WORKERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE THEMILITANT)
STRIKERS DEFY OLSON MILITIA Weekly Organ of the Communist League of America VOLUME VII, NO. 31 (WHOLE NO. 2351 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, AUGUST 4, 1934 PRICE CENTS Drivers Force Release of Leaders Heads Local 574 Issues Call for In Stockyards Protest General Strike Check Strike Local 574 Makes Frame up Against olaske Labor History in League Leaders a Great Struggle Complete Collapse Minneapolls, Aug. Defying Workers of Chicago entered the martial law and the bayonets of long line of strike battles that are We publish below the appeal of Local 574 for the right to picket has been conquered and defended Governor Olson National Guard, raging froin coast to coast as 800 general strike in protest the military by the labor movement for hundred years. We the striking truckmen are buck on stock budlers marched out on a tyranny of Governor Olson as published in the shall never give it up.
the picket line.
Organizer, the union daily strike bulletin. The They have stopped scab trucks strike that has had the huge ChiThey ruided our headquarters with thousand proposition for general strike has been laid operating under military permit.
cago Stockyards tied up for more National Guardsmen, equipped with tleld machine before the Central Labor Union. As we ko to guns, the latest model tear gas bombs, bayonets and They have defied Governor 01 that a week. Violation of an arbi press we have not yet received news of their pristols, and commanded by the friend of labor, son blustering order. There will tration uward by the Chicago Live answer. Ed. Floyd Olson.
he no plcketing by automobiles or Stock Exchange was the final straw otherwise, which broke the patience of the TO THE TRADE UNIONS AND THE WORKING They didn raid the headquarters of the Citizens Alliance stock handlers. The most important They didn interfere with the sinister Major General Ellard Walsh, PEOPLE OF MINNEAPOLIS: clytte which meets in the dark of the moon to conmilitary dictator of Minneapolis, wint involved being the guarantee anitary tyranny has reached its peak in Minneaof a minimum wage of 20 a week polis. For the first time in decades, a trade union spire against the lives and the working conditions of tried to break the drivers strike by raiding headquarters of local 574.
to the men engaged in this strent headqnarters has been occupied by military forces Labor. The officers of the Employers Advisory Board are inviolate. The men against whom Gov.
and putting William Brown, ons and hazardous occupation. and trade union lenders have been arrested and imcrnor Olson directs his words, are not touched.
president of the union, Vincent and Showing the same class solidarity prisoned in a military stockade Picket cars are No! Only the headquarters of workingmen fight Miles Dunne, and 10 other pickets that has characterized the great prdered off the street while every scab truck gets a ing for the right to live, is raided by Olson militiatand leaders behind inilitary muss of trade unionists in all other free permit. Net even in Toledo, where troops were tel. And Olsen, remember, is the Farmer Labor stockade.
strikes throughout the country, the called out by a Democratic Governor, nor San Governor, the friend of the workingman and the He falled!
other unions covering stock yard Francisco, where they were called out by a Republi farmer, the friend of labor. let him run for Office The supposedly leaderless strikworkers are voting to come out in can Governer, has such a monstrous violation of the How on the platform: raided the headquarters of els continued their militant antisolidarity with the stockhandlers. rights workingmen been perpetrated. Never be Local 574. flung their leaders into the military ab activities with utmost preci.
Willinn Collins, organizer of the core in our time has such a direct and outright act of stockade. broke a strike which Johannes couldn slon and perfect efficiency.
local, announced that other locals strike breaking ly military force been witnessed. break. Therefore, workers and farmers, vote for report from anlitary headquar.
were coming out but the Interna dastardly blow ivas been struck at the very heart of me!
ters here admits that the strikers tional officers interfered and order the labor movement by military forces under the Let him eure before the workingmen who put him have stopped 69 trucks during the ed the men to stay at work. command of Mayd Olson, Governor of the State Into office and defend his actions. He will hear the three hours between and a. in ress reports tell of the strenu of Minnesota roar of protest that will make the indignant shouts and that the picket activities conThe Citiens Alliance is out to break Local Union ons efforts put in by the misleaders of the 25, 000 workingmen who gathered last night tinue unabated despite the military of various of unlons to 074, and with it the entire labor movement in Minat the Parade Grounds, sound like a whisper.
reign of terror.
Olsen Protects the strikers keep the workers from joining the neapolis. They want to make Binneapolis an open It was the Citizens Alliance and the employers Here is a simple of the radio restrike. Members of the Amalgam shop town in order to beat us all down to the level whom he criticized in words In statements and ports sent out from military hendated Aleat Cutters and Butchers off slaves and cooltes.
quarters to the radio patrol cars They have already shed the blood of two Union over the radio. But the ringleaders of the Alliance America are demanding that they walk the stets scot free, with satisfied smiles eruising the city: be called out, but as their leaders mon. Henry Ness was torn from the bosom of his wreathing their fut jowls, unhampered and untouched Pickets unloading trucks on are as fine a bunch of grafters as Camily a few days ago, a martyr to the sacred cause by Governor Olson and his militia.
Tenth avo, bridge.
Our leaders, whose only crime is their unswerving chasing a ment truck in south Min.
labor movement, they will leave no brigands. John Belor died in the hospital early to allegiance to the Just cause of the truck drivers, neapolis. kets tured a stone unturned to defeat strike ac day, his back riddled with slugs from the shotguns helpers and inside men, are taken prisoner at the truck near Bryant ave. police station.
of Johannes murderers, the second victim of the tion. Soldiers too late: plckets point of machine guns and bayonets and Incarcer.
Union smashing campign, the second Immortal General Johnson, fresh from his martyr of labor cause.
ated in the stockade. And what magnificent tribute gone Minneapolis, Jaly 31. The great Minneapolis. Symbolic of the Olen is thereby paying to Bill Brown and Visent the theme, tour and damage trucks, trucking strike of local 614 Citizens Alliance for the purpose intend to get mixed up in this strikeen vain to break the strike. Our ranks stood like a whole Red Scure strategy of the strike breaking role in San Frane But the Citizens Alliance and the infamous brand iscu, is quoted as saying don asins commanded by Bloody Johannes sought Dome and Miles Dunne and the other fearless leadors of our ulon who are even now being hunted and tracked like wild beasts! The bosses couldn buy cording to reports from their head. tant organization within six months unton of the truckers, and of the relying on the labor fakers to depuse of taking bread and milk out of the months of them off. The bosses couldn kld them out of the quarters. But no pickets our men and their families, were allowed to move.
fight for the men. The bosses couldn neare them With unparalleled affrontery, it is admitted that among the trucks It is clear to all that a critical stage the administration and the feat the strike if they fail, action And now, what the Alliance and its police force or bulldowe them. The riot guns of Johannes the The bosses are were unable to do, is being undertaken by Governor Murderer couldn make them quit. So it was left overturned by the strikers were a in the struggle is at hand. Having tary regime of Governor Floyd by the Knight of the Blue Buzzard to the labor Governor, Floyd Olson, to arrest banned by Governor Olson non les to break through the iron ring that the first prisoners to be taken ting heart rending appeals about Olson and his National Guard. They have set out number of pie trucks, supposedly smashed every atempt of the boss Olson of Minnesota, was the fact can be expected, them out of our ranks and fling them into prison.
of 574 pickets by the aid of by the National Guard after the eshte se elus the door. cattle to break the strike with armed force partisan permit order.
whose executions have been delayed But if he thinks that that will break our ranks.
Union men of Minneapolis, what are you going to lice, even when the latter cruise tablishment last Thursday of mar.
he is mistaken. We have learned from our leaders general strike of the Chicago do about it?
how to hold out, how to fight, how to keep together, Minneapolis, Ang. Wmiam the streets with loaded shotguns, tial law, were the two communist Is there one fool who still thinks that Olson Nahow to ineet all bluffs and threats and shows of force.
Browni, president of the drivers the strikers now stand face to face League leaders, James Cannon stockyard workers would under union, Vincent and Myles Dunne, with a determined campaign to and Max Shachtman, representing present conditions, have excellent al Guard is here to help the strikers?
Thele imprisonment only inspires us to fight all the more resolutely and uncompromisingly in the spirit active leaders in striking Loen break the strike by military force respectively the Militant and the chances of success, nd could be. Is there one scoundrel who will dare to say that used to force organization of the the suppression of picketing, the raiding of our head of those incorruptible and fearless militants whom released from the military stockade the Farmer Labur Governor, to Even before the strike broke out, entire yards. Such action is the quarters and the imprisonment of our leaders in we are proud of having chosen as our leaders.
We are confident that we shall not fight alone.
In which they have been impris protect the citizens of Minneapol and every day since it took effect. Last thing that the Fof Lifak military stockade Is a favor to the workers?
Prom the very outset, we declared repeatedly that oned.
Sleanwhile, from the employers, sale scale for the operation of scab carried ou systematic anti Red union could not be kept in the lead. 74 is allowel to go down In defeat, under the brutal hammering of military despotism, the whole labor our cause is the cause of the whole labor movement, of every working man. Our defent will be YOUR backed by the police, the Citizens trucks under military protection. drive Inspire Minneapolis Journal of capitalism. The workers in Chi Movement of this city will have been dealt a mortal If the Martial law, ostensibly invoked to lance defeat. Our victory will be YOUR victory. We know Union, the capitalist press the compel the employers to accept the the staunchest spokesman for engons in Toledo, the Pacite blow?
that you all understand this. You have endorsed Union meu, brothers, sisters, fellow workers! What our struggle on many occasions. You have manifest other strike breaking agencies, the federal mediators, is tightening pro Inbor star are not to be found tempting to fight their way through are you going to do about 119 el your sympathy and solidarity in various ways.
comes the first peace proposal to like a noose around the strike and far behind in servility. Half page the barriers set by the Leaders of We appeal to you for help, for solidarity!
We know for sure that the heart of every honest federal mediators today.
threatens to strangle it.
scarecrow ads pall for by the Fm. Labor. Will they be successful in We solemnly call on every trade union in the worker in Minneapolis beats with ours. They are The bosses suggest scrappng the May 31 agrement, the terms of ating their murderous, strike breaking blows at Martial law has been in effect players Advisory Committee a the Chiengo Stockyards! That is city, upon every trade union leader, upon every trade yon as well as against us. Now you must underwhich they shamelessly violated. now for five days. An ordinary thin cover for the Citizens Alliance, impossible to say from here. But union member, upon every workingman and woman nars kept hammering away at the bogey one thing is sure, throughout the to meet this challenge of military tyranny with a stand the necessity of striking back with the whole and the drawing up of a new agree trade union would have been man theme day in, day out. The United States today, the workers (ENERAL STHIKE OF PROTEST!
force of the organized labor movement of Minnerment.
smashed to bits already. Never in inter International Communists, were are seeking militant leadership Up to now, Local 574 bas borne the brunt of the polis Their proposal offers a minimum recent times has such an imposing everywhere. The infernal Trot with ever greater insistence. battle. We are still lightng. And as far as we are We shall not be slaves!
wage scale of 50 cent concerned, our swer to the attempt to suppress our Every trade union in Minneapolis must call an drivers and 40 cents per hour for brought into play against a strike Local 574 of the Truck Drivers.
strike and our Union by the military force of the emergency meeting immediately!
Mike Johannes when he shot our pickets in the back Council of Action representing the entire labor with the federal proposal of a 124 meu almost one for every striker heel erg pode wide workers comerheti: Protest the Military National Guard, in the same reply we made to Bloody movement and 521 minimum, which the work Terror in Minneapolis the city must be set up to organize and We shall fight for our rights to the bitter end!
We have been dealt heavy blows first by the boss.
direct the general strike of protest!
teeth and amblage and cury strike which apparently was to be er accepted.
The working class of Minneapolis must form an curbing free They demand the prior calling ing out a right of way for the seat springboard for the insurrection State Troops in Minneapolls les of the Citizens Alliance, then by thelr murderous fron ring of solidarity around taeal 574!
tools in the Police Department.
off of the strike, and offer the re trucks. But Local 574 is not an These Communists, moreover want raided the headquarters of Local Every union man and every union leader must show instatement of employes Now Floyd Olson National Guard points bayo except 574 of the striking truck drivordinary union and it cannot beed to form a new revolutionary those convicted of violence.
his colors now!
Fourth International nets and machine guns at us and tells us to give up broken without a real fight. Local and numerous extracts from var.
ers, arrested strike leaders and Convicted of violence by the boss 574 has a firm core of militants lous issues of the Milltant were re Resistance to tyranny is the beginning of freedom our fight and go back to work as beaten slaves.
imprisoned them in military Answer Olson military tyranny with the General courts, which were silent when the tested in three battles within six stockades, took possession of all They ordered is to quit picketing. Our answer is, Strike of Protest: police thugs shot down unarmed months. It has a staff of deter produced to indicate these sinister union records and files, and forworkers, killing four and woundaime. bude strikers entrance to their ing scores seriously. Convicted mined leaders who know no policy but the policy of struggle. This Union Leaders Stand Up own hall.
Police Commissioner Ryan now of violence by the courts that union cannot be broken without a The whole purpose of this drive. Not content with this outragadmit that the function of the have accepted military rule the fight that will set new standards of as is the case with every Red eous strike breaking act, they ralding of workers headquarters, militancy for the American work Scare thrown up under such cir invaded the headquarters of the present unit will be the same as destroying or records, violation of that of the old riot squad, to beat class.
cumstances, was all too obvious, Minneapolis Central Labor UnAnticipating a winter of violent and sub machine guns for fighting town workers striking for higher lon, drove its officers into the labor struggles and strikes, the at close quarters.
semblage.
This was manifested in the ulti particularly to the men of Local wages or demonstrating for higher This is the peace proposal Gov. matum given to Governor Olson by 574, and the employers did not street, and took complete con New York Police Commissioner has announced his plans of coping with ernor Olson has been waiting for the Strike Committee last night. The leaders of the unlon, at whom The strike breaking martial the situation. The police ride regl the country, the plans for the re Seeing a wave of strikes sweer relief allotments. The latter announced The regiment which is double the size of the old rlot squad, for which he mustered military The union demanded the revocation forces, to bring both sides to of all permits for a period of 48 the drive was ained for the simple law in Minneapolis is a threatment, which was to have beguncently organized contingent were which is succeeds, will be used in terms.
hours. It demanded that no permite reason that they were not the kindlto labor throughout the country. training during the fall, was called laid down some time ago. At that any kind of emergency.
When it so pleases the bosses, all into being immediately following time, however, Police Commissioner Law and order must be preserved be issued henceforth to employers of labor officials all too common in constitutional rights may be the San Francisco and Minneapolis Ryan attempted to disguise the The class conscious workers un at all costs, in particular at the who do not comply with the terins the trade unton movement. who or violated, strike meetings forbid of the compromise settlement and bought, met the campaign in the den, leaders placed in Intern plete tie up of all heavy that it was merely for display and reduced rellet, and the strike wave strikes, and the threat of a com purpose of the group by the claim derstand the new move for what it Impartial Military Rule get their workers from the union.
ment camps.
construction work in the Cnrade purposes. Forced by events An illustration of Olson Impar. For the first time in recent labor only way worthy of militant union We call upon all workers to region.
to push ahead the date of comsweeping the country is not leaving America largest city untouched.
Olson. We call upon the trade The new rifle regiment which mencement of training, the city of when the Guardsmen wooped down lenge of military force and assert apologies. They did not leap into forward protests to Governor upon strike headquapters, dispersing its right to strike and picket print with whining neenrances of respectability. They did their unions as organizations to like.
has already begun training in the Acals have been compelled to admit The present move of the city adlug the pickets in front of the in the face of it. It is needless to shout from the housetops that wise forward protests, in de armories of the city is to consist of their intention of using these rifle ministration will help to lay bore the sham character of the liberal 1, 200 men. This is double the size pollee against striking womers.
La Guardis. Whether under the bullding, and arresting nearly one try to predict the outcome. But of the old riot squad which has up Men on parade do not carry ma ganize protest meetings! Suphundred leaders, among them this can be said with assurance: If they too were against the Reds. fense of their own rights. Or.
reactionary Ronel of San Francisco to now been the major squad ofl. chine guns or tear gas bombs. Thelor the liberal La Guardia of New Brown, and the Dunne brothers Local 574 goes down, it will go ating for an instant from their port the herole struggle of the the police in dealing with strike run unit has set to be invented.
parade formation for a sub machine York, being down fighting and will leave a rec principal task of consolidating all The wounded strikers, Minneapolis workers for the we observe that decreased cared for at headquarters, were ord and a tradition of herole strug: the labor forces for the struggle to rights of all workers! Build the and unemployment demonstrations. gun relief appropriations haud in removed to a military hospital, unkle that will inspire the develop sain the wage demands of the united front of labor against In addition to the increase in num. The brazen le of parade forma hand with greater efficiency of the (Continued on Page 4)
ment of the militant labor move ber the men are being tralued in the tion so completely exposedl. Mayor Police department In shooting down government strike breaking!
ment everywhere. Continued on Page 1)
use of rifles, tear ens, machine guns La Guardia of New York City and workers.
More Strikebreakers MAX SHACHTMAN The Minneapolis Strike Sunday Aug. 5, P.
Irving Plaza 15st. Irving Pl.
Exditor of The New International, Twice Arrested by Pollee and National Guard. He is Coming to New York for this Meeting, An Eyewitness Account