principles, policies ane
resolutions adopted at the Amalga.
nation Convention gave the newly
established union the possibility Of
becoming the only union of the
shoe and leather workers.
One year has passed and as 9
result of the incompetency, I'M
faithfulness Of the national leader.
ship to the best interest of the
workers, and the complete disre.
gard for the constitution and pro-
gram as laid down by resolutions
and convention decisions, we
members of the U. S. L. w. u, are
forced to recognize that our unior
has not fulfilled the hopes of tht
workers in the shoe and leather in.
dustry, and all responsibility for tbs
criminal negligence must be laic
directly at the door of the nationa
leadership, and particularly the
Resident Executive Board.
Local % Of United Advocated Unity
The New York Local No. % O.
the U. S. L. W. U. long ago sounded
the call for further united actor
as set forth in our October resolu.
ton, wherein it is clearly stated a,
follows:
IN view of the ripening move.
fnent for united action with oui
union on the part of the rank anc
file in other Independent unions
and in the Boot and Shoe Workers
Union locals, as evidenced by tn,
very sentiment among the Brocktor
shoe workers, and by the propose
OF the executive of the Boot anc
Shoe Slipper Local of New YorI
to our local for a united front OF
specific trade issues, we call 70
united action with all other ma
tional and local organizations TO
the safeguarding of the interests o
all shoe workers, against runawa,
bosses and for a joint action in tn,
organized preparation and con
Quoting Of a national strike baset
on this program"
Union Resolution Advocates One
Union In Industry
This resolution was endorsed b
a number of locals of the U. S. L
| W. U. in New England. Furthe
demonstration in this direction wa
given by the large delegation o
shoe workers, representing variou
shoe workers organizations at tn
Congress for Unemployment an,
Social Insurance in washington
D: c., in January, 1895, when the
adopted a resolution stating il
part as follows:
We further declare that we shat
work in our local unions and shop
for the building up of united from
OF all shoe workers in defense of GU
wages and conditions for the or
ganiZation of the unorganized sho