SPECIAL FOOD WORKERS STRIKE NUMBER!
THE WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE Weekly Organ of the Communist League of America (Opposition Published weekly by the Communist League of America (Opposition) at 126 East 16th Street, New York, Entered as second class mall matter, November 28, 1928 at the Post once at New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.
VOLUME VII, NO. (WHOLE NO. 207 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 1934 PRICE CENTS Call General Strike of Food Workers 600 Start Strike Wave Militant Three Times a Week During Strike. Thousands Pack Halls; In the Waldorf Astoria Walkout Vote Solid Strike Lights Plan Big Navy The Union Teachers Protest. and Shadows Strike Demands Program Economy Program Once more the Militant is to and restaurants of New York The Militant has no intention appear three times a week! which brings out into the of being impartial and un Once more the price is to be streets once more in our new form. biased. We are partial. We are reduced to one cent a copy!
During the strike, the Militant biased. We are prejudloedbe And we intend to keep on issu will stand as solid as a rock be cause we are, always have been ing it for the duration of the hind the striking workers and always will be Whole Kitchen and Dining Room Crew March in Body strike of the hotel and restaurant UNTIL THEY HAVE WON! FOR THE WORKERS, FIRST, The Unanimously Adopted Strike Resolution The Militant will give the work LAST AND ALWAYS!
To Amalgamated Union Headquarters In the crucial days of the strugers side of the strike we leave The first issue of the actual The following is the resolution, the security of the worker on gle of the German workers against it to the capitalist press to give three timesc week Multant will passed unanimously at the huge his job, as well as violating the the coming to power of Fascism the bosses side and the bosses appear on the streets this coming overflow membership meeting of provisions of the law for collec The biggest Industry in New York, the mammoth hotel and restaulast year, the Militant also made propaganda and the bosses lles. Monday morning, and every Wedthe Amalgamated Hotel and Live bargaining, especially artirant Industry dominated by the biggest banks has flung a challenge to this gigantie effort to appear on The Militant will stand unshak nesday, Friday and Monday morn Restaurant Workers Union oncle Ta of the call the workers in the Industry, and their challenge has been met the work the streets three times a week in ably firm for the union which is ing thereafter. We are making Wednesday night. It constitutes upon the hotel and restaurant ers have moved for a GENERAL STRIKE!
stead of once, giving news of the conducting the strike the Amal a supreme effort in this strikein the general strike proclamation employers, collectively and in gamated Hotel and Restaurant The issues involved are clear cut. The bosses who have dictated struggle, analyzing the events, that will make labor history individually, to agree to full union spite of the fact that as this is their own terms for years, riding rough shod over the most elementary arousing the workers to an under Workers Union, helping in every written our financial position is New York, if the enormous en recognition embodied in signed standing, to solidarity and to ae.
demands and rights of the workers do not intend to have their autocratie way it can to strengthen the union, extremely difficult. But we are thusiasm which swept the meet agreements, and to the other detion.
control questioned. They will tolerate no union except a puppet of their to help it grow, to support every counting on our numerous friends ing is any indication: mands as to wages and hours put Now it is the struggle of thou militant and class conscious ac to rush money by air mall and RESOLUTION forward by this organization, boss union. The workers want no suilds they want a helyon spetak sands of workers in the hotels tion and tendency in It.
telegraph to help us carry on RESOLVED, that we, the and to cease all intimidation and members of the AMALGAMATED pressure intended to force working and acting in their own name and for their demands HOTEL AND RESTAURANT ers to join any organization The bosses bave spoken in an ambiguous manner for a few months, WORKERS UNION, assembled against their will. In the event temporizing for time. Now they in a general business meeting that no answer is given to this are ready, and there is nothing amWednesday, January 24th, 1984, demand by the close of the secbiguous about their actions. They in view of the situation created ond business day after receipt struck at the workers in the key by the aggressive steps taken thereof, we will enforce these hotel of the industry, in the heart by the hotel and restaurant em demands with a general strike of the city the Waldorf Astoria The strike was called over the The Amalgamated Hotel and J000, 000 navy building program preCongress has endorsed the 285, by discharging Andre Fournigalt, a ployers in attempting to force throughout New York City and firing of the chef de manger (Park Restaurant Workers Union, workers to join various organits environs.
sous chef who has worked Any discriminathere Ave. for fancy cook. Daily News branch of the Amalgamated Food of President Roosevelt and design sented to it with the endorsement nations such as the Guild 90 tion or intimidation during the since the hotel was put up after the Chef de Manger may be tancy Park Workers has issued the followcieties and other company un period shall be considered as demolition of the old Peacock Alley About 400 tenchers and parents Ave, language but the walters, chefs, This worker services are no long rallied to an open meeting of the etc. spoke the real, good, old fashing demands for the New Yorked to build a navy second to none fons, violating the elementary cause for defensive measures by in the feverish international race er satisfactory to the Hotel and Board of Education on Wednesday, Ioned working class word Strike City general strike: rights of labor and endangering means of a strike.
Restaurants Men Association be January 24, for the purpose of pro that even Oscar could understand.
Full union recognition for maritime armaments now taking cause Andre Fournigalt is an active testing against the continuance of Union wage scales.
place between Japanese, British and New York, January 24. Over Field, secretary of the unlon, member of the Hotel and Restau the city educational retrenchment forty hour week, five days al American imperialism.
rant branch of the Amalgamated program. After keeping the dele the well clad, the well fed, the proof read the strike resolution proposed They came in their hundreds membership meetings week and eight hours a day.
Practically every vehicle of mur flow Food Workers Union, one of the gation waiting for an hour, the sperous. The exclusive Waldorf tipe.
Wages not to be taken out of der and destruction on the high the Hotel and Restaurant Workers for adoption. In the course of his shop delegates in fact.
reas is authorized in the Vinson Union afiliated with the Amalgam speech, the secretary explained the board listened to the spokesmen of Astorla, noted the world over for its Six Hundred in Stoppage No split watch.
Bill presented to the House of Reated Food Workers voted unanim resolution which he stated, has brou several organizations condemning cuisine and its service, was crowdWith the exception of a handful the board inactivity and requested with the elite. Then it happen or laundry.
No charge for nuals, uniforms presentatives including atrcraft carously tonight for a resolution call decided upon by a meeting of the riors, destroyers, and submarines nga veneral strike of workers in Executive Board of the union that the entire kitchen and dining rooraing it to take, among others, the ed. Waiters turned on their heels Pay by the week.
and providing for fifty four new York and environs. The meetings The strike call is an outgrowth their industry throughout New afternoon.
staff of some co workers respond following steps: and walked to the kitchen. Chefs Hotel and Restaurant workers! vessels in all.
were held at the headquarters of the union fight against the ined to this challenge by declaring To rescind Its order dropping turned off the gas and walked to support these demands! Join the There appears to have been con the union at 915 Eighth Avenue and human conditions hotel and restauan immediate stoppage. The wait 300 sulistitutes from the elementary meet them. In about 15 minutes. Amalgamated Hotel and Restau: Niderable discussion and debate to tn halls around that neighborhood. rant workers have been subjected ers went into the kitchens, the cooks schools with placards and cheers, the enrant Workers Union! Strike till put out the lights on the stoves.
thuslastic chefs and walters were you win!
the House over the most effective More than 3, 000 men participated to in this city. The Hotel and Res.
means for murder on the bigh seas, in the vote And at P. at the height of the To drop its tight against the streaming down the street to unfon dinner hour, the guests sat at appointment of eligible bigh school headquarters. The orchestra play. Oscar tried his fat hands at cook over the relative merits of the six leaders described the resolution campaign in the past several months which took the form of a wrangle strike will By Friday night the taurant Workers Union has been be complete. Strike carrying on a feverish organization their tables while the orchestra teachers by not appealing the test ed. Oscar raved. But the guests ing.
played to stimulate their appetites. case initiated by the Unemployed went hungry for once.
But the diners couldn get inch gup and other powerful beadvoted as an ultimatum to the Hotel with thousands of workers Joining as much as a hamburger on rye. It blowers.
Here is how the New York Sun Teachers Association.
bosses to come to terms within the from all the major and lesser enterwas very, very sad.
has met reports the details: In the dining To provide more work relief Union headquarters at 915 8th rooms walter captains noticed sud. Under the leadership of presid time limit set. They declared that prises. The campaign Ave, were humming with activity.
The six hundred waiters and ent Roosevelt we will sit at the should the employers discriminate with the greatest success union or experienced in this denly that they were alone with projects in the school system.
Organizers and officials were every chefs lined up solid. Oscar appeal next International conference table against or intimidate anton men in ganization the patrons. When no waiters erged from kitchens with the tions for school construction To request federal appropria where. Committee meetings, speech led to them. Boomer threatened and with a full treaty navy, Dullt and the meantime, the strike action industry, which has been a stumbles, registering of strikers, and pre promised. half dozen scabby building. sald the chairman of the would be put into force earlier than ing block for organized labor in the orders that had been given they the stipulated time.
past twenty years, since the decline went in search of them. They Dr. George Ryan, chairman parations for meetings of the work looking stools stepped over to the naval committee, Ayers.
ers of other hotels. With pre other side. As crummy a lot of The reason for this martial proThe main hall at strike headquar or the of craft unlons.
found them standing in groups in the Bourd of Education, stated in cision, order and speed the union acabs as ever licked a boot.
The call comes in the first place, the kitchen, their arms folded. And his reply, in effect, that the teach prepared for battle.
sram, coming simultaneously with ter was packed to the doors, high side by side with them were standers can starve and the board, ac The right to organize. The the paclfie statements of the presl spirits characterized the mood of as an act of solidarity with the ing the chefs and the entire kitchen cording to Dr. Ryan, must obey its ganize the chefs and waiters in the supposed to be inherent in the consioning the suspension of the Wafter the meeting was opened, It can be done. You can or right to a living wage. These are dent and the budget deficit. Od the union members assembled. Soon Waldorf Astoria workers who went (Continued on Page 4)
help also with their arms folded. Wall Street masters and continue exclusive hotels. So sald the old stitution of the United States. But is the tense situation in the bar The boss, Boomer strode in to give on its present course.
his ultimatum he notified the workers to return to work. But ir The whole affair clearly demon can do the Impossible whether it he in a mine In Milinots or East where Japan threatens Amerthe workers stood there with fold strated that salvation for the teach and the Waldorf Astoria workers tions, recognized or 10, can only be interests, where the struggle for ers will follow only from organiza are proving that, once At the present writing the New The rats will be herded in droves ed arms, it was only because they tlobal unity of employed and unem chefs and waiters like miners and Secured by organization and strug the redivision of the world comes had folded them for action.
gle. OSCAR DE BOOMER. Su closer proximity.
York Hotels are being padlocked and quartered in scabs nests.
They were by no means unpre ployed teachers under the banner clothing workers are fighters from the drop of the bat.
and picketed by the wage slaves But they won break the strike.
pared for this direct blow of the of a Alghting Teachers Union.
WORKERS! STAY OUT Aid is needed by the Militant. that eke out a miserable existence Picket lines will march in solid bosses, and they know very well Boomer waited on tables. And UNTIL YOU WIN! Come to the office!
in them.
array before every hotel. Grim dethat the blow that was aimed at a Twenty thousand waiters, chefs, termination and the unbreakable single worker was aimed at the kitchen help will quit the spacious, battle front of the workers will very heart of the organization they de luxe dining rooms and not so de keep the hotels empty. The parashave been building for months with luxe kitchens to take their places ites who insist on eating in the thousands of other workers in the on the picket line and the solia hotels during the strike will have industry. The course of the bosses empty plates instead of the sumptuhad become clear from the very be The Provisional Organizing Cou. mittee independent path, and to prepare, in cooperation with all other groups They are fighting a man sized bat. Solidarity is the mighty weapon of ous fare they are accustomed to.
ginning of the organization drive of of the American Workers Party and organizations moving in the same direction, for the formation of a tle. Arrayed against them is the labor. It will win again as it has staffs were being infiltrated with Comrades: new party.
the Amalgamated. The working extra help. an intensive propaAfter a thorough going discussion of the results of the Pittsburgh In the course of its struggle to reform the official party, as a tac whose power has been unchalteng hundreds of times in the past.
ed for twenty years.
The hotel workers will need your ganda was carried on by the agents Convention of the Conference for Progressivo Labor Action, the Nationaltion of it, the Left Opposition worked out a program, consolidated a Behind the of the bosses against the Amalgam Committee of the Communist League of America (Opposition) has de cadre of principled militants and formed the skeleton of a national labor hating hotel help from the very start. The enemy ated, and this campaign was su cided to address the following communication to you for your considera organization. These accomplishments can be regarded now as part of bosses stands an even more impoe of ever boterwerkers is the enemy plemented by an intensive drive fortion and action.
the capital of the new movement; not all that is necessary for the forsk folthe strongest fortress of tion. few months ago it was the capitalism, the affiliation with the Hotel Gulla.
Your convention voted to take the measures it considered necessary mation of the party, but contributions to it.
miners. Today it is the waiters The bosses plan was to divide for the founding of a new revolutionary party in the United States. What is needed now is the coming together of the various groupe of Wall Street, creatures of Rock and floor sweepers that are bolding The banks mind you! the banks and the lowly kitchen dishwashers the workers and to strangle them The revolutionary struggle of the masses against the capitalist system of revolutionary workers who have broken, or who are in the process feller and Morgan dictate to the the front line trenches for the or But this time their wel land plans which more and more depresses their standard of living, takes varlous of breaking, with reformisen and centrism as well as those dispersed to nation industry. They control sanized and unorganized workers.
did not catch the workers unawares, torms, declares the report of your National Executive Committee ad dividual revolutionists who have been repelled by the Stallnlst bureau the government. Their long hand if they win we all win. victory The union has carried on months of opted by the convention. The primary form is the economic struggles cracy and remained without affiliation is self evident that the working reaches out and rules the daily lives for them means renewed strength, intensive preparation for precisely of the worker and farmer. The struggle is, however, inspired, coordin out of a common program and the eventual concentration of these forces of the millions of America tollers, for the unionized workers and this emergency; the workers learn ated, carried to its goal of taking power, by the revolutionary political into a single party must be preceded by an exchange of opinion and di The hotel workers have served new confidence and enthusiasm for ed from experience what the col party.
cussion and, very probably, will involve a transition period of coopera iron heel of the banks. We marvel hotel strike is your strike.
and suffered for years under the the sorely beset unorganized. The lective bargaining of the bosses Our organization, having itself formally adopted the decision in tion before the final fusion.
amounted to. The boss 1880s the September of last year to work for the creation of a new revolutionary at their remarkable patience. But You win or lose with them. Which Whatever for the next development may take, the Left Oppoul their is limit to human endurshall it be victory or a defeat?
orders, the workers are compelled party in this country and a new International throughout the world, istion is ready now, to enter into open and comradely negotiations and disance even of hotel workers.
to accept. They had their own un It up to you. Get your local union ready.
consequently directly concerned with and interested in the decision cussions with other groups which seriously set for themselves the same The strike is on. There will be ton to support the strike. And it Waldorf Is Signal For Workers adopted by your Pittsburgh convention. We stated our position in our goal. After its long and unrelenting struggle against the arrogant Judge injunctions. Policemen you don belong to a union, any The action of the workers in declaration four months ago and we take the liberty of calling your bureaucratism and ultimatistic methods of Stalinism, the Left Oppoal clubs, Black Marias, Jall sentences physical, moral and especially finWaldorf Astoria is the signal that attention to the following essential paragraphs: tion least of all cansoek to impose anything on others or to demand the yes, the long arm of capitalistancial aid will be more than aphas been awaited for these many The Communist League, as it is at present constituted, does not acceptance in advance of its proposals, its program or its leadership. Law will reach out for the hotel preciated by the Amalgamated Homonth All the workers knew that consider itself a party and has no intention of anticipating the real es It is with these ideas as our point of departure that we approach The kept press will rage and ing the strike.
tel and Restaurant Workers, leadthe bosses would strike precisely at tablishment of the new party by proclaiming itself as such. The task the question of our relations to the American Workers Party which your scream for chvilization, for home if you do this the hotel workers the strategie point the Waldort now is to recognize firmly that our role as a faction striving to reform convention decided to launch. We are striving to build up in this coun and religion. Priests will promise will triumph. Continued on Page 3) the party of official Stallplam is exhausted, to strike out on a completely (Continued on Page 3)
hell and damnation for the strikers. Shoulders to the wheel!
What the Strike Means to You.
An Open Letter to the American Workers Party Speakers: JAMES CANNON Editor of The Militant JOSEPH CARTER Editor of Young Spartacus LENIN, LIEBKNECHT, LUXEMBERG UNUSUAL FEATURE!
The remarkable film of the death of Lenin and the funeral in Moscow will be shown at the meeting.
Friday, January 26, 1934, P.
IRVING PLAZA HALL Irving Place and 15th Street ADMISSION 20c MEMORIAL MEETING