2 SOCIALIST APPEAL AUGUST 17, 1940 TWORKERS: Of the Union Pressing Problems Auto Convention Failed to Solve Any TRADE UNION FORUM OTES cannot be gray head are er ST. LOUIS, Mo. The delegates AIRCRAFT HARDLY SUBVERSIVE CLAUSE on the 30hour week; the motions to the Auto Workers Union St. SURVEYED YET BLOW AT THE UNION telling the International to hire Louis convention have concluded their fifth convention without The report of President Thomas The convention definitely shov some decent, competent organiWrite to us tell us what going on in your part of the labor movement what are the workers thinking about! tell solving the pressing problems fac on the aircraft industry states ed the union one big step back zers; the warning to the Regional by Farrell Dobbs. us what the bosses are up to and the men and the local copsing the automobile workers today that the union has contracts with wards when it passed, by a slim Directors to stop wasting the and the Stalinists send us that story the capitalist press didn and without giving any leader only three corporat! ons, covering majority, despite the energetic op union funds: the rejection with position of numerous rank and great Irritability of Constitutional of Washington, that means that ship to the rest of the industrial a total of less than 4, 000 workers print and that story they buried or distorted our pages are open workers of the country.
It is a fact that the convention file militants, the subversive Committee recommendations on First Costs To Labor Washington is trying this scheme. to you. Letters must carry name and address, but indicate if you made absolutely no analysis, as clause to the union constitution. Secondary questions, and peremp of National Defense out there.
do not want your name printed.
The United Automobile Work to what was wrong in the past It provides that No member tory instructions to the commit The city of Buffalo has suspend ers of America, like its parent and what to do now to remedy of any local unton, located in the tee to have the International Ex ed five repair men on charge of body, the CIO, stands today with the situation. On The Ladies newspapers to insure freedom of out real leadership. without per All Thomas proposed in his re to hold any elective or appointive its proceedings to all local uniens, non cooperation in the national Gallup Poll Must Have All of these actions testified to defense program. Nunicipal em Reached Scissor bills Who Now Own expression in a cock eyed and dec. spective and without program for port, insofar as he proposed any position in this International aying society. It only too bad the future. Harsh words, but thing is reliance on the National Union any local unton, if he the suspicion of the meinbership ployees at Niagara Falls are being The Gallup poll has released The Daily Worker they should right crack out of the true, unfortunately, Labor Relations Board. But that is a member of any organization about the leadership, a pale remused and fingerprinted to box get stuck with the Daily PROBLEM OF UNEMPLOYED is exactly what has been wrong which is declared illegal by theflection of the widespread dis forestall possible sabotage. The statistics showing the results of survey on the question, Should Worker.
in the past year.
government of the of Amer satisfaction of large sections of National Association of Manufacturers is pressing harder than the government forbid strikes in STILL UNTOUCHED Imagine Earl Browder though.
EDITOR: The convention delegates aptord and the aircraft industry.
Two great organizing sobr, like Ica through constitutional proces the union membership.
emasculate the National Industries manufacturing material Why did the delegates, then, dure.
So without a shot being fired grooming himself for the historic One delegate asked a very approve the policies of the Labor Relations Act in the in for our national defense? 83 moment when the forces of rese plauded John Lewis when he Or a command to surrender being lion pounce upon his erstwhile Rated at the convention that On les work or by reliance on the accomplished by mere of the persons questioned in the terests of the defense program.
appropriate question: What is leadership on all major ques.
Secretary of Labor Frances upper income group are reported uttered, the Daily Worker, has official organ. He is probably at the first of May, 1940, there were Labor Board. What is needed te going to happen. a reac tions?
Perkins told the annual conven as favoring the prohibition of gone underground behind three this very moment standing before still 10. 748. 000 unemployed Amer: That is a paradox of the St.
tionary Congress decides that tion of the Massachusetts State strikes. If anything, this is an Skirts! And no ordinary skirts. la pierglass declaiming with heroic fans in this country. and the a bold clear cut program of inlon the cio is a subversive ormands.
either! refer to the Daily Work gestures the lines Louis convention. It reflected with nagereg still a sive, organization drive to sweep Federation of Labor that strikes understatement of the prevailing which ring unemployed question ganization?
er announcement of its sale to through the corridors of every major domestic question that con the thousands of unorganized the gap between the instinctive will not hamper the national de pinion in that group. It is also The Chairman of the Con dissatisfaction of the majority rense program as they did in 1917 reported, however, that 73 of fronts this nation.
little schoolhouse (out of consi There Ferdinanda, who 63: deration for his feelings, we left workers into the union fold.
of the auto workers to the prestitution Committee seemed to because labor now has decent the persons questioned in the Cleveland Local 88 proposed a think that was the same as the But that is precisely that the sent set up and policies, and working and Sugan, still going strong with conditions. Falling lower Income group favored the out the adjective red. in the resolution to help solve the unem convention failed to do. Even the end of the world. If we should the political backwardness of camera and lecture notes at 71: right into line with the Madame, strike prohibition. We have no country: ployed problem, demanding That convention resolution which. de happen to be declared illegal the delegates which made them and Caro, delving daily demper the national AFL representative to way of knowing who was ques.
support the very policies and the convention told the gathering tioned to get this sample o then say, what is the use of into research despite her 81 years. Who touches a hair of yon campaign through union and demanded a militant organization worrying about anything? If leadership responsible for the campaign at Ford and called And lest you think that years have rislative action in order to estab Por mass demonstrations at the that negotiations must be the publie opinion. But we lack of progress.
the CIO is declared illegal, be the most notable of their As Dies like a dog! March process rather than strikes. Maevery reason to doubt its acculish 30 hour week at 40 hours Ford gates, huge picket lines where are we going?
sets, be assured that these three The coming period in American a legitimate strike he said, racy.
on. The adoption of this constitu with its rising prices, regimentacill have to be avoided by the pay in the automobile industry. sound cars and the same militantional proposal signified nothing tion of labor and the attempted self discipline of laborios, of the Gallup inquirers led them It seems that the peregrinations venerable dames began collecting Contemplate if you will the im The resolutions background decades before they penetrable bulwark of defense the however, completely nullified the 1shing unionism in General Mo. but that the majority committee, tarties that succeeded in estab.
of union in buckled un wil deepen the understanding of New York, voted to send town for every trade unionist that they Star Spangled Banner.
Take Ferdinanda, for instance, thrown around their press: three when they declared the 30 hour lutions Committee!
le opinion. Their action was, in will help them formulate more to crate 143 airplane struts for whether se bored meeting or at local der the pressure of capitalist pub thousands of auto militants and its members into a struck plant interviewed. Stand up before any Here is a Wesselhoeft skirt females: three almost or actual week at 40 hours pay program CHEER LABOR PARTY HINT Slouncing in and out of America. octogenarians three members of as the timate goal for the au the words of delegates Johnstone consciously the present dissatis. shipment at the request of the Europe and the user these sis capitalism eringing before it!
BUT VOTE ROOSEVELT of the Pontiac Yellow Truck faction of the union membership. War Department. taste de union or a convention of an inplant, a tip off to the bosses here decades, sweeping in its wake The convention delestates ap The convention delegates, by There was a clear cut program mands a meal. The War Depart, ternational union, and ask them collection of artistic accomplish We should like to be allowed a suporting by approximately two clauded John Lewis attacks on in American to move against many enunciated at St. Louts, but it ment will next claim that the this question. They will give you ments covering sculpture, music few friendly words of advice to thirds vote the stand of the Res. the government conseription of our members.
was smothered in the gap between strike itself is against the Inter. a quick and decisive answer. They Thus it is seen, the fifth conand classical literature.
the delegates dissatisfaction and ests of the national defenses. do not favor the prohibition of With tradition, it walks in the Worker. To Ferdinanda: If you approval to Reeking the new owners of the Daily olutions Committee, save their bill and the granting of govern do nothing poitment contracts to violators of the vention approved in all major their conscious understanding of Boeing aircraft workers, AFL strikes in the interests of the noble memory of such names as want to know how really little cies of the Thomas leadership Walsh Healey Act. They gave aspects the timid, conservative the union needs. But the small have just been shunted away from national defense, or for any and even cowardly policies of Harriet Beecher Stowe, Martin the eye of a needle can be quit since the Cleveland Convention Lewis a veritable ovation on his band of union militants who enun strike action and into the morass other ronson. And there the present union leadership ciated and fought for this proof arbitration. Sidney Hillman about ten million organized workVan Buren, John Calhoun, Horace staring at the veracity record of and deprived the union of the carefully vague suggestion that and gave the go ahead signal gram nevertheless left St. Louis did the job for the bosses.
whom in their weaker moments and try smuggling a few copies to fight unemployment.
of the Daily Worker for a while only realistic, practical program Some day in this country the people are going to lose confidence to the leadership to continue confident of the future. They had Two regional directors of the put themselves trustingly in the of the Russian Bulletin of the in the existing political parties to along the same lines. seen with their own eyes that the Uaw. cro rushed into South Bend, Defense Council Deals trands of Grandpapa Wesselhoeft Pourth International over the REPEAT SAME GESTURES degree that they will form their Does this mean that the VAW delegates from throughout the in Indiana to investigate reports of and his famed Brattle Santo Russian borders. To Susan: Why FOR ORGANIZING FORD own party membership and the convention dustry were groping toward a so slow. down demonstration at the Blow To CIO Tium Ferdinanda learned about not really emulate your illustri Yet the Resolutions Committee delegates were satisfied with the lution.
Bendix Aviation Corporation The AFL building trades un the class struggle from a hook ous ancestor and tear over to the great length and passed numerous focal that the UAW favors the The convention discussed at disregarded the proposal of one progress of the union? No! Clear cut indeed are the tasks plant. The company demands that ons have been granted jurisdic.
DELEGATE MEMBERS to be achieved by the union: the union rid its ranks of ation over all construction work Needle by William Dean Howells while there are still a few price ganization of the unorganized ference of CIO and AFL unions DISSATISFIED BUT Whirlwind group of agitators. UAW secre under the gigantie armament proorganization Susan is a DAR and veteran less archives of the Russian Re workers of Ford and of the drives at Ford and the airtary treasurer, George Addes. gram. The decision of the Na.
of the back to the land struggle. volution still undestroyed by Stalcraft industries. The convention of Labor in the United States to to establish an independent party DON KNOW WAY OUT craft industries.
has said that Inter Lional Defense Council was handHer 71 years of historical remi. inite vandals.
For months, large sections of For the immediate launchofficials will not tolerate such an ed down by its labor coordina.
went further and voted to recom fight for a militant program on the membership have been com ntscenice include the thrilling resinterference with production. tor Sidney Hillman, a vice presiAnd with Browder and compa mend to the membership a as behalf of the common people of plaining and grumbling about the ing of a campaign to establish cue of two wagon loads of price ny we should like a word too. Il sessment to put these organiza this country. and later the con lack of progress, the lack of FBI agents swarmed through the dent of the CIO. This action is a the 30 hour week at 40 hours partment and the White House by before the possibility of imminent Ver the Communist Party, trembling tion drives across pay.
plant. Investigating reports of vital blow to the hopes of the vention voted by an overwhelm fighting spirit and militancy in CIO to organize in the construc her great grandfather who seems llegality, wants to save its pressments are no longer sufficient to By this action, the convention number of unsolved grievances.
But resolutions and even assessing majority to hack Roogeyelt. the imlon, about the mounting Fight against the war The bosses and their govern tion industry through its United to have been around when Dolly drive of the Roosevelt govern ment are moving rapidly in their construction workers Organizing Madison needed help. She was we have absolutely no objection records of the UAW are literally the great UAW is going along GM contract, etc.
by a legal transfer of ownership guarantee results. The books and made a public declaration that the unemployment, the rotten ment. No support to the Mor campaign to curb trade union ac Committee.
gan DuPont Defense Council tion and force the workers to subpractically born into the state of The CIO has made very little the Bankers Magazine.
Even if it has in mind only the cluttered already with dozens of with the war drive of the Roos This dissatisfaction sharply all union leaders, including mit helplessly to war regimenta. headway in the industry and the And Caro has had 81 years of avoidance of payment on Judg. resolutions of this kind.
evelt Wall Street crowd, that this came to the surface in many ways Hillman and Lewis must cut tion. The trade union official methods which it employed in its Paritan inheritance complicated ments against it for libelous state 1 assessment to creonine powerful union is supporting the at the convention: the bitter, cri loose from the Wall Street out dom is making an inglorious reorganization efforts were some with a degree from Vassar. Mos ments we still say all right with Ford was voted at the Milwau. Morgan DuPont Defense Council. tical speeches on the Ford drive: fit.
treat in the face of this attack. times not in the best interests of of her life has been spent in re us. But why the monkey b11811e kee convention two and half years This support of Roosevelt renWhat the bosses and their gov. the construction workers. There search. If she is responsible, not with octogenarian skirts of good ako. Approximately one quarter dered doubly meaningless the ernment really have in mind in has been, however, one positive the least of her research contrally? Who the hell do you think of a million dollars was collected anti conscription stand and the the interests of national defense side to the CIO campaign. Tt butions to the Communist Party you re kidding us. yourselves. For this purpose. Yet there are innocuous anti war resolution of is made plain by recent dis brought direct pressure on the has been the dissing up of three the capitalists or the three old about one quarter of the Ford the convention to the effect. that patches from arond. Agreements AFL Building Trades Department Stich fossils as herself and her ladies?
workers in the UAW today as th convention goes on record op two associates in this democrats Chicago NEW YORK, Aug. More than ing the demands are in sharp covering working hours and la to take a more reasonable attiwere in the union at the time of posed to any involvement of the LYDIA BEIDĚL the Milwaukee convention.
binge they are out on buying in any war on foreign soll ten constwise shipping companies contrast to the actions of the Nabor conditions in the metal trades tude toward the question of labor have granted increases ranging tional Maritime Unton Stalinist New Zealand were suspended by the APL Building Trades from 10 to 50 per month to the leadership. The NMU officials government order on August unions are in the best position Seafarers International Union proposed a demand of only 50 Six (A. and 10 cents per hour monthly increases in an effort decree was issued banning all struction workers in the rapidly days later, a government to protect the interests of the con increases in overtime pay. Ne to scab on the rival union, with strikes in Northern Ireland for expanding building program gotiations for similar increases out any demands for an increase the duration of war.
are in process with the New Eng in the overtime rate. The firm which can be anticipated in the The Phillipine National Assem next period. But this jurisdic.
land Steamship Company and the insistence of the upon its bly has voted President Quezon tional victory can only tend to III.
friends the old parties and no confidence in labor strength, Robin Line, after flat refusals by demands, backed by a militant authority to prohibit strikes. stitfen the hard nosed attitude of found the Stalinists idea fitted in with his own, which he did the operators resulted in strikes membership, defeated this scabby This latter action court Workers Need Their Own Party the AFL, building trades craft effort of the Stalinist stooges in United States territory. Since the not express at that convention. So an alliance to block the The tied up the NMU, the shipowners grant. Phillipine government is a puppet unions.
unionists towards the industrial The record has shown that the old parties in New Jersey formation of a labor party was formed between Holderman Co. ships plying between New ing a monthly raise even on are the tools of the banks, big business, corporations like Pub and the Stalinists, who between them controlled a majority Bedford and the fashionable sum. NMU shins.
lic Service and the railroads, and the large agricultural in of the State committee.
mer resorts of Nantucket and SIU Way Ahead Terests. This has been understood for some years now, not Wages on ships are any We re too weak to win any elections. We ll only make Martha Vineyard for four days where from 20 to 17. 50 higher only by political students, but by large numbers of workers enemies of the liberal politicians who are still in the old talk turkey. Similar action had per month than on NMU vessels.
as well.
parties. We ll only show our weakness.
recently been taken on the Overtime pay is 80 cents as In the 1937 elections, when Hague Moore defeated They spread these arguments throughout the movement, Algie, of the Robin Lide. Both against 70 cents on NMU ships.
Clean Government Clee for Governor, this understanding, and by the May, 1938, convention, the ranks were thoroughly lines have now submitted the de Working conditions are likewise mands to arbitration, after rein beyond comparison.
that whichever won, labor would lose, spread rapidly through disheartened. With their own leadership telling them nothing stating the strikers under closed the union movement into the demand for the formation of a could be done, what could they do? Many unions just stayed shop contract without any dis labor party.
away in disgust, and the Holderman Stalinist machine ran crimination.
Join the Socialist month later a wildly cheering, enthusiastic convention things their own way: they authorized the state committee to The gains made by the Workers Party of Labor Non Partisan League met in Newark and voted to endorse progressive candidates (which meant: no labor and the spirt of militancy attendGOOD NEWS FROM here. Workers read our paper set up a labor party. The rank and file unionist who took candidates. and their constitution changed the name to THE WEST COAST carefully. Even at and Stalthe floor expressed the views of the great majority of the Labor Non Partisan League For The Formation Of LaSAN FRANCISCO. Circula inist stooge organizations the delegates when he said: bor Party (which meant: some other time. GET YOUR COPY. tion of the SOCIALIST APPEAL paper is carefully read. We are Bitter experience taught us we couldn use company In the November Senate elections, Hague Ely ophas been proceeding very thor covering three of the rubber unions led by bosses agents, but have to build our own posed Barbour. Hague was extremely unpopular that year, Manifesto of the Fourth International oughly and systematically. We plants. By next week almost all get out all the current issues will be covered, union meetings unions, to fight the bosses in the factories and on the picket and Barbour had a poor labor record too. LNPL endorsed weekly, and are rapidly disposing primarily.
line. In the same way we ve learned we can use parties led neither, did not run an independent candidate, and comof a stack of old copies. For the Excellent work. comrades! And and controlled by agents of big business, but have to build promised by issuing the slogan Defeat Hague at all costs.
first time nou tre are able to reach we might add, our gratitude and our own party, to fight the bosses in Congress and Legislature How the workers were to defeat Ely without electing Barbour and the a sizeable number of trade union congratulations for your fine fin. and City Hall.
they did not say, and the WPA cutter, Barbour, was elected learn that many members at all!
Although no one spoke up, there were strong forces at with this left handed support.
surreptitiously take copies, carry OAKLAND The only way to the convention opposed to this viewpoint. They kept quiet This procedure, which brought labor no gains at all, so them home and read them. place our small branch on the so they could be elected to the important state committee discredited the League that its membership dropped from the 48 page pamphlet onEven more indicative of the political and trade union map of picked by the convention to report back with a proposed con 150, 000 claimed in 1937 to less than a fifth of that who pay CAUSES OF THE PRESENT WAR determined spirit of the Frisco the industrial Oakland is to get stitution within six months. They were silent in the same way dues today, and its influence fell to almost nothing. In 1939 ROLE OF IMPERIALISM comrades to make their Appeal out a minimum of between 100 to work highly successfully to the 125 copies of the APPEAL each labor fakers sometimes go along with a militant strike so it played no role at all.
WHAT NAZI WAR SLOGANS REALLY MEAN hard headed business office. le week. This work is Imperative.
they will be placed at its head in a position where they can Holderman broke with the Stalinists after the Stalin RESPONSIBILITY OF 2nd 3rd INTERNATIONALS the statement: We do not think we owe it to our movement, and Stifle it better later on.
Hitler Pact, and today Holderman, still state chairman, is WHAT TO DO NOW!
it optimistle to state that we the branch has unanimously voted The Communist Party at that time wanted above every still playing the same game: he is whooping it up now for COMPLETE PROGRAM!
shall probably be able to send in to start this work immediately.
the sum of our back bill soon.
This branch, like the Reading thing else a pact between the Soviet Union, this country and Hague candidate, Edison.
the Allies for a war against Germany. To show Roosevelt and That is why labor is still unorganized politically this CALL TO ACTION!
This from the branch which we Pa branch has undertaken this have come to term our black work entirely of its own volition, the bosses they could be trusted if they got that pact, they year, and why it feels helpless, with no program and no cansheep with its back bill of more with no prodding whatsoever from 3e per copy to all branches of the played a conservative, disruptive role in the labor movement. didates to oppose to the program and candidates of big than 100: sounds like the dawn the office. We are 100 agree.
At this LNPL convention they were therefore against the for business.
5ę per single copy.
of a new day. Comrades, the able to getting this work under party thanks you and offers all way, Oakland, and are glad to mation of an independent party because they were afraid it The lesson is clear: labor needs its own candidates, but Published by the: possible cooperation in your work cooperate with you. We look forwould get out of control, break cleanly with capitalist politics, it can get them only by breaking sharply with the old parties ward to your reports, and know and thus compromise them in the eyes of the bosses whose and the practice of supporting so called friends of labor SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY LOS ANGELES can state now that with such determination, that the increased bundle has cer they are going to sound a lot good will they were courting, and lesser evils. and setting up its own party.
116 UNIVERSITY PLACE NEW YORK, Carl Holderman, LNPL state chairman, with many (Another article next week)
tainly deepened our roots in the like the live wire communications workers organizations and unions from Frisco and Seafarers Int Makes Gains New Jersey in the 1940 Elections On (SELLING UTHE APPEAL The Imperialist War Proletarian World Revolution