The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-23
The Expulsion Drive of
Tighe and Pagan Is
Failing
By Tom keenan,

mass meeting ana JOINT committee |
meeting called by the Vesta local
unions of the United Mine Work
ers in Daisytown called for next |
Sunday afternoon marks another !
step forward in the Welding Of a |
united front between coal miners
and steel workers in the struggle
against the bosses and bureaucratS,
with representative of the Jones
and Laughlin steel workers sched-
uled 10 bring the message of unity
to their brothers in the captive
mines Of the same company.
Such a united front as this is
feared by the bosses and by their
agents in the ranks of organized
labor. When the first steps were
made in a joint conference Of
miners and steel workers at Pitts
burgh, Feb. 8, both Mike Tighe, pres
tdent Of the Amalgamated Associa-
ton of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers,
and Pat Pagan, president of District
Five of the U. M. W., did their ut
most to prevent such action by
threatening to expel every union
member who attended.
ExpulsiOns Fail
Since the Feb. 3 conference Tghe
has done his best to carry through
these explosions. He has tried to
revoke the charters OF Is of the
strongest A. A. lodges for sending
delegates to the conference.
In doing this, Tighe has pursued
the same tactics Pagan employed
when he "weeded out" all the best
fighters of the Logans Ferry local
last summer He has announced his
willingness to issue new charters
wherever he is sure that the mill
tant rank and file leaders are ex-
cluded. But his efforts have been
in vain.
The lodges of the Amalgamated
Association are passing resolutions
protesting and refusing to recognize
any reYocations or explosions, con-
tinuing to regard these brothers and
lodges as members Of the union with
full rights The membership of the
A. A. is standing solidly behind the
rank and file and it's campaign to
organize the steel industry.
The steel workers are fighting a
winning battle against Tighe pre-
paratcry to the battle against the
steel employers. The coal miners
are conducting similar struggle.
The strike of VeSta miners last
week against wearing goggles was
an expression Of sentiment regard
ing the no-strike Appalachian
agreement which John L. Lewis ne
gotiated last year.
The Vesta Strike
The mine management was try
ing to force the miners to wear
safety goggles throughout the work
ing day in the mines, under clause
of the contract. The walkout was
pr7tas5 against this oppression.
But as soon as the miners were
out, Immediately the slogan was
raised in many cases of continuing
the strike for q new wage scale,
againgt the agreement, for the
$6-siS-hour day, the five-day week,
and for an increase of wages as the
Co.'S of living goes up.
The miners did right in going
back to work. to consolidate their
forces throughout the district for
changing the crippling, no-strike
agreement when it expires April /.
At that time the fight will be on
a broad scale, and the chances Of
winning are many times greater.
Unity of Miners and Steel Workers
In the meantime, the united front
between steel workers and coal min
ers can be greatly strengthened. The
n FerS can Go much to help the
steel workers in their organization
drive, and in defeating the expul-
sion attempts of Tighe.
Central Labor Unions in McKees-
port and Kiski Valley have already
passed resolutions protesting the ex-
pulsion orders of Mike Tighe-
y. M, w. locals should do the same
thing Immediately, sending these
resolutions to Tighe and to William
G.een and the A. P. of l.. Execu-
tive Council.
Green and the A. F. of l.. Coun-
Gil have pretended to sympathize
with the rank and file of the A, A..
and have promised an organisa-
ton drive, with finances to sup
port 1t, in the steel industry. But
still Green makes no move to
force Tighe to retract his expul-
sion orders, nor has any financial
sdp1ort been forthcoming for the
rank and files organizing cam
paign.
~ rop of this, the sub -committee
of A. F. of L. leaders who were ap-
pointed to consider steel in the last
meeting of the A. F. of L. Council
is hoaded BY John L. Lewis, the man
who is responsible for the Appala-
chan agreement, and whom Sam
Gompers once referred to as "the
president of the U. S. Steel Corpo-
ration
These things all emphasize the
need and Importance of the united
front between miners and steel
workers.
Must Build Unions
The same conditions which the
miners race in rising costs of living,
spreading unemployment, company
unions, the failure of labor boards
to bring any improvements in these
conditions, are repeated in the case
of the steel workers. The same
bosses, continually driving down lily
ing standards, speeding up the work,
are responsible for these conditions
IN the mills and mines.
The miners already have a strong
organization which they can use to
force the bosses to improve their
\ conditions. Although the Amalga-
mated il not rs strnfnr The steal