WORKERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE THE MILITANT. Weekly Organ of the Communist League of America VOLUME VII, NO. 34 (WHOLE NO. 238 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, AUGUST 25, 1934 PRICE CENTS MINNEAPOLIS DRIVERS VICTORIOUS Textile Strike Inside Men; Discrimination Barred Agreement The Strike Triumphant 574 Acts in Declare War On Militants Answers Lies and Slanders Enforcement of Settlement Japan Prepares come into a who seeks to comper Seizure of Chinese Eastern Railroad NEW DEA DEFENDS PROFIT SYSTEM, SAYS SECRETARY For such timid capitalists such there be who were seriously concerned lest the New Deal assall their sacred rights to profit of th sweat and blood of the workingman, Secretary Playing, as usual, squarely Into of Commerce Roper has issued the hands of the vigilantes, citizens soothing reassurance.
The much heralded textile union general strike threatens to join the alliances, American Legion thugs. To the business man let me much heralded steel strike into a and other avowed enemies of all say, he said in a radio adsiding: organized labor, William Green, dress, that your government president of the American Federa and the masses of people resent Already the timorous, the treach tion of Labor, announces that he unthinking statements or subtle erous, textile union leaders are paving the way for the well out.
The stirring news of the victory of the Minneapolis strike will glvo plans a relentless and organized suggestions that the profit moThe special strike committee heart and hope to every class conscious and union conscious worker in war on the reds within the ranks. tive in American life has been headed by Francis Gorman, first the United States. It comes as a beacon light on the dark sen of The executive council of the Fed. or is to be abolished.
vice president of the United Tex defeats that have engulfed the labor unions in the second strike moveWith recent disclosures to the eration met in Atlantic City, lgtile Workers, is hopeful that Presment under the NRA.
effect that milk companies have nored the burning issue facing AmThe thrilling outcome of the battle will give Ident Roosevelt or someone else been enjoying 300 per cent profit (Reprinted below are the terms confidence to the doubting worker that labor need not lose and capitalerican labor namely, whether it of the settlement adopted by the ism can be defeated. It will strengthen the conviction in the minds of ant 574 is celebrating tonight Minneapolis, Aug. 22 Triumphwith real authority will be able while dairy farmers were begmust submit tamely to the violation to avert the walkout.
of the constituional rights of work ging for a government pittance, membership, of 574 and at greed every revolutionist that the policies of consistent class struggle are the The President sop to the de to by the 168 employers. We only method of crowning the struggles of the working class with success. battled through five weeks of the The Minneapolis drivers have ers on strike, whether the activi with textile companies enjoying mands of the workers, in the form believe that this is the surest! But the working class has little time to rejoice. Bigger and fiercer toughest strike struggle in recent ties of the strike breaking organ 370 per cent increase in profits, of a reduction of hours from 40 to izations are to continue without the way to answer all Hes and put battles are ahead. It must forge its weapons and prepare Let the times and have emerged from It with General Motors showing a 36, is hailed by Sidney Hillman, the calumniators in their place. workers learn and assimilate the lessons of Minneapolis and they will with a victory that will warm the resistance of organized labor but 16 per cent increase in profits, president of the Amalgamated did pass solemn resolutions, and a and Dupont a 50 cents extra have an ined an invaluable addition to the arsenal of class weapons Hearts of the militants from Maine Clothing Workers, as a living. Ed. three point program, to fight its dividend, the honorable secre1. The strike and all strike ac against capital. And Minneapolis is rich in lessons, so rich that if but to California.
symbol of the NRA (which it is)
a part of them are digested the proletariat will take a huge stride forown left wing elements.
In the most significant duel in tary assurances would seem to and a new approach to real eco tivities to be terminated at once.
ward.
The Reactionary Program be superfluous.
nomic democracy. All employes now on strike years between reaction, the bosses, The three points of the program Nor do the starving masses Having thus prepared the work shall be reinstated on the basis of With hardly an exception practically all of the major problems of the governor, the soldiers, the cops, are in part: strike strategy were telescoped in the battle of 57. Lack of space does the press, the radio, the church, on need to be told that the profit ers with these Ane, militant slo seniority, without discrimination not permit us to deal with all of them, but to mention them in part: the one side and the dauntless milFirst: To call upon all subordi motive still rules. How strong gans for a battle to the death, the Each employer who does not maintaining a picket line to cope with seab, feeding five thousand Itancy of 574 supported by the Minnate organized units to ferret out ly it rules, and how unscrupu finishing touches to the strike cam at once reinstate all his employes strikers and their families, providing relief to the more destitute of the neapolis working class on the other, the Communists within its ranks Lously, they will further discover. palan is supplied by William Green, to their former positions, shall workers, holding high the morale of the strikers for the long weeks of labor has won.
and to expel them from member. when the prices of food, and president of the of ship.
other necessities of life, begin Green has appointed a committee Strike in terminated, prepare and boss press and radio, conducting negotiations with the employers and Defeating a Mighty Foe Second: We shall call upon the to rocket this winter.
to cooperate with the general strike Ale with the Minneapolis St. Paul federal arbitrators, gulning the support of workers in other unions, The enemy was powerful.
proper governmental authorities to committee. Green committee cam Regional Labor Board a preferen combatting the police and the city officials.
It flooded the press with a Niaprotect trade unionists who seek to prises John Lewis, Matthew tlal list. Sneh employers shall place gara of vituperation against the These are the customary problems faced by the workers when they union and its leaders.
comply with agreements made with Woll, Frank Morrison, and similar on the preferential list the names rebel for better conditions. But the Minneapolis strike was complicated employers through collective bar.
Are fighters, all calculated to damp of employes on their payrolls as of with other and far more perplexing mattera. From the very word 80, el Tobin International TeamIt impressed its paid agent, Dan.
gaining against the attacks of en the most promising conflagration that might arise in union cir. July 16th, 1934, and they shall en the strike was faced with a vehement red scare of the bosses, kept sters President into service to dethem through foreo, intimidation, ority order, will not hire or President of the. Tobin, declared the strike at violence, to become identified with flames of revolt as well.
the Communist organization.
In a word, the leaders of the maintafon their payrolls any the very outset. Then, to make contusion worse confounded, a farmer It barked into the radio day af.
of the overwhelming majority of ter day in a never ending tirade Third: The Executive Council ces the strike inue, but such pre graphs four (1) and five bere the workers, dealt some deadly blows at the strike while pretending against the Communists who want will call upon the Department of The Soviet officials of the Chin parations as they are making are of) until this preferential list 18 friendship. backward rank and ente, fighting mad, but steeped in all led to overthrow established law and Labor to deport alien Communists the prejudices that the hosses had inculcated into them for years flu order. who are deportable under the ese Eastern Railway seized last in the direction of strangling the exhausted. In the twenty two (22) firms ishes the picture.
immigration statute.
weck are still being kept in prison strike should it begin.
It murdered two unarmed work The only hope for the strike, known as the market Arms, the Any other leadership than the one in Minneapolis would have founders in cold blood and did not even Translate these three points on by the Manchukuoan authorities it is called, is that the workers provisions hereof shall cover Drivered on the rocks of this stupendous problem. This is not because of make the pretense of apprehending the anti Red program, and they who refuse to free them. Their re themselves may rebel against suchers, Helpers, Platform Workers and the personal qualities or the integrity of the men, although that con their assassins.
mean, First: that Green will lend lease has been refused despite re obviously lukewarm leadership, and Inside Workers. The term Intributed heavily, but rather because the tacties they pursued were Marx It raided the union headquarhis support to the California and pented protests on the part of so demand genuine rank and fle side Wo these firms except Drivers in the ranks. They carried on their work in the trade union not It Imprisoned the leaders and the shall mean all em inn from beginning to end. They were thoroughly fused with the work ters.
Minneapolls red balting program viet Russin, even threatening to strike committee, responsible nel ployes o employers, who also want to temporarily suspend all rld labor of its Communist e. tions for the sale of the erotiether to BM Green, nor to the NRA, Jers, Helpers. Platform Workers, with the purpose of some sensational stunt. Building on organization, best militants in a military stockroad. Jap but representing the needs and de office Workers and Salesmen. The leading it to victory and helping the workers learn from thelr own ex ade.
militant, elements. Second, that the an, arrogant bully of the East, has mands of the workers in the textile term Salesman shall mean any periences in the class struggle that was their aim, It declared martial law, gave cope will be called in to support merely continued its incarceration Industry.
trade union bureaucrats in their of the Line officials, thereby hopemploye who devotes at least sixty Previous issues of the Militant have commented on the military free rein to the troops who strang per cent (807. of his time to seli efflelout organization of the strike apparatus. But it does not hurt to led the picketing that had tied up sell outs of the workers, against the revolt of the rank and fle Third, ing to force the Soviet Union to FOOD PRICES RISE 22 PERCENT Ing.
repeat some of them, for it was on this very thing that success was Minneapolis trucking tight as a that Green will support the Departagree to their terms.
Colncident with the reports of in5. In the one hundred and forty founded. To enumerate: the picket line on wheels ready to move at a drum.
ment of Labor strike breaking de Following the selzure of Man creased corporation prodts and in our (144) firms other than the moment notice, in contact at every step with strike headquarters the This Citizens Alliance wanted to portation policy The situation becomes particular. lords, sensing the weakness of the off between June and July of the Helpers and Platform Workers at women a direct interest in the struggle, making them an encouragement all the sold of Wall Street, it has churia by Japan, the latter war. creased unemployment (359, 000 Tald market firms, the provisions commissary serving five thousand strikers dally on the solta assumption smash 574 and organized labor.
19 ominous when one bears in mind Workers Republic, forelbly seized year Francis Perkins) come those roetlerengaged in loading or un and an aid Instead of a drug on the strikers the mobilization of the cracked like an egg shell under the that the next convention of the control of the Chinese Eastern of rising food prices.
tober In San Francisco, and owned Jointly by Soviet Russia and the highest point in 30 months, ac merchandise who went out on recent times. Here was a paper that inspired the strikers answered into the proposed by Doo Food prices on July 31 reached Ioading trucks In any plant where unemployed for support and finally the daily strike bulletin, which wenst of the truckers unfon.
The settlement, agreed to by the that likely to railroad through the of the Soviets to relinquish part ofcording to the Bureau of Labor strike, they shall be returned to the lies of the boss press day in, day out, fanned their tagging enthus nue, who had been sent here from anti red program of the executive the control to the Russian officials, cents for food in April 1983, he shall not be eligible to vote in the the class lines of the struggle and performed a thousand and one other oppose Hay and Dannigan had been council.
Japan has since then been attempt today has to pay 10, an increase election as called for in paragraph services. This was the unshakeable foundation of the strike Faselst Bands W41 Approve (Continued on Page 4) of 22 percent.
Thus, on the scene where organseven (T) hereof; unless all Inof this would have been wrecked by the red scare had the 574, gives the union the most itIzed labor is most menaced by law side Workers in said plant or union leaders not been prepared to meet it. In Frisco the cry of Com portant of the demands for which less, quasl Fascist mobs, the insti.
plants be also entitled to vote. munist tore a deep hole into the strike front. In Minneapolis it was a gutors of the lawlessness and tere. No employer shall discrimin complete dud. The lenders faced the issue squarely. They did not rush Win On Major Issue ror will be able to point to the apate against any employe because of inter print denying the accusations. Nor did they shout their opinions at the paramount demand of the of Labor, of organized labor. Within ten (10) days after a plot of the bosses to evade the issues, sow confusion and division inside men in the market firms has The bosses who broke the San Francisco general strike by the use To the Communist Party of the the strike, an the ranks and thus smash the strike. The results are known. The been granted the union.
the extension of its scope to em election shall be held in each of red scare fell on deaf ears.
All the strikers are to be restored armed thugs, alded by police, United States trace every live force in the labor will be able to say: We were only to the Soclalist Party of the Quite as important, if not more so, was the role of Governor Olson. to their jobs without discrimination sixty six (166)
movement, to embrace the trade the one hundred making war on the Rods, Just asUnited States unions and the largest possible firms to determine representation of With a cunning play of demagogy and harmlessa the of was forced to do. Dear Comrades: Bm Green rule is threatened. You are now considering the esate: and it would mean also the fined in paragraphs four (4) and when he called the troops onto the streets and declared martial law. have been made, as in the wago mass of workers willing to cooper the employes in these firms (as de se established himself as the friend of these fikterek so the employers and learn the basis of seniority.
Alve (6) hereof. All employes so opinion was general among the drivers that it was done in their inter scale and on the elections to deterLocals are open rebellion, and tablishment of a united front of engaging in actions of the seething discontent is beloning common struggle for certain Imme character which will serve in the defined whose names appear on the est. Plekets began to rely on Olson soldiers. Knowing the class nature mine the right of the union to rep Formally such a pro greatest measure to defend the payroll or list of employes as of of the state, the leaders saw how fatal such an attitude would be for resent the drivers, nevertheless the the top leadership. The war against posal has been made by the com rights of our cians against the vie. Vote the election shall be by occurring the displeasure of the unton men, polnted out the real purpose scrollima lehounek, maade leite unton feel this rebellton will be masked as a munist Party to the Socialist Party ou attacks of the common enemy. red ballot and conducted under the of the troopsto break the strike. But they did not confine themselves strokomenough to yleld on these In the bosses are more adept than Ance complished by means of a non ag supervision of the Minneapolis St. to denunciation. Only experience would teach the strikers. test of questions.
Statement of Dumne the strike headquarters, Imprisoning the leaders and the best pickets. Olson Denne strike leader, summarizes the right of picketing was deckled upon. And then. by raiding the Green at drawing the red herring It is a fact well known to you gression pact which dentes the free. Paut Regional Labor Board.
across the trall) but all the dissat that we have consistently advocated dom of criticisnt within the limits The statement of Vincent Representatives chosen by ledel elements will be smashed be the united front of Communist and of fore the war is over if Green has Socialist organizations. When oth or loyal collaboration in the united majority shall bargain for all salataught the strikers more about Olson than all the editorials in the world the position of the union on the setcould have done. different opinion of the Governor of Minnesota and tlement: ble way.
ers rejected this idea we remainedence of organization of the partictront. We hold that the independ employes eligible to vote.
Each employer shall deal with the purpose of the state now pervades not a few members of 574.
The union saw to it that the struggle against Olson be further pushed tonight, In adopting the settlement The action of the membership Minneapolis Shows the Way The answer of the workers who imperative necessity and its feast on a comradely basis is imperativetion as the majority of his employ by exerting the severest pressure on Olson men, the conservative as recommended by the Strike Comsteadfast in our conviction of its pants and this freedom of criticism such person, persons, or organizaes (as defined in paragraphs four leaders of the Central Labor Union. The biggest barrier to Olson smittee of 100, gives Local 614 sub(
of all advancing Fascist menace in Eutrade unionists to Bill Green lat rope and its developing tendencies genuine dynamic character that is est pronunciamento. They refused also in hte United States did we 80 essential for it to record a realleet for purposes of collective bar movement. By adroit and skillful tactice the leaders of 574 forced the bed for since the beginning of the heads of the to give their assistance to the drivers and not to strike more than five weeks ago.
gaining gain for the working class.
to be diverted by Tobin and persist in our demand for a united We do not presume to lay down Each firm agrees to pay for condemn them. When the union called upon the officials to declare a while the Union has accepted cerGreen red herring, and they con front of common action against the tinued under their own militant fclass enemy. Our concern can be any conditions in advance for the period of at least one year, not general strike in answer to the raid on the headquarters, they resisted tain modifications of its original leadership to win one of the most only that of the needs of our class creation of a united front or for our less than Afty (500) cents per hour but they were on the Carpet. They brought pressure to bear on Olson demands, the settlement establishes to Truck Drivers, and not less than and he released the strike leaders and restored the hall. While the basis for the unconditional resignincant victories in the history That is the only point of view which collaboration with the other organ torty (400) cents per hour to Help officials of the and the Minnesota State Federation of Labor turn of all strikers without discrimof labor in the last 15 years.
Trade union membership belongs point of view the realization of the the objectives, we believe, can besters, Platform Workers and Inside, were successful in preventing a general strike, their answer was a ination, and leaves the right of has any meaning and from that Ixations in it. The conditions and to all workers, regardlesy of their united front will mean a victory be worked out by common consul Workers as above defined. These living demonstration to the workers of Minneapolis of the stuff these Local 574 to represent the inside It is a men in the market the basle issue political affiliations and convictions for the working class.
tation of representatives of the var. hourly rates shall remain in effect leaders are made. general strike is not an end in itsele.
who are willing to actively fight for It is not necessary for us to re. lous organizations. Therefore, we unless changed by agreement or armeans to an end. And the conservatives at the head of the Minneapolis in the strikeunchallenged.
from the Haas Dunnigan plan whles Improvement of workers conditions, state here the pressing needs of the declare ourselves ready to partici bitration disputerarises in any file wim. dreventueel epoped one last this powerful means. The rank and settlement direrisch Semeres pelote In the gratifying conclusion of the battle there lie the features that the union had adopted as a the leftward moving members, who clalist organizations they have clare ourselves ready to collaborate rates, which can are in revolt against Bill Green been stated often enough. But we loyally with you and the other negotiation, the dispute shall be distinguish the Minneapolis strike from all others in recent times. Formum, but it is so close to it in the first time in years militants, Indigenous to the industry, have entered fundamentals that the committee submitted to arbitration. The afpolley of betrayal.
And they are the ones Bill Green emphasize that the united front such aims that may be commonly is seeking to expel.
must be genuine in its substance agreed upon in a genalne united (3) days after the request is made built it up patiently and quietly: prepared carefully and struck at the acceptance, and the membership Make no mistake about it, when. the Arbitration Board the employ wisdom, and emersed from a dve week strike against insuperable odds dorsed this recommendation, the anti Red drive gets into full mean first of all that it must in tion and await your answer.
swing, all militant trade union clude all Communist and Socialist Fraternally yours. 4) and five (5) hereot) by major cedented in such strikes not only is the union intact but the leadership the settlement the fact that preleaders and members will be de organizations ready to accept a proNational Committee vious attempts to discriminate clared reds. and all ity representation, within three is still in the hands of the genuine militants militant gram of common struggle and reads Communist League of America days after the request is made, shall The example of the Minneapolis leadership will be an inspiration against strikers and active piekets trade union tactics condemned as to collaborate loyally in carrying ARNE SWABECK everywhere!
in re employment, is entirely ell originating in Moscow. it into actual life. It would mean Secretary (Continued on Page 4)
It can and will be repeated. Continued on Page 4)
An Open Letter to the proval of the American Federation and on the United Front by