4 SOCIALIST APPEAL MAY 25, 1949 Fascist Christian Mobilizers Union Busting Open Drive in New York City Drive Underway In Chicago Party for: 12 Roosevelt On Strikes have shown that they mean to move forward to SOCIALIST APPE AL win economic security for themselves and their families and that they know that the first step in Vol. IV, No. 21 Saturday, May 25, 1940 this direction is the winning of the 30 hour week Published Weekly by the at 40 hours pay.
SOCIALIST APPEAL PUBLISHING ASSN.
at 116 University Place, New York, This week, however, the auto workers have Telephone: Algonquin 8547 learned to their dismay, that the union negotiating committee is definitely not demanding the By SAM MARCY fully cultivated by the Coughlin conjunction with District AttorEditorial Board: 30 hour week at 40 hours pay.
The Fascist Christian Mobiliz Curran Cassidy combination in ney Dewey made it their task to FELIX MORROW ALBERT GOLDMAN ers have filed a notice with the the state and city government de cleanse the city. Everyone Why not? Answering this week the fighting police department that they in partments, especially in the New knew of the inpeparable connecby WILLIAM SIMMONS General Manager: resolution of the Flint South Fisher local de tend to commence outdoor meet York City police department tion between the underworld and CHICAGO With the beginning of 1940 the ThurThe cry of persecution of the police department. To GEORGE CLARKE man Arnold anti trust crusade got off to a flying manding immediate negotiations in GM for the ings during the month of May.
Caholics is never raised on be cleanse the latter, would expose They intend to follow two new half of Catholic workers, when and discredit in the eyes of the 30 hour week at 40 hours pay, Thomas, Presi unes of demagogy in the cam. they are clubbed by police during masses the forces of Law and start in Chicago. whole series of indictments were returned against unions in the building trades after Subscriptions: 00 per year: 00 for six months dent of the UAW, writes: There is only one preliminary grand jury investigations. Now these Foreign. 00 per year. 50 for six months. Bundle to their usual anti Semitic poison. relief bureaus, or discharged for Hence a different method was wheels of Justice have slowed down somewhat, but orders: cents per copy in the United States: centa way a great reform like the 30 hour week can per copy in all foreign countries. Single coples. cents.
they keep on grinding, with court trial of the first be won. That is by making our organization an Their first line will be to ex union activity, or dismissed from used the method of attrition.
ploit the anti war sentiments of the WPA rolls. Coughlin poison e. quiet dismissal, resignation, case, that of the tile trade, set for June.
invincible union.
the masses, especially the Cath sheet, Social Justice, or its mi and retirement. The police force Involved in indictments so far are the tile setters. Reentered as second class matter December Apparently the UAW is not invincible now. olie masses, by palming off the serable echo, in Brooklyn, the became very fittery with each stone cutters, carpenters, electricians and glaziers, in 1939, at the post office at New York, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Why not? GM war solidly organized. The overas a Jewish plot of Inter Tablet, have yet to raise their new expose of the criminal uneach case some contracting firms and the unions tonational Bankers. The cue to voice on behalf of Catholic work derworld.
whelming majority of the GM workers are in gether with some, if not all of the officials of the this line was given to them by kers! The Coughlin Curran Cas the force totalled more than 100.
wave of suicides in unions as individuals. Named in indictments also are the union. The GM workers have proved in ac Coughlin long ago. It is signifi. sidy combination and its organ. With such a mood prevailing the AFL Chicago Building Trades Council and its Fight with the Socialist Workers tion their intelligence, courage and militancy. cant to note in this connection, ized expression, the officials.
that the Catholic News, which Front and Christian Mobilizers, bound to take up their defense.
Christian among the police, someone was What prevents these workers from becoming in has the approval of the Arch utilize Catholicism merely as a The Coughlin Curran Cassidy forAs the grand jury investigation continued to grind along, its real objective became increasingly clear. No vincible. Nothing, except the supine, cowardly bishop Spellman of New York, sanctimonious cover behind which ces had their connections with the one is particularly impressed with protestations ac1. JOB AND DECENT LIVING FOR EVERY policy of the present UAW leadership, who give printed without commen sections they propagate the blackest re cops. They knew their sentiments, companying indictments to the effect that the WORKER lip service to forward looking demands and mil of Coughlin Sunday broadcast action and fears. They took up the cud prosecution is not at all intended to interfere with innocent OPEN THE IDLE FACTORIES. OPERATE itant policies, but in practice are afraid of them. role of the guardian of the peace. WHY SO MANY COPS gels for them.
at is classified as legitimate union activities. One look at the actual indictments shows what is happenTHEM UNDER WORKERS CONTROL Even the supposed progressive president of the Congressman Thorkelson of ARE COUGHLINITES RESULTS IN BRUTALITY ing. TWENTY. BILLION DOLLAR FEDERAL It has been said that as many AGAINST DEMONSTRATORS PUBLIC WORKS AND HOUSING PROGRAM Detroit Briggs local, who has been giving verbal Montana, vicious anti Semite, recently came here to address a as a thousand members of the But they could not defend their For example, the electrical workers union is indictsupport for the past year and a half to the 30 meeting of Christian Mobilizers police force belong to the Chris case on the merits; hence the ined for having combined with contracting firms in THIRTY. THIRTY 80. WEEKLY MINIMUM keeping out material not bearing the union label. The at Ebling Casino in the Bronx. Ittian Front. This is no secret to sidious campaign of a Jewish WAGE 30 HOUR WEEKLY MAXIMUM FOR hour week at 40 hours pay demand discovers at is said that he wove his story of Police Commissioner Valentine or plot, persecuting Catholic polcarpenters union is under fire because of its refusal to ALL WORKERS ON ALL JOBS.
this late date that in order to constructively international bankers, gold and his liberal Chief, LaGuardia. Toicemen, and the Jewish comhandle plywood manufactured by non union labor in 30 WEEKLY OLD. AGE AND DISABILITY fight the Nation No. problem, Unemploy Jews, so skillfully, that he had date they have done nothing to munist controlled government unorganized sawmills; a refusal also including some PENSION mills organized by the CIO. And to top the whole ment, we must fight for a 30 hour week at 40 his hoodlum audience yelling for break up the organization except who hold the cops back from perthing off in proper crusading style, the Building EXPROPRIATE THE SIXTY FAMILIES.
hours pay. IBUT) this problem can only be a pogrom.
to address a questionnaire to the forming their duty when reds Trades Council was dragged into the net because of ALL WAR FUNDS TO THE UNEMPLOYED. put into effect by solving the No. problem of FASCISTS USE CATHOLICISM police force as to whether they create riots.
belonged to the organization.
the adoption of a motion to support the indicted unThe last mentioned lie has beAS COVER the UAW CIO, that is the organization of PEOPLE REFERENDUM ON ANY AND This questionnaire naturally was come so widespread that Comions; one of its delegates for having made the motion, The other line of demagogy nothing more than a sop to pub missioner Valentine recently at a another for having given his second, the secretary for Ford His statement ends with the call to ALL WARS having entered it into the record and the president Help solve the problem of Unemployment by called by the Parents Defense thing except to cover up the ice department admonished the NO SECRET DIPLOMACY.
for having put the motion to a vote.
fighting for a 30 hour week at 40 hour pay by Fund, to protest the Indictments Christian Front of the police de police to be rough, tough, and 10. AN INDEPENDENT LABOR PARTY.
paying the Ford assessment. But the auto work of the 17 defendants, members of partment.
11. WORKERS DEFENSE GUARDS AGAINST the Christin Front, who are now as obnoxious as possible to hood. Attack Not Aimed at Bosses VIGILANTE AND FASCIST ATTACKS. ers have been paying their Ford assessments for on trial in Brooklyn. In reality Perhaps it is not out of place lums and gangsters. The recent It is perfectly true that contracting firms are forFULL SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC over two years!
the Parents Defense Fund is now here to explain exactly why so brutal paults upon the demonmally also under fire in this crusade, but that is EQUALITY FOR THE NEGRO PEOPLE If you cannot fight for the 30 hour week at thing but a stooge for the Chris. many members of the police force strators at the French Consulate and other places show that the merely incidental to its real aim. Union members here tian Front. The line was that belong to the Christian Front 40 hours pay because the union is not invinchave very little doubt left that this aim is to bust up Catholics and Christians are becops understood the police chief During the so called era of only too well.
the unions. One needs only to remember the fact that ible and if the union is not invincible because ing persecuted. The Reverend prosperity. graft and corrupin all of these cases, not the contracting firms, but the Ford remains unorganized, the question is tuny Catholic Truth Society, and a York more than in any other city sidy combination has reason to Curran, head of the International tion flourished in the city of New Thus the Coughlin Curran Cas unions are the ones who take final action and enforce hasn Ford been organised?
the refusal to handle non union made material. And it rabid follower of Coughlin, openly with the posstole exception of believe that they will be amply is the unions that are already at this stage of the Ford remains unorganized for the same rea spoke for the Christian Front. Chicago. It fed a constantly protected by the police in their government crusade presented as the real culprits.
son that Thomas, Reuther, Hillman and Murray in commenting on some of the growing network of racketeers, activities this summer. Labor will not attempt to take advantage of stories in the press about the gangsters, and all sorts of underThat cases of collusion between union officials and refuse to demand at GM the 30 hour week at The imperialist war abroad trial of the Christian Fronters, world elements. But with the should not blind the workers to contracting firms, and for that matter also of the its collective power to foment strikes and inter40 hours pay. For the same reason that the Lit Father Curran proposed to sur coming of the crisis they had to reaction at home. The answer of kind that violates trade union ethics, have existed almost everywhere no one needs to doubt. But it is fere with the national defense program to tle Steel strike was lost and for the same reason gically remove the malady of a be eliminated, to some extent, the workers to the Coughlinequally clear that if the Thurman Arnold crusade squeese hig wages from employers in the so that Little Steel remains unorganized to this free press. The cry of perse as a measure of economy. The Curran Cassidy combination must really intended to get at the bottom of collusion in cution of Catholics is being skil. La Guardia Administration in be: Workers Defense Guards!
day. Because of the chicken hearted, weak kneed restraint of trade in the building industry, a really called war industries.
fertile field could be found among the material manuThese were Roosevelt words at his press policies of these so called leaders of labor; who facturers and their monopoly price fixing, as well as trusted and to this day trust Roosevelt and every among the banks and insurance companies fixing arconference Tuesday. They are a command to orother boss politician and never trusted and have bitrarily exorbitant finance charges.
ganized labor not to strike in steel, auto, coal, no trust in the militancy and power of the workRefusal by union members to handle non union tool and die shops, metal fabricating plants, mu ing class. Start a bold fight for the 30 hour week material, however, is a matter of the very life of orat 40 hours pay and the UAW will be more inBy Paul Stevens nitions and airplane factories, clothing shops ganized labor, and its right to press ahead for or vincible today than it was in the great strike of Anti War Militants Answer it is committing political suicide, and handing!
ganization. It is this right that constitutes the greatest thorn in the side of the real monopoly concerns and working on army orders, all other plants work1937 which brought General Motors to its knees. British Labor Party Bureaucrats over the party, lock, stock and barrel to the their governmental hirelings, and it is a right that labosses.
ing on army orders and where is the list to The pessimistic croaking of Thomas Co.
bor can never afford to give up. For the bosses and Some time ago we mentioned that the left wing The also sent the following document to their government to be permitted to strike a serious end? For preparation for war, like war itself, is does not represent the voice of the militant auto organization in the British Labor Party adhering national newspapers and left wing periodicals as blow against this right would mean a serious blow today totalitarian, embracing the entire economic workers who licked GM and Chrysler and threw to the principles of revolutionary socialism which a part of the campaign of protest against the Labor Party ban: struck at the very vitals of organized labor.
life of the country. What Roosevelt is doing is the fear of God into the hearts of the nation been banned by the Labor Party bureaucracy. Be Members of the LL. have recently learned to command the trade unions to surrender their open shop manufacturers. The real aspirations low we reprint an explanation of this step given that the Executive Committee the Labor Par Wage Cut Drive Follows Indictments and desires of the auto workers are represented by the official organ of the League, The Militant, ty has decided that our organization is not suitprincipal weapon.
Now that these cases appear in court the union able for affiliation to the Party, and that thereWhat value has a union which cannot as a far better by the fighting program of the Flint in its April issue.
busting aim of the crusade is further clarified. Court The National Executive of the Labor Party fore membership of the MLL is incompatible Fisher local insisting that the 30 hour week at has issued its ukase declaring that membership cases are costly and cut into union treasuries. The with membership of the Labor Party.
final resort back up its demands with the strike usual newspaper build up follows in an effort to dis40 hours pay be included as an immediate de in the Militant Labor League is incompatible with This news which amounts to a virtual banning credit union practice in the eyes of what is called the weapon? Every experienced worker knows that mand in contractual negotiations with GM.
of our organization was only obtained from the membership of the party. In taking this decision, public. In reality it means an effort to sow distrust the party chiefs did not attempt to discuss the general press; we were never officially notified, a union which cannot strike ceases really to be a Only such a program will alleviate unemploy question with the people involved, in spite of and throw fear into the minds of union members and no charges have been made against our conduct union and can no longer protect the jobs and wage workers in general; on the whole a grandiose ment.
the fact that all members of the Militant Labor and in fact no specific reasons were given for the scheme of disorganization and weakening of these unOnly such a program will restore the lost con League are active members of their local Labor ban.
ions. And let it be noted that a campaign for wage wages of its members.
fidence We emphatically protest against this ban as a the Ford workers and lay the necesparties, many of them holding important posireductions follows right on the heels of the governThat is Roosevelt program. That is what tions. The decision of the Executive was taken in denpal of democracy and political freedom within sary groundwork for a new offensive to organize a thoroughly bureaucratic manner and recorded the workers organization. While working entirement union busting crusade. national defense means under a capitalist govthe more than 100, 000 workers at Ford in the Labor Press Service without a word ly within the Labor Party for a number of years, Even in respect to wage cutting the governmental ernment. Labor can yield not an inch to Roosethe MLL has always upheld the right of left agencies are also taking the initiative. It began with Only such a program points the road to the explanation In the light of this decision, it is worth while wing opinion to be heard, and we shall not accept the WPA. In Chicago. Land unity of action among the same as in so many other velt, unless it wants to commit suicide.
achievement of economic security for the auto to examine briefly the history and aims of the lightly this Gestapo like attempt by the official cities, lack of mobile workers and with them the steel workers, LL. In No. of the Militant we stated: leadership to brush aside all forms of democratic the building trades unions made a relatively easy We therefore call for the immediate creation freedom within the Labor Party in an effort to the rubber workers, the glass workers and the matter for the government to enforce the 130 hour of a left wing organization which will include all crush honest political criticism of their policy. month and put an end to the prevailing wage prinrest of American labor.
Labor Party workers who are willing to struggle ciple. By this lengthening of hours, building trades for a revolutionary program and leadership, an Working Women Against the War mechanics on the WPA have had their wages cut organization which can offer to the workers a From another British labor paper, dated May, hour. But this was only beAll the officers of the Auto Workers Union clear socialist alternative to the policies of 1940, we take the following item: ginning. recent announcement by the federal houstreachery and despair of the existing leadership. The 201 delegates to the Conference on Wo ing authorities has arbitrarily reduced the wage scale. The stands for working class struggle men in Wartime held in London on April 20th, for building trades maintainance workers employed.
against all imperialist wars and against all pre have given a fine militant lead to all the millions on these projects to 00 an hour.
They all agree that continued mass unemployMemorial Day will be celebrated with a rising wave parations for such wars. It calls for the of toil worn women of this country. The every The first result is that Chicago building trades ment is daily undermining and will eventually de of 100 American jingoism, as the boss class prewaging of the class struggle both before and day struggle to make ends meet expressed itself workers are asking ever more persistently: whose pares the workers to do their patriotic duty in the during the war for the overthrow of the imper in the recognition of the fact that this war is in government is this anyway? Nearly all of them were stroy their union. They all agree that the auto new wit for profits overseas.
ialist government and the seizure of power by no way in the interest of the working class. in the past staunch supporters of the New Deal adcorporations are squeezing out of the workers But the workers, for the third successive year now, the working class. Militant, Nov. 1937. In passing resolutions condemning the war, ministration. Now many of them are diswill commemorate Memorial Day for a different rea This policy declaration has been the keynote millions of dollars in profits and can well afford and at the same time urging that the struggle for illusioned and beginning to learn a funntal lesson. They will remember the victims of another war of the struggle of the League since its formation. the elementary interests of the working class to lower the hours of work. They all go further son in the role and function of government in a capiof the bosses the slaughter by Tom Girdler Repub. When war finally broke out last September, should in no way be relinquished, the women deletalist democracy. That alone is progress. Maybe beand say that the only answer to this condition is lic Steel, and the willing Chicago police, of ten unthe LL alone in the Labor Party issued a gate are clearly moving along the road to the fore these cases are over further steps will follow tothe establishment of the thirty hour week at 40. armed workers during a peaceful strike parade on manifesto, which declared the conflict to be one only conclusive opposition to the war.
ward getting the bulding trades unions out of the Memorial Day, 1937.
between rival imperialisms, and called upon the conservative backwardness of the past.
hours pay throughout the industry. Reuther says They will remember the solid line of cops workers to concentrate their fire on the enemy so. Thomas says so. Phil Murray says so.
the unarmed strikers were confronted at Republic at home the British boss class.
Argentine 4th Internationalists Furthermore, over a year ago, the Cleveland Steel South Chicago plant. They will remember the Small wonder that the National Executive of Support SWP Majority Position TODAY PUZZLE cold blooded opening of fire into the workers ranks, the Labor Party has issued its ban! As the war An official letter from thé Grupo Obrero Secretary of War Woodring reported the army exconvention, representing the entire membership without warning: the vicious slugging and pounding progresses and wider sections of the working Revolucionario of Argentina, states: pansion program is progressing and declared: This of the UAW, instructed the Executive Board to of wounded workers; and the damning moving picture class see more clearly its reactionary nature, We are acquainted with the conflict which gives us hope that during 1940 our sword may remain work for the 30 hour week at 40 hours pay. of the entire slaughter, ending with a view of the so the base of the Labor bureaucracy narrows. In arose within the of the Even be firmly sheathed.
smiling police dusting themselves off after a job well order to protect their positions so that they may fore being informed of it we had adopted a Yet nothing has been done to win this neces done for their employers.
continue to carry out the behests of the capitalist class, they must attempt to smash all genuine position similar to yours. In the January 1940 sary reform.
Workers should remember this Memorial Day, that number of our organ La Nueva Internacional The Archbishop of York told a convocation that Today negotiations for a new contract are in Tom Girdler and his like are the bosses whose profits socialist opposition in the party. It is not accidental that the LL is banned at the period we published as the official position of our orthey are expected to safeguard with their lives in the we are fighting for Christian civilization. Without ganization the resolution regarding the Stalin hesitation speak of this as for us a righteous war.
progress with the General Motors Corporation.
Second World War.
when British imperialism plans to extend the ist invasion in Finland adopted by the SWP What better place to begin the great campaign war, and talk of further sacrifices in blood and Boy, he better bless this war or the bosses would And in the name of the martyrs who fell in South majority. We are, hence, with the Fourth In fire him.
for the 30 hour week at 40 hours pay? The GM Chicago in the fight for workers rights and workers money is in the air.
ternational and with the point of view which freedom, they should resolve to dedicate their lives to The Labor Party is not the property of the workers displayed matchless heroism two years Comrade Trotsky supports with those who only one fight the fight of the workers against the leadership. It was built up by the British workare in agreement with the true Marxist LeninROOSEVELT FIRST CONVERT ago in the great GM strike and inspired by their bosses. All the patriotic parades and the fifes and ing class. We have the same right as Attlee or ist appreciation of the character of the Soviet Greenwood to publicize our point of view, to atOn Thursday, May 16, the arch reactionary New example the whole CIO movement. The GM drums in the land will not suffice to dim the memory Union. Our slogan has been, and will continue of the Memorial Day Massacre of 1937. Let the work tempt to influence the party membership by proYork Herald Tribune, most powerful Republican orworkers just a few weeks ago chalked up another ers remember anew, this Memorial Day, that their paganda and struggle. If the membership of the to be, so long as circumstances do not oblige a change in the appreciation of the problem, gan in the country, editorially called for declaration decisive victory for the CIO in the NLRB elecmain enemy now, as during the First World War, is Labor Party supports the leadership in denying FOR THE DEFENSE OF THE USSR.
of war against Germany as the most feasible way tions. By every indication, the men in the shops still the class enemy at home.
us this most elementary democratic right, then of aiding the Allies.
In the World of Labor GM and the UAW agree that unemployment is the major problem Memorial Day whom