John Lewis: An Independent Labor Party Is What the Workers Want Dear Brothers John Lewis, Hillman, etc. Morgans and DuPonts and Rockefellers and their like. It high time you boys stopped hanging around the and put in an INDEPENDENT PARTY OF LABOR.
You boys are the big shots in the CIO, but don let it The Democrats and the Republicans have not solved our kitchen door of the White House, looking for scraps like We need an administration that will not steal from the problems. There is still unemployment, still misery, still homeless mongrels, and went out among the mass pro people, but an administration that will get hold of the go to your head.
We put you where you are, us workers in the plants. starvation in the midst of plenty.
As leaders of the cio, you are supposed to carry out WE RE TIRED OF LICKING THE BOOTS OF We ve had our fill of Democrats and Republicans. Na exorbitant profits of the auto magnates, and provide with the wishes of the men who put you there for that purpose. CAPITALIST POLITICIANS.
tionally they have both flopped. In Michigan they have that wealth, a job and a decent living for every worker.
We expect you to listen and then act.
WE WANT LABOR PARTY! WE WANT both been wallowing in one of the most shameful cesspools We must do the same thing from coast to coast!
Labor today is at the crossroads. The boss politicians, PARTY MADE UP OF THE ORGANIZED WORK of corruption and graft this country has ever seen. That is what the auto workers want. a Labor Party.
Republicans and Democrats, the Hoovers and Roosevelts, ERS, WITH PROGRAM FOR THE WORKERS. In the city of Detroit there is nothing but filth, robbery, How about it, boys? Will you go along with this prohave given us a swift kick out the back door.
Roosevelt has launched a program of bullets instead of cheating, stealing, on the part of the boss politicians. The gram, or do we have to get a new set of leaders?
Roosevelt threw us a few crumbs to keep us quiet, and bread, guns instead of jobs, war instead of security. deeper the grand jury digs the worse it stinks.
now he has gone visiting where the grass is greener, where We want an INDEPENDENT Labor Party to launch a The Detroit auto workers ought to launch an aggressive Fraternally yours, Big Business holds sway. He is taking orders from the program of jobs instead of guns, bread instead of bullets. political campaign to clean out the crooked boss politicians Flint, Mich.
Fred, from Final Assembly Socialist Appeal Official Weekly Organ of the Socialist Workers Party, Section of the Fourth International 167 Vol. IV, No. 14 NEW YORK, APRIL 6, 1940 FIVE (5) CENTS CIO LANDSLIDE EXPECTED IN AUTO VOTE SPIRIT OF 37 Union Shop The 30 Hr. Week Is Maintained On Subways Way Out For Auto!
Bridges Gives Bosses Main Fight Notorious Peace Plan Still Ahead At the SWP Convention Opens In Everything To Be ILWU Convention AUTO WORKERS!
Arbitrated; Bosses Opens; Militants On April 17th, 150, 000 General Motors workers go to Are All For It Transport Workers For Marine Unity Main Problems To the polls.
Be Faced After Force La Guardia to In every plant they are going to chalk up an overwhelmSAN FRANCISCO, Mar. 29 PORTLAND, Ore. April 1Election Honor Union Pact ing victory for the United Automobile Workers, CIO!
Harry Bridges much ballyhooed The convention of the InternaBut don let a victory in the NLRB ballot lull five years peace plan was pre tional Longshoremen and Waresented to the Pacific Coast Wa housemen Union (CIO. opened DETROIT The campaign to Mayor La Guardia an you into a false feeling of security!
terfront Employers Association in North Bend today, with this roll up a landslide vote for the nounced Tuesday, after a conYou will still have to fight for every single bit here Tuesday.
West Coast union faced by two United Automobile Workers, CIO, ference with John Lewis of progress you hope to make.
The Bridges proposal is to in major problems: in the coming NLRB elections in corporate present terms of the The drive of Pacific Coast wa the General Motors plants will and the negotiating committee The workers of the Briggs plants in Detroit chalked up longshoremen contract into an of the Transport Workers Un huge majority for the CIO in their NLRB vote. But first agreement which provides that terfront employers to shackle reach its high point in huge rulion, that New York City they had to go out on strike to secure recognition and a plckets holding their ground against the cops there shall be no strikes or stop bitration for the next five April and John Lewis, Siapages for the next five years. All years.
ney Hillman and Phillip Murray, would honor the contracts half way decent contract. And in spite of the magnificent Cadillac plant of General Motors in Detroit, January 27, 1937.
The picket sign in the picture reads: This line is rough on disputes as to interpretation of The need to reconstitute the ers.
are scheduled as the main speakheld by the union with the struggle the Briggs workers put up, they STILL HAVE rats.
the contract shall be submitted to once powerful Maritime Federarbitration.
rapid transit lines shortly to be Auto workers are confident in NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM OF SECURITY. por ation along its original lines, this area that the organization taken over by the city. have they found a place for the thousands of unemployed Bosses Like It La preparation for a show down identified with the great sit The mayor agreement was Briggs workers.
If the barrage of Stalinist propaganda for this kind of pence was founded in 1935, with Harry Motors In 1937 will become their When the Maritime Federation downs which defeated General incorporated in a letter to Lee Just as big a majority was cast in favor of the CIO in fooled any maritime workers, Pressman. General Council of the Chrysler plants. But Old Man Keller locked them out, they were quickly disilusioned. as its first president, it was based with the corporation after April Lundeberge of the Sailors Union sole representative in bargaining the CIO and conducted one of the most vicious anti union camcepted the principle of the plan rectly involved in marine trans mind of any informed person here The waterfront employers ac on the seven maritime unions di 17.
That organization is the cIo.
There is no question in the This substantial victory of paigns in the history of unionism in the auto industry. And the union was achieved only as when the CIO finally got out from under that lockout, fact, Frank Foiste, president firemen, sailors, marine cooks, that the strike breaking, dual udTo Settle Dispute on Russian Question of the employers association, let radio operators, marine engin a result of the solidarity and practically nothing was gained. outfit affiliated with the AFL the cat out of the bag by reveal cers, and masters, mates and pil will be completely washed out by determination displayed by the An NLRB victory will assure the auto workers of GenAnd Map Campaign of Trade Union Work ing where this peace plan real oss Transport Workers of this ci eral Motors many advantages, that is true.
the vote of the auto workers.
ly originated. He boasted: Such a verdict at the elections Last June we (the employ Stalinists Broke Unity will be in complete conformity ty and their threat to tie up It will show the general public that the CIO DOES Over a hundred delegates and alternates are making their ers) proposed extension of the tem of the city would not recog the road elements in the plants that they will have to join ers Party this week.
the whole transportation sys represent the workers in GM; it will show the middle ofway to the special national convention of the Socialist Work contract including the seven Front days, the Stalinists flood the plants where the AFL repreBut then, during the Popular with the prevailing situation in points upon which Mr. Bridges ed the federation with old line sents an insignificant minority of nize their union and continue the contracts which they previously the CIO if they don want to be out in the cold; it will go bases his new peace formulacraft unions and newly organized the workers.
Coming by automobile, by rail, by ship, bythumb. We have, therefore, been advo agricultural set ups so that they The Final Touch won from the transit companies. a long way toward wiping out the AFL fakers.
comrades from the Golden Gate all the way to New England cating a similar plan for nine could get a safe voting majority Attempted to Crawfish Those few workers who still BUT AN NLRB VICTORY WILL NOT GET YOU and from Oregon down to Texas are converging on New months.
for their class collaboration poli had faith in the AFL after its For the past week, since John SECURITY.
cy. Thereby the Staliniats dealt a years of disruption and treachery York for the opening of the convention on April Everything Arbitrated!
heavy blow to the fighting unity Lewis had his first conference The leadership of the Auto Workers union has been on Among those representing the various branches of the But even these points, part of of the marine unions, driving out with the mayor, city officials have the present contract, are to be of the federation the powerful and General Motors on page (See Editorial on the UAW been engaged in a deliberate atthe defensive during the last year since the convention in party are automobile workers tempt to crawfish on the original Cleveland. These leaders have been satisfied to try to hold from Michigan, sailors and bring messages of solidarity from heat triarbitratione in inctuality. Sailors Union of the Pacific. all four.
agreement with the union. thir own. They have ignored the problem of unemployment, longshoremen from the West those who are already in the front fee as Bridges stated in his let branches of the Marinesciremen, line trenches of the workers fight ter: and the Masters, Mates Pilots to the auto workers were quickly As late as Tuesday morning they have ignored the demands of the rank and file for a Coast and the Gulf, teamsters against war. The seven fundamental In the present maritime fed disillusioned by the publicity ispoints (are) to be subje ration remain longshoremen, sued by the swivel chair labor Board of Transportation, an year round guarantee of security, they have been fiddling from the Mid West atea, steel nounced that he would introduce and stalling.
workers from Ohio, Indiana structure of the party Organizational changes in the interpretation by the arbitrator cooks, engineers and radio oper. skates for the forthcoming eleca resolution into the Board of Who secured and held bargaining rights in the plants and Illinois. cannery workers ed to take place in order to place these points are concerned dur. by the Stalinists include Soltera Transportation on Wednesday In a series of articles purportmorning which would provide that during the last few months? The militants in every plant from California and the party on a war footing. Tight That leaves nothing out of ar workers, inland boatmen, fisher in the General Motors Elections ing the life of the agreement. makers, machinists, shipyara ing to discuss the issues involved the Board, when it takes over who fought battle after battle on thusands of local issues, militants from everywhere. ening up on the central task of bitration.
men, cannery workers. Of the (AFL Weekly News Service. the transport lines, will assume and forced the management to deal with their committees! One of the most important rooting the party in the unions, What Arbitration Did four unions in the federation di Green and Co. show their true only the terms and conditions of the present union contract which The GM contract, nominally in force, didn mean a tasks of the convention will be the convention is expected to But the longshoremen have had rectly involved in marine trans colors.
the Board would deem not in thing. The corporation refused to deal with the CIO, exthe organization of a well defined make provisions for a strong di four years of arbitration, Since port, all now have contracts ex There is little these articles say 1934 they have operated under piring at different dates. That is positively about the merits and consistent with constitutional and cept in those plants where militant workers MADE THEM program of trade union work un recting force at the center and voluntary arbitration, never the sorry mess the Bridges gang achievements of the AFL in the der the direction of the agres for a substantial increase in held agreeing in advance to accept ar nas made of union solidarity.
statutory provisions.
RECOGNIZE THEIR COMMITTEEMEN.
sive and dynamic new Labor Secauto industry, because there is The union negotiating commitAfter the NLRB victory, it is time to march ahead. retary of the party, comrade Far organizers. The problem of in bitration of any and all issues Want Original Federation precious little to say. But if nothtee showed how this resolution creasing the effectiveness of the that arise. Yet during that period was a repudiation of the agree The 30 hour week and 40 hours pay will take up rell Dobbs.
press of the party will also be 86 issues have been submitted to Settle Russian Question Hoping to free themselves from ing good can be said in favor of ment reached with the mayor last the slack of unemployment. Thousands of your brothers the AFL, a whole bucket full of net of this marmud can be stung against the arbitration by Bridges of these the cumberration and avoid the co 50 reason Green and Co.
The convention will take a de dealth with in special sessions.
week and left enough loopholes Proletarian Party 86 issues the boss has won 62 de time for a whole army to march are out on the street begging for relief or WPA, men who finitive stand on the question of the attitude to take towards the In every respect, the conven cisions, the longshoremen only 24. trap of compulsory arbitration, The CIO, they howl, is comthrough. The union delegation should be in the plants. Continued on Page 2)
militant rank and Alers among pointed out that by this resolumerely a stepUnless you fight for the 30 hour week at 40 hour pay, world war. This question has been ty this year is expected to mark Soviet Union in the unfolding tion of the Socialist Workers Parthe longshoremen are starting a munistic plot, tion the Board would not actually these thousands of men will be herded into a huge army of up for discussion for the past six milestone in the development Auto Workers Are maritime federation of the seven President Roosevelt (which no move to reconstitute the original ping stone for John Lewis poassume the contracts that are at present held by the union but on. scabs, to take your jobs at scab wages at the first sign of months with long deliberations in of the Trotskyist movement in ly certain terms and conditions trouble.
the branches, in which various this country. The proletarian Tough In India Too; the strength of the maritime fed doubt is like sinning against the of the contract, thus being left eration as it was originally con Holy Ghost. and besides it doesfree to delete any provisions and If you want to protect your jobs; if you want to save paints the view have been present composition of the delegates, gived in the most democratic fash ing vivid testimony to the in. Win Militant Strike stituted. t have any money in its treasterms of the contract which it the CIO; if you want to establish security in GM plants: ion. The convention will draw the crease of party strength in the Fearing this sentiment, the ury. That Green tale.
But all this is like the red cape considered to be inconsistent Fight for the 30 hour week at 40 hours pay! and place the party on record for give direction to the deliberations Ltd, of Bombay, India, won against it before the ILwus con to infuriate the bull behind it is with statutory conditions.
Your leaders have put this demand on the shelf. Tomor the duration of the war with re of the convention.
wage increases of ten to fifteen vention opened. Mat Meehan, a treacherous piece of steel. Says Mayor Passed the Buck row, they say, they will ask for it. Is the 30 hour week gard to this all important stand, The rank and file of the party percent in a strike lasting thir hatchet man, led off with a slan the AFL Weekly News Service: It was obvious to all that the not needed today? Are they afraid to ask GM for what for the international working sion, showed that while its conwhich has been a testing stone has, in the pre convention discuss teen days in February derous attack in the March 28 The CIO Communist leadership mayor had merely passed the Over 1, 000 workers in the Voice of the Federation, in has involved the auto workers in buck to John Delaney, chair the workers must have?
class since the outbreak of the cern with theoretic problems is plant, organized in the Generman of the Board of Transportarooted, it is anxious to al Motors Workers Union, went which he had the gall to charac a sea of troubles. It has alienatu But you are not afraid! You fought GM to a standstill Russian Revolution in Novem deep the already successfully out on strike on February 9, sentiment as an attempt to dis dollars out of your pockets by terize this general rank and ille public respect and public confiber 1917 continue tion, in an attempt to get the dence. It has taken millions of in the glorious sitdowns of 1937.
heat oft himself. It was obvious International Report begun vork of penetrating wide demanding wage increases be rup stalinists expect a safe way of. costly and needless ILWU.
You know that GM made a profit of 183, 000, 000 in that the mayor was just stalling Another highlight of the con layers of the American working cause of the increased cost of the union and getting ready once 139, while thousands walked the streets, locked out by the vention will be the report on the class with its program of transiliving brought about by the majority at the convention. But strikes. It has not tried to organagain to doublecross the trans profiteering Sloanes and DuPonts.
progress of the Fourth International demands. Hand in hand war. Pickets blocked roads it will take more than the formalize a union for you. It has tried port workers of this city.
Auto workers. you have been on the defensive long tional under the conditions of war with determining its position with leading to the factory and pre authority of their office to keep to mobilize you for a revolution.
The union answered in the only the stevedores up and down the Repeats Boss Lies language that union busters ever enough. Give the command to FORWARD MARCH persecution and censorship. Fra regard to the Soviet Union, on vented scabs from entering the which plant. After two weeks of this, cost isolated from their brothers No auto worker would have to (Continued on Page 2) FOR THE 30 HOUR WEEK AT 40 HOURS PAY! from war ridden countries to (Continued on Page 2) the company gave in.
in the other maritime unions. Continued on Page 2)
to