December, 4, 1937 SOCIALIST APPEAL PONTIAC WORKERS Akron General Strike Planned FORCED TO QUIT BY MARTIN MACHINE strikes Martin declared in another speech to Lansing workers, that same day, preventing the Lansing Auto workers, with his usual demagogy, from following the Pontiac example.
Calls for Support Yet Martin felt none too certain in his treacherous position. The By Widick next morning, Sunday, all members of the International ExecuAKRON, Ohio. Behind the press reports of the tive Board were summoned to settlement of the Goodyear sit down by the acceptance Detroit to act on the Pontiac si of a betrayal compromise, are some facts which deserve tuation. It was clear that Martin and need wide spread publication.
By Clark refused to take sole responsibility the Executive Board was also The hope of Goodyear and of PONTIAC. The evacuation of the Fisher Body plant to be put on record. The mem the official union leadership that contempt with which they were marks the beginning of the most critical period in the bers of the Fisher Body bargain the difficulties in the plants over being treated. Convicts in a state history of the United Automobile Workers.
ing committee were called to this lay offs and other grievances prison never went to work with meeting to explain their actions were settled by the eight point such a huge armed force watchThe eyes of the automobile workers were turned to Pontiac.
That same night Fred Pieper, before the Executive Board. Fac agreement received a rude shat ing them.
To top the insults, the bourgeGeneral Motors was beginning its member of the GEB and one of ing these workers with their just tering last week. group of unionists circulated ois press carried pictures of the new offensive against the union. Martin chief lieutenants, appear grievances, no one of the officers lants calling on armed cops with the headline over Faced with the repudiation of its ed before a meeting of the entire dared to express open opposition petitions in the agreement by the rank and file) Pontiac local consisting of Fisher to their strike action. It is even the executive board of Goodyear the photos saying, They were conference of workers, Body, Pontiac Motor and Yellow reported that Walter Reuther and Local Union to hold a special not needed! But the implication the corporation decided on a test Coach and exhorted the men to Wyndham Mortimer were in favor union meeting to take a strike was clear. Brute force is the only case: to test the militancy of the return to work. His chief argument of authorizing the strike. Once vote. The response to the petitions language which the rubber barons men and the mettle of committee returned to was good and indicated that the are going to speak.
the consisted of the specious economic again Neither the bourgeois press nor leadership analysis that the present slump Pontiac without a decision from rank and file won take any more is a conspiracy of big business their International leadership. An blows from Goodyear without the Daily Worker printed the very significant action of the Cio inWith thousands of Pontiac men to break the unions. Therefore, answer had been promised them striking back.
The petitions were a feeler dustrial union council during the a result of restricted production he concluded, the workers must that same evening. Meanwhile, a and the transference of work to wait until the conspiracy peters meeting of 600 shop stewards in of the mood of the rank and file Sunday when the National Guards Lindon, and Southgate. out before it is time to strike. As the Westside local, Detroit, ans and were hailed as such by ge were preparing to march into California, the layoff of hundreds for the discharged committee wered an appeal of a Pontiac mi nuine progressiye militants and Akron.
socialists, who Under progressive leadership, a men? Give their cases to the litant, with a promise of support. revolutionary eneral strike was planned against of men on Monday, November 10, Labor Relations Board and cross ternational Executive Board was over lay offs already consummat the use of the National Guard At five o clock the entire In pointed out, however, that a strike was the straw that broke the camel back. The night shift sat your fingers. His remarks were down. For months they had suf seconded by Dorr Mitchell, reac transported from Detroit to the ed would be incorrect and bring or any armed force in the Goodfered indignities at the hands of tionary President of the local, Hildenbrand Hotel in Pontiac defeat. New issues will arise year sit down. The council the plant manager, Leeder. who gave ihem emphasis by re where they went into executive shortly that can pose the question met to plan this action.
Workers throughout the city prepare a de of strike action.
fusing to turn over local strike session in order anxiously awaited the decision of Speed up, constant abuses by. funds, maintaining that the sit cision for the membership meet Role of Stalinists Goodyear Local at the Sunday foremen and sabotaging of the down was unauthorized. The ansing of the Pontiac local to be meeting when they were voting agreement finally drove the des wer of the 2000 workers present held that night. No reports were The Daily Worker is striving to on the proposals sponsored by the perate isher Buily men to resistance. Their local was bein was quite unambiguous. They available at the time on the paint the betrayal in glowing federal conciliator and the union turned in an overwhelming vote threats Martin used to intimidate terms of victory: They (the leadership. The signal for beginpounded to pieces. No vther vad of confidence in their brothers the strike leaders present. But rubber workers) went back grin ning the general strike would was open.
sitting down in the plant.
on the next day, Monday, the ning as the company had been have been the announcement of Committeemen Fired Des the hostility of Pieper New York Times carried the story forced to compromise on the Goodyear Local vote to strike.
and Madden, Pontiac GEB mem under a Pontiac dateline by its union demands protesting last 2500 men sitting in the Fisher ber, the local militants refused well informed correspondent, Thursday lay offs of 1, 600 work be facing inexperienced and leadplant constituted a threat to the to believe that Martin would not Louis Stark, that uncovered parters. Nov. 23. erless workers as they did in the entire peace fabric in the industry. authorize the strike. The for: Murphy Threatens to End GM didn go back grinning.
Unfortunately, 1, 600 workers Little Steel strike last spring.
They the local, the International office tants was something on the follw Strike with State Troops; Govern. didn go back to work at all. The struggle, three years of develope of the DAW dispatched two of ling order: Wait til Martin is or and Washington Urge Auto betrayal agreement sent them ing class consciousness; three its representatives to Pontiac fully acquainted with the facts Union to Stop Outlaw Sit Down into the army of unemployed.
at Pontiac the article read: years of a growing militant and promised the of our sit down, then there can And the circumstances under progressive leadership among the workers to resume negotiations be no question but he will author: Act Under Government to the shop were without prece. Akron quite which the other workers returned rank and file would have made. with the corporation on their ize it. As a result, great una different story grievances, the men left the plant. certainty prevailed.
Threat dent here. Although the entire than Youngstown.
Members of the plant bargaincity knew that the sit down was Machinery and plans for a That Governor Murphy may called off, the city police force general strike have been develop ing committee left for Detroit for Aid From Detroit have to take drastic action and and Goodyear thugs made a ed by a permanent committee discussions with the management. On Saturday, members of the order out the militia to oust the show of force that ankled in the elected in the Central Labor On Wednesday morning, just as Detroit Auto Worker Educational sit downers in the Fisher Body heart of every worker punching Union. Although the labor split negotiations were to begin, the League, a group of UAW mem plant was the message sent by his clock card that morning.
company announced the firing of bers organized for the purpose the chief Executive to Mr. Martin.
has ended this committee formalfour committeemen: George of promoting class struggle poOver 150 cops, armed with tear ly, its members are still active At the same time representMethod, chairman of the bargain licies and rank and file demo ative of the Administration at as the Goodyear workers marchgas and riot guns, stood lined up in the CIO council and the CLU.
ing committee, Otto Rollins, ste cracy in the union, arrived in Washington indicated to the union ed into the plant. It was the most appears in the offing as comA new chapter in labor history ward, Lester Cizmas, committee. Pontiac. They met with the lead fits extreme interest in the si flagrant attempt to terrorize and pany plans to announce more layman, and Tom Welch, stewarding committeemen and shop tuation and said that, in view intimidate the workers Akron has offs will again pose the question The committee had no alternative stewards of the strike bound of the economic recession, a but to break off negotiations, plant, organized them into a further uncertain element in the ever seen.
of a strike, the use of the Nationrejecting the reprisals against the strike committee, setting into business picture would be embar boiling mad at this insolence and fense against military terror.
And the rubber workers were al Guard, and the workers deleading militants. On Wednesday motion the machinery for pub rassing. night the plant was re occupied licity, relief, etc. and hammering The Executive board outlawed shop steward was in jeopardyer of the Unity Group: and the sit down was on in earn out a policy. The the strike with the following and vigilantes would take hold of Pointing out that the decision est. Thc Pontiac plant, using was the only group which came statement: Fisher bodies, closed down, rais to Pontiac to offer the strikers Pontiac. But the shop worker was of the board was unanimous in. we unhesitatingly ing the total of strike idle to al its assistance and advice. None that the strike in Fisher Body And when Martin interrupted strikes must be stopped, Wynddeclare no match for the trained orator. declaring that unauthorized most 17, 000.
of the leaders of the Unity Group, plant is unauthorized and unsanc him, spreading the oily promise ham Mortimer, vice president of The issue of the strike was ancither Walter Reuther, Wynd tioned and is therefore contray of protection for the stewards, the International, declared, We crucial one for the entire Interham Mortimer nor any of the to the constitution and by laws Souter could not regain the thread are faced with an exceptionally national. If General Motors could other self appointed champions of of the international union and is of his opening remarks. weak difficult problem. But we were fire stewards and committeemen the rank and file even put in an destructive of the best interests speech by George Method and one in deciding for the only posin Pontiac and get away with it, appearance. The issue was en of the union. This illegal and un then another hammer blow by sible solution.
then they could repeat the per tirely too hot for them.
sanctioned strike jeopardizes the Martin brought the meeting to Rumors were rife that the vote formance in Flint, in Detroit, in That same afternoon, word position of the international Lansing, in all of their plants in came through that Martin would union.
an end. The workers left the hall of the Executive Board was split the country. Chrysler, Hudson be in Pontiac at P. to consult on authorizing the strike. But With this statement in his disillusioned and beaten. For all whatever the vote was, Mortimer and Packard would follow suit. with the strike committee. The pocket, Martin proceeded to the practical purposes the strike was statement makes it clear that he And the drive to organize Ford committee waited in vain for the Pontiac local meeting to bludgeon over.
takes full responsibility for the would be endangered. The Pontiac President in an appointed hotel the workers into submission. But action of the Board. Moreover workers were fighting the battle for over four hours. Martin had the task was not an easy one.
of every worker in the union.
Those Responsible either Mortimer or Reuther or been in Pontiac, but in his brazen Before he was through he had both had it in their power to From the very beginning, the bureaucratic manner had consult run the gamut of all the dema For the first time since the stay the hand of Martin ever question mark hung over the ed with the reactionary local gogue tricks in which he is so Milwaukee convention last Aug. after the vote had been taken in strikers: would the Executive officialdom while the strike com adept. He threatened, he cajoled, the lines were sharply drawn. the Board. If instead of hiding Board authorize the strike? mittee cooled its heels in the he pleaded, he denounced. Sitting on the fence had become in the hotel room they had gone Martin had already given indica hotel. As the strike committee re The workers were stunned. The impossible. It should be clear to the local meeting and spoken tions of a hostile attitude. On turned to the plant, enervated by sentiment of the unionists was Martin alone does not bear res in favor of the strike, there is no Thursday, he issued a statement doubt and anxiety, an ominous unmistakeable. plea from Mar ponsibility for the smashing of doubt that Martin would have to the press promising General press statement of Martin came tin for a vote to sustain the ac the Fisher Body sit down. The received a crushing defeat and Motors continuity of production over the radio to the effect that tion of the GEB brought Charles Pontiac Auto Workers (Nov. 24th) the sit down continued. But they and amicable relationships and UAW would show the corpora Soutor, one of the strike leaders, reporting the speeches of mem too were concerned with respect denouncing unauthorized strikes. tion that the union could discip to his feet demanding discussion. bers of the Executive Board, at ability before the capitalist clasa Without mentioning the Pontiac line recalcitrant workers and He got the floor. Souter declared a meeting of Fisher Body men and the good will of John striker the implication was all unauthorized strikers unassisted that if the International refused after the evacuation of the plant, Lewis, an old hand at ourlawing.
too clear.
There must be no unauthorized to back the strike the job of every quotes Wyndham Mortimer, lead strikes.