The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-01-01
Silk Workers for Rank
and File Leadership

PATTERSON silk workers have dealt an
other blow at the reactionary Love-
stoneite machine headed by Eli Keller,
which has been paralyzing their union.
Through their shop chairman and dele
gates they unanimously rejected the contract just
negotiated by Eli Keller, manager Of the union
The silk workers refuse to leave the question of
wages to arbitration. They realize that it means,
at best enforcing the present reduced wages as the
permanent scale
But in rejecting the contract they also show that
they realize that the Progressive" group as the
Lovestoneite renegades in the silk union call them
selves, outdoes even the openly known A. F. of L.
top reactionary officials in giving service to the
bosses
The action of the workers spells defeat for the
Keller clique in the coming elections of the plain
goods department of the silk local of the United
Textile Workers Union. The workers see that the
continuance of the present regime is part of the
plan of the mill to bring the conditions of
the workers down to still lower standard.
The Keller regime, however, is desperately try
ing to hold Office by every means. Their latest
measure is to place themselves in the hands of the
Socialist Jewish Daily Forward which is an old
hand at union wreckng and at mass expulsion of
union members who would not submit to the die
tates of its agents The Forward is controlled by
the right wing of the S. P. Last Wednesdays issue
of that paper carries statement by the progress
sive" Lovestone group of renegades, in which the
Jewish workers are called upon to rally against the
internal enemy" as they characterize the National
Textile Workers Union and Communists now among
the most active members in the union The Love-
stone renegades crawl on their knees before the
Forward, which means the Cahan-Waldman right
wing leadership of the SIP and have repented for
having permitted these workers to Join the union,
declaring that they recognize the mistake" They
try last minute Red Scare stampede to confuse
the members about the union being in danger" If
Communists take hold of it. The language Of their
statement is comparable only to the vicious Hearst
anti-red editorials
AS among the 1000 silk workers, so among the
$4,000 workers in the Paterson local of the dyers
CU.TW.U) the rank and file is determined to con-
troll their own organizat ton They are uniting be-
hind the rank and file "Vgorito slate" as the best
way of insuring the victory they recently scored in
the strike
They have endorsed the Washington Congress
for Unemployment Insurance and elected a dele
gate to the Congress. At their shop chairman and
delegate meetings, when the reactionary president
of the local. Anthony Ammrato incumbent candi-
date, moved for expulsion of Communists from the
union, he booed down and defeated by unani-
nous vote.
The Paterson textile workers are giving an ex-
ample that should inspire every rank and file group
and every worker who wants to see live militant
trade union movement.
The dyers will elect the "Vigorito slate" by an
overwhelming vote next Saturday. The silk work
ers will replace the present reactionary Lovestone
regime with a fighting rank and file leadership.