BACKING THE HOTEL STRIKE, OUR MILITANT APPEARS TIMES WEEK WORKBRS THE OF THE WORLD.
UNITE OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE COMMUNIST LEAGUE OF AMERICA (OPPOSITION)
VOLUME VII, NO. (WHLOLE NO. 209 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY JANUARY 31, 1934 PRICE CENT 10, 000 IN MASS HOTEL PICKETLINE. Revolt At EDITORIAL Strikers Greet Roosevelt Scab Birthday Dinners Local 16 «Fortress Treachery Collapses Members of of ns class battle is the question of polohe a bon thaly ched, every Monday to New Yorker Men Vote which employ seun labor in an effort to break the completely. Front doors were Jammed with bellboys, Refuse to Act as Scabs show its colors. It is in this field that it first receives its baptism. Solid for Amalgamated ditions. While the NRA takes ne steps to make a applauding, while straw. bosses frantically yelled at DrawGuns New Hotels Join 10, 000 Fill OnPickets Ranks of Strike Mass Rally The Strike and the Face Thugs at Longchamps The picket line of the hotel workers general MeAlpin, the Commodore, the Pennsylvania, the Amstrike took over Park Avenue last night.
hassador, the Savoy Plaza, the Phaza, the New WesEvery day brings heartening reports of new thousands added to For more than an hour the highway which suton, and others.
the ranks of the hotel and restaurant workers on strike in New York.
ally serves the plutocratic elite of the city as they roll The greatest strike picket line New York City in limousines to luncheon, te, coctails and banquets has seen in years was a smashing answer to the man Days count in this imposing spectacle of workers pouring out in reply at sumptuous hotels, resounded to the tramp of march dacious bosses press which has persisted in spreadto the ringing call of the Amalgam union.
these days, the ing feet and shouts as 10, 000 strikers demonstrated ing the lie that the strikers number only a thousand course followed by the union counts above everything else.
their numbers, strength and solidarity.
or two at most.
The history of the labor movement in this country and elsewhere In this way the strikers expressed their indigna Inside the hotels the effect of the strike wis has demonstrated over and again that what is decisive in every worktion at the action of President Roosevelt in permitting astounding. Discipline among the workers in de brthday dinners to be given in his honor at hotels partments still unaffected by the strike broke down ual, every. in the labor movement is obliged workers fight for union recognition and decent con porters and other workers watching and occasionally It is here that the tests are made. The policy pursued and the actions reality out of the famous clause 7A which is supposed them to get back to their posts.
based upon it that is where the eyes of every worker must be fixed.
to guarantee colleetive bargaining, the workers them At the head of the picket line marched Field, The shabby fraud practised by We of the Militant, we International Communists whom the official The 18th St Pool Workers In selves expressed their demands in shouts which made Secretary of the Hotel and Restaurant Workers UnLocal 16 in its effort to get its own Communist party calls Trotskyists. have definite opinions. We wel dustrial Union (Stalinists. has the over fed birthday diners inside squirm in their ion and other strike leaders. This is not just a de members to scab had proven a flop. come the occasion to state them openly to the workers on strike, be received a decisive setback in its seats.
monstration of strength or simply a protest against Hundreds of workers are returning cause we have no reason to conceal them. Those who are linked with us Jofforts to now discord in the strike Setting out after a meeting of 10, 000 in Madison the President attitude. said Field to the newspaper from jobs supplied through fake in principle, fight for these views and endeavor by democratic means and to make political capital at the Square Garden Annex, with the intention of parading reporters. It is a call to battle which will have past the Waldorf, the line kept going despite the icy expense of the strike. As a result of winds and paid its respects to a whole series of hotels.
its answer tomorrow when hundreds of agencies. They are refusing to to make them the views of the other members of the union. These men actitional scab. They are demanding their will be found among those who are truest and most devoted to the meetings held Monday by the strik. Among those saluted with the slogans of the march workers join our ranks.
money back union and the workers interests. They do not seek to impose their ing workers of the Hotel New York from 10, 000 hearty throats were the New Yorker, the lies, at Union headquarters and Palm Garden.
The pickets wound up their march with two ralThe trick was to send the work ideas upon their fellow members. Operating through the regular er, the entire house joined the ranks ers to the labor agencies when they channels of the unlon and its leading bodies, they employ the method of the Amalgamated Hotel and applied at the Local for work. The Restaurant Workers Union, thus workers were not told they were of persuasion, at the same time fighting side by side with every work becoming an integral part of the being send on scab jobs. The Local er regardless of his views in the common cause and against the general strike called by the only otticials tigured the workers might common enemy.
man union in the industry, hesitate to quite after they had Some time ago, the paid 10 to the agency which had no following in the hotel Here is the story of the racket, industry of the city, set out to gain as described by a former member one in order to compete with the of Local 16, who quit to join the rapidly growing Amalgamated.
The following is the list of bo After a demagogie campaign and Ten Dollars For Scab Job The enemy is the association of hotel proprietors and the banks various tricks, they lined up a min tels und restaurants that have went over to the Local yeaterthat stand behind them. Their assistants and allies ure the police, ority of the New Yorker workers Police Effort to Scare joined the striko in the last forty. Madison Square Garden day to look for a job. They sent the courts, and the vast machinery of the capitalist government. The house, including memeight hours: me to an agency, where had to specific form which the government has established to intervene in Workers Is Defied pay 10.
bers, members and un Savarin, Commodore, Picadilly, Jammed With Strikers better conditions, is the NRA und organized workers, came out. AlChatham, Marguery, Madison, Aljob said It ain a strike breaking labor struggle for unlouis job, is it? The man said no. The the so called Labor Boards.
though the general strike was callamae, Prince George Gotham, OlJob Was From the very outset, we considered as the most dangerous illued and led by the Hitting the supply of strike cott, Caviar, Longchamps 79th And do you know where Ten thousand cheering, determinand all other strikers were enrolled breakers at its source, a squadron St. Downtown Athletic Club.
the sion the idea that the NRA would or would help the workers in any in its rinks or held its strike cards, ed workers packed Madison Square blankety blank blank sent me?
Over to the Hotel Roosevelt.
movement to advance their interests. All the experiences of labor the Stalinists in the New Yorker of three hundred strikers marched Garlen yesterday in one of the march back to Local head throughout the country, since the NRA was put into effect, have only Led their fellow workers down to up and down Sixth Ave. defled pomost imposing mass strike demonquarters. dont want a strikel served to confirm this view, Stalinist headquarters.
lice guns, and picketed the scab strations ever seen in New York job tell the fellow there. It At one stage in the organizational campaign, the Amalgamated Stalinists Create Confusion employment agencies.
all right, he says. The union is City.
in back of you.
Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union made concessions to unenlight Many refused to sign up until. The picketers paraded from Fir Jammed to capacity and vibrating 80 march straight out of his ened prejudices in this respect, failing to make it entirely clear that unions. As a result there was con Down with the subst every they could find out more about both eth. st. to Forty Second St. yellwith enthusiasm, such as only work ers la revolt can display, this monoffice, and come here ain a the NRA is, it is true, a factor to be dealt with by the union, but only scab, not even for the of custon which caused a neglect of time they spled a misguided workster rally marks a high point in a the business of the strike while jobs in struck hotels. Hundreds announcing wasn the only one to come as an insidious enemy of the workers. Such concessions would be strike wave that is mounting higher every day.
back from a scab job. While was ten times more dangerous if they were to be repeated at this time meeting after meeting was held, the Job Longchamps! All out for Long.
at headquarters, more than a dozen The mass meeting was opened on The NRA will not give anything to the workers, just as the hotel Staliniste struggling to corral the of workers looked on as the picketguys came into complain. The of men will not give anything to them. If this strice is to be won, and New Yorker workers. While this ers ripped these notices from the champe!
schedule time by Paul Bourget, The picket line formed outside who acted as chairman. He set the ficial answered them all the same went on, the Stalinist union tried bulletin boards.
way: The union is back of you. It can be won, it will not be because of the NRA but in spite of it. We to bargain for a Cops Draw Guns phony united of punion headquarters, marched tone to the meeting when he stated, At Fifty Seventh st. and Ninth double file through Central Park. amid cheers, to the hotel workers It all right.
do not put an ounce of reliance in it. What must be relled upon ex front. Representing in reality only But it wasn all right. We re clusively is the organized strength of the workers, their spirit of soli they hoped to dictate terms to the from the holsters, threatening to woman with a pooch under her remain out till we win. The strike going to get bara money back, by darity, their uncompromising militancy. In a word, the policy of tens of thousands of strikers.
did not cease their militant activ. cold or contempt; it was hard to placard with the name of their God, if it the last thing we do. class struggle alone will prove effective and invincible. You will dis As each day went by, the strikities. James Gordon, captain of say which.
In other words, Local 16 his tinguish the true progressive and the Left winger in the strike ranka ers became more and more restless, the picket committee, courageously Longchamps uptown was not them, resembled a mighty conven flopped on the job it considered itself best fitted to do. Local 16 is by his iron opposition to any trend in the union which sows illusion anxious to close ranks, end organt called their bluff, stepping up into prepared. love cop was stationed ton of labor. Convinced that they zational disputes and take part in the menacing revolvers chal outside the door. The manager, would be invincible if they stood a tlop even as a strike breaking or about the NRA.
driving home blows against the boss lenging the brass buttons to use pudgy, thick set, dashed out of the ganization.
es. It became ever clearer to them them. The cops backed down mak door, and back inside through a lether as one man, the strikers It has to stand by enviously and that in the they ing an attempt instead to club com slde entrance. When he came out speaker after speaker urged them with rapt attention AB helplessly wbile the hotels pass on to hire scab labor from ships in could find unity on a militant, in rade Gordon who was saved from again, bls yeges were with him. onward, to action and struggle.
dustrial union basis, while the slugging by the workers who in Five of them, pasty faced, with itchport, and from the dregs of the unStalinist union offered them only tervened.
Masses Shout Down Disrupters ing fingers Inside their coats.
employed.
The emergence of the Amalgamated into battle as a forward look words and disunity on Monday Hardis was this scrimmage Over The marchers jeered. They re list by chairman Bourget, was the And the members of Local 16 are ing, independent, fighting union shows anew that the methods of they held meetings at the head when the cossacks came on the cused to be intimidated.
plenty sore. They are grumbling. Strike! Striket they yelled. tel and Restaurant Workers Union, secretary of the Amalgamated Ho.
workers routine conservatism are powerless to organize a fight against the and at the Hellenic Center.
and more than grumbling. It no But only temporarily, for the work. The guests inside stared up from Field. The puny disruptive fun for an bosses. These are the methods which rely for a solution of every proby his to be sent out to eat At the last meeting, only fourers re formed their lines, marching their scuffles and silver service. Jeering of the few hundred of the The fellows want to quit, the blem upon dickerings behind the scenes with the employers, of begging workerte robe este bine Star Lutste chrome here the hotel colesterie foto in The Immaculate waiters stood from Food Workers Industrial Unton former member of the Local report hat in hand for favors from government representatives, upon all the to speak on behalf of the 18th Street strike, and then back to unlon head drop. They looked unhappy and der the banner of unity was ed. All they need is a push, and impotent routine which has disemboweled one union after another.
union. By this time even these quarters.
frightened.
not much of a push, elther. They What is indispensable in the strike is a firm reliance upon the four did not dare oppose joining that this demonstration struck One of the mugs outside tried spontaneous applause from the quickly drowned out by a storm of around saying the way to quit mas movement of the workers alone, and not upon the good will and out the Union of the general strike, terror into the hearts of the em to start trouble. He pushed one thousands of Amalgamated Le altogether.
and by unanimous vote the strikers ployment agency sharks is shown in of the marchers. The lone cop, bers, loyal to their union and in memkind hearts of the bosses and the benevolence of the government. From Rebel Against High Dues decided to join the a survey of the sixth Avenue dis scared representative of law and full solidarity with the strike Nor is the fact that they are the beginning of the organized drive, wo emphasized that in dealing The four stalinists asked whether trict.
order, with him. Pleaded movement.
asked to act as scabe the only come with such a powerful enterprise as the New York hotel industry, the they could keep their books of Almost without exception the with the yes.
plaint of members of Local 16. They the Stalinist union. saying that agencies display signs bearing the The marchers refused to be pro irrepressible growth of the strike Secretary Fields elaborated the general strike was the weapon imperatively dictated to the workers are rebelling against the exorbitant 160 of the New Yorker strikers have legend: No strike jobs supplied voked. or frightened. They march and its militant actions from day dues, and the petty graft practised for the purpose of gaining union recognition, shorter hours, higher such books. When a show of bands here.
by their officials.
the armed mugs. to day. He denounced the slandwages and improved conditions of work.
was asked, it was discovered that Another demonstration was held close to the windows.
It costs them 10 Initiaton tee The challenge to the NRA code and the hotel magnates in whose of the organized workers present on the same avenue yesterday, dur. It was a test. They had matched etist of the her capitalist opreme saying ployed. Then they have to pay 10 Interest it was drawn up, wrote the Militant just a month ago, lende 41 already had booksing course of which several thugs their wharmed courage against the strike of the hotel to join the union if they are unemand only 19 had Stalinist books. armed with clubs were in evidence armed thugs of the management. given the lie to the vicious press workers has for a job, which is usually dished with irou necessity to a strike. There is no other way but by a show Most of the latter signified their in especially at the Geneva on Forty. They are going back in out to them through some take la strength to convince these people who refuse to hear or heed the exchange for mem the lie to these ostentious state working in uptown Longchamps. The workers, not glass, steel and tention of turning in their books in Ninth St. and Sixth Ave. giving numbers, as long as a scab der reports. Cheers and applause greeted Fields when he hit home: bor agency.
Dues are a month. In addition bitter grievances of the workers. The demands gained and the orbership ments No strike jobs. At the the Local leaders squeeze 06 a ganization established in this way will be all the more secure. There conclusion of today demonstration. and further stone make the hotels Flock to Amalgamated 79th Bulletin! Avenut! This is many agency proprietors could be branch is now month out of employed workers on will be no ground for the illusion that anybody gave the workers any St. that a triumph of the hotel work At this point a worker arrived at seen hanging out such signs, assigoments, this worker charges. thing. It will be clear that everything gained is the result of organ the Hellenic Center from union head theers will give inspiration to labor fourth branch to strike.
ranks everywhere.
Next on the speaker list was cost of belonging to a legitimate Ized struggle and it will not be easy to take the gains away again. quarters with a pile of strikers cards. The strikers sent up a loud Heywood Broun, Journalist, Initiation fee to the Amalwho gumated is only Dues are 75 cheer, grabbed the cards and Alled gave words of encouragement to the Agrembled strikers. The hall rang cents a month, plus an assessinent Essentially the same question rises before us now. What methods, them out. The Stalinists sank of 25 cents. Members of other un what policy should be pursued to gain a favorable settlement in the quietly into their seats. The meetwith boos and cries of derision as Another of the grandiose projects fire traps, disease infested slum secund of the Amalgamated mention linge ended with the election from or the New Deal has turued out to tions of New York City Hardly. sa the name of Lucius Boomer. The lans who join in on the general strike call pay no initiation fee.
strike, one which the workers can accept proudly and with satisfac the floor of shop delegates. Then be a dnd. According to a re Municipal Court Justice Jacob storm of anger be had evoked by the strikers marched out for a massport appearing in the World Tele Strahl in advocating relief for the uttering the name of an enemy of Nor does anyone have to pay for tion?
hts button until after settlement of The kind of settlement the strikers want will not be achieved by picket line of the New Yorker, thus cram for Jan. the use of federal destitute states. In 1932, 306, the strikers was equalled only by the strike. voluntary change of heart by the bosses or the NRA. The most for the first time becoming an in funds for slum clearance and hous 1516 dispossess notices were served the deluge of applause which the Bosses Work with Racketeers tegral part of the general strike og projects in general has been in New York City, an increase of audience launched as he promised of the more notorious night clubs es will make only such a change of front is the workers force them or two from representatives of the Royale or part of the 106, 245 over the preceding year, and that 15, 000 food handlers organized Local 16 has gotten Inside some soleran waruing must be issued against scuh a fatal notion. The bossThere may still be another peep abandoned as a rocorery program. that in 1983, up to Dec. 1, 314, 667 in the are being prepar.
and restaurants. Workers who to make! W. but the action of the It will be recalled that the news such notices have been served deed to render direct assistance wanted Jobs at Hollywood or Pararecovery efforts. The che embattled hotel workers.
die had to sign up with Local 16 What has made the hotel bosses tremble? What has emptied New Yorker rank and fle, pushing papers were chock full of big time spite all ther way over all obstacles into stories splashing the fact that Judge writes to Governor Lehman Call For Spreading Strike before they could come to work their stately dining rooms of patrons and their coffers of income?
in. What has replaced their sleek smrking with a haggard look of worry? desire for militant, unted action, agures were being allocated to the governor has promised, consi place in Amertenes toda a the because of their stort sementer into astronomical that quick action is vital. And There is a great war taking Members of other of unbetween Not some polite paper threat, weltten with wind and tongue in locs are beginning to chate under the restraint of their leadership cheek, like the of officials blut for a New Year Eve strike. Stalinist splitters feet. Already this report, which the United Press. Well, then why was the plan two slants capital and labor. We several of the tiny handful of hold has on authoritative information. dropped? Never fear, the answer are soldiers in this fight and we Every day there are reports of Not the interminable wearing down exchange of courteous communi ers of books outside the The Public Works Adminstration is provided in the authoritative are here to carry it forth to victory new disaffections. Every day mem cations between the unton and the employers. Not the endless pre New Yorker, have asked unton offi has allocated 148, 000, 000 for low dispatch. The dispute beWhen Roomer fired Fournigault liminary negotiations with the bossesso dear to every self contented cials whether they can exchange for cost housing and slum clearance. tween Al Smith and the Administra be started a fire he will never put quarters, even from Local 16, which is terroirzing its workers in an erand conservative labor skate, which allow the bosses to prepare for books. They have. Now this whole proposition is tion is held to be the factor that out. The lying. hypoeritical, probeen stituted capitalist press, the de fort to keep them in tow.
collanse. The has thrown to the winds. Has the New caused the change.
action and demoralizes the workers.
as far as the hotel in Deals Improved conditions that the destitute and the slum resta splcable Times, the filthy Tribune there is enough money in set out to crush a surg. No, what has been accomplished up to now and what will win dustry is concerned.
the ents will have to wait tui this dis and the rest of the brass check arting mass movement, and is being pickets of the workers so there is pute is settled. But they may ista have thele answer here tonight overwhelmed in the tide. Continged on Peo. HARRY STRANG. no reason for them to inhabit the sutter in the meanwhile. Continged on Pure 2)
How Will the Strike Be Won?
berorker union.
Another Project Collapes to Local 16