WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!
Socialist Appeal BUILD WORKERS DEFENSE GUARDS Official Organ of the Socialist Workers Party, Section of the Fourth International. Issued Twice Weekly VOL. III, NO. 53 TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1939 3c a Copy NEW DEAL HOUNDS WPA STRIKERS Attorney General Seeks Indictment Of Union Leaders Every Union Must Act to Defend The Minneapolis Trade Unions! to Prosecute Unions for Crime Of Being Progressive Attorney General Frank Murphy announced to the press on Wednesday July 19 that he had ordered the United States District Attorney in Minneapolis to conduct a grand jury investigation there into charges that strikers had interfered with persons wishing to work in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Thus Murphy has already proceeded to carry out the threat he made in his July 13 statement that There must be no strike against the government of the United States by any one, anywhere, at any time. Those leaders who have moved to exploit the protests of workers in violation of the Federal statutes will be prosecuted.
Murphy then singled out Minneapolis, as a place where evidence of labor racketeering or criminal conspiracy against the nation relief program may result in indict ments. And now, according to the press reports, he has moved to get those indictments.
Obedient to Murphy commands, Victor Anderson, United States District Attorney in Minneapolis, announced the same day that the Federal government undoubtedly will issue complaints and begin prosecution of strike pickets or demonstrators within a few days. Minneapolis Tribune, July 19. He is only waiting, said Anderson, for the formal report of the Federal Bureau of Investigation men who con verged on this city when the strike began. But he has already surveyed the evidence they gathered and is sure that it provides the basis for prosecuting strike pickets, Roosevelt Move Is Part Of His Anti Labor Drive This Minneapolis move is perhaps the most brazen antilabor action yet taken by the Roosevelt Administration.
If it gets away with this, it will go on to prosecute strikers everywhere, as part of the administration general onslaught against the labor movement. The President is now definitely aligned against Labor.
Such was the accurate conclusion reached by the Minnesota Union Advocate, organ of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly, in its editorial of July 13.
Ruthlessly the Roosevelt administration seeks to crush the militant labor movement. Roosevelt got from an obedient Congress a law destroying the union wage on projects, but this was only his opening gun in a long range campaign to destroy the entire wage structure of the building trades unions, as is revealed by Attorney General Murphy announcement of an anti trust prosecution of the building trades unions in September. When the construction workers struck against this union destroying clecree, the Roosevelt administration declared their strike illegal, punished the strikers by dismissing them from the on the fifth day of their strike, declared them ineligible for direct relief, and sent an army of men into the principal strike areas to act as strikebreakers and gather evidence for the prosecutions which are now being initiated in Minneapolis.
Increasing Examples of His Anti Labor Game Roosevelt appointees, the United States Maritime Commission, are openly engaged in an attempt to destroy the union hiring halls of the West Coast seamen unions, and are training finks for a war against the unions on training ships which even the pro Roosevelt National Maritime Union has finally been forced by its rank and file to boycott. Roosevelt National Labor Relations Board now will order plant elections upon application by em.
ployers the most vicious union busting device conceivabl.
Roosevelt himself, his April 27 relief budget message, dictated to Congress the slashing of one third of the rolls, down, down, down, from the November figure of 3, 350, 000 to his figure of 2, 000, 000 an absolute drop of 1, 350, 000 jobs. The President is now definitely aligned against Labor.
That the simple truth which every worker must henceforth take into account.
Why He Picked Minneapolis For the Attempted Frame Up Murphy choice of Minneapolis to initiate his prosecutions is not a haphazard choice. He has picked out Minneapolis for a number of reasons.
First and most immediate, Minneapolis labor has the honor of being the most united phalanx in the fight against the cuts. and o. employed and unemployed, skilled and unskilled, have joined together in Minneapolis in a Joint Action Committee which made the strike there 100 effective, closing down all projects. Ii that had only happened in all other important cities, the strike would have won its demands by now hands down. For this crime, Minneapolis labor is to be pros ecuted by the Roosevelt administration Second, Minneapolis is the best organized city in the United States. Under the inspiration of the great truckdrivers strikes of May and July August, 1934, that city, once an open shop town, has a higher percentage of union organization per working population than any other city in the country, according to the Department of Labor. Wages in the teaming crafts have more than doubled since 1933, and other wages have risen corre spondingly. For this crime, too, Minncapolis labor is to be prosecuted by the Roosevelt administration, Third, Minneapolis labor has the honor of having initiated the movement which transformed the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from a craft union of 60, 000 members to the biggest and most powerful union in the country, semi industrial in form, numbering now at least 400, 000 members. As late as 1935 the International was an aristocratic organization of driver salesmen in the cities.
Now it is primarily constituted by the over the road truckers, one of the two or three most strategic groups of proletarians in economy. This great movement came out of the North Central District Drivers Council initiated by General Drivers Union Local 544 of Minneapolis, which generously gave its most qualified forces to the creation of this movement. The eleven state over the road agreement wrested from the great trucking corporations last year expires on August 31, and the unions are girding to secure renewal and betterment of this unprecedented contract. For this crime, too, Minneapolis labor is to be prosecuted by the Roosevelt administration.
Yes, the Minneapolis trade union movement is today the most progressive section of the entire American labor movement. And for this crime, it is to be prosecuted by the Roosevelt administration Minneapolis Labor Leaders Foresaw Roosevelt Move With their usual intelligence and ability, the Minneapolis trade union leadership foresaw this move of the government. The resolution adopted by a joint meeting of trade union leaders on July 15 at the Central Labor Union, placing responsibility at the door of the Roosevelt acministration for the murder of Emil Bergstrom and the shooting and injury of 24 other strike pickets, concluded. That this labor movement calls upon the people of the United States. to unitedly defeat any prosecution or frameup attempt as a result of the murderous assaults of the Minneapolis police.
Now Murphy and his men are attempting the frameup. Every worker and friend of labor, every sincere believer in democratic rights, has the elementary duty to solidarize himself with the Minneapolis labor movement against this attempted frameup.
Every trade union and fraternal organization in the country should adopt resolutions protesting against this prosecution, send the resolutions adopted to President Roosevelt and Attorney General Murphy, with copies to the Central Labor Union, North 8th Street, Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis is only the first intended victim. Stop Murphy in his tracks before he gets started!
Thousands of Minnesota Workers Strikebreakers New York Strike to Continue Turn Out for Bergstrom Funeral Stand Self Accused Full Blast Says Union Leader MONKEYS WELL FED WHILE JOBLESS STARVE CHICAGO STRIKE OF SKILLED WPA LABOR GROWS Few Workers Answer Lasser Publicly Pro Murray Statement Speakers at Funeral Services of Martyr Who Communist Party Declaring Union Resolve to push the Hatchetmen at Work Fell on the Picket Line Vow that Call to Attend Patri claims Scab Role of On WPA Strike Strike Until Victorious, Murray Exposes He Shall Not Have Died in Vain The Communist Party otic Assembly Stalinist Outfit NEW YORK, July 18 Thomas Murray, presiSomervell Statements as Made of Lies hatchetmen are as good as dent of the Building and Contheir word.
struction Trades Council, isThey warned Arthur NEW YORK, JULY 20 The By RAY ROBBINS By ARTHUR HOPKINS sued the following statement (Specint to the docialist Appeal)
By TONY CHAPMAN Thomas. secretary of the Stalinist controlled Workers AlDavid Lasser, president of this afternoon: MINNEAPOLIS, July 19 Minneapolis labor laid away to rest NEW YORK, July 20 The Executive Committee of the National Maritime Union in the Workers Alliance, chose liance today ran a patriotic ral We of organized labor Building Trades Council unanimously resolved at its meeting another martyr to its cause Tuesday when thousands of workers the Gulf, that if he didn toe ly for the Roosevelt adminis. Minneapolis, storm center of hold the following truths to yesterday to continue, with all the vigor at its command, to jammed the halls of the Central Labor Union to pay their last the Party line they have be self evident: tration instead of planning any the nation wide strike protest on all projects by refusing to work for the subrespects to Emil August Bergstrom, 60, slain by police brutality him picked up by the immiserious action to force Congress hurricane, to go over openly That no union man is standard wage rate set up by Congress in the new Aot.
at the sewing project, 2nd Avenue North and 2nd Street last gration authorities.
now, or has been since the Answering local administrator Brehon Somervell Friday.
Thomas didn heed. He beginning of this stoppage, Additional thousands thronged 8th Street North before the Roosevelt Woodrum Starvation ing position against the spoke for a membership outA assertions to the press that the strike.
Law.
at work on any of the unable to get in the raged by the conduct of the The Workers Alliance, push damned strike is on the Having assured the President construction protanker strike.
hall but determined to express wane, President Murray of the ects in the City of New York.
that they were agreed that no ed into a tight spot by the millNow he in jail, fingered their solidarity with their slain New York Building Trades That no union man body could strike against the tant strike movement which beby Joe Curran and Steve brother worker.
Council declared: will ever resume work unPeter Murck, president of Harty to the immigration of government, and having spent san July against the Roose It is obvious, from the rethe fifteen days since strike velt Woodrum Starvation Law, less he is paid at the prevailficials, and may be deported the Building Trades Council, ports received from our busibroke out pouring cold water had then announced a one day ing rate of compensation ness representatives who are acted as chairman and introfor illegal entry. That no skilled craftsduced the speakers who ren(Reprinted from West on the workers, the stoppage, setting the date for man in even one fiftieth of out in the field getting informaAlliance leaders were scarcely action far in the future July Coast Sailors, July 13, oftion first hand, that the dered solemn tribute to the surprised to find less than 1, 000 20 in the hope that the strike the numbers needed can be ficial organ of Sailors Union sacrifice of Emil Bergstrom.
statements of Colonel Somerworkers attending the demon would fold up before that date.
obtained outside the ranks of of the Pacifie. Walter Frank, chairman of the Stalinist Camouflage vell, to the effect that he is get(Continued on Page 3)
organized labor joint union committee Besides acting as a phony ting along without union me.
cover for their anti strike, pro North Beach which are now That the hangars at in charge of the strike, Union, However, Errs chanics, are absolutely and unwas the first speaker. He bitqualifiedly false.
Relief for Humans is Roosevelt stand, the one day mere steel skeletons and the terly assailed the brutality of stoppage proposal served the other half done projects In Failing to Draw Work at Standstill the police and condemned the Stalinist leaders of the Alliance throughout the city will reAll work on the mammotn society which allows such brutas a license to scab on all the Unskilled into Strike North Beach Airport remains main standing for posterity, ality to go unpunished. He other days of the strike.
as they are, like the ruins of at a complete standstill and shall not have died in vain, But the strike didn collapse. ancient Rome, unless the auother projects in the vowed Frank, expressing the And the date for the stoppage.
thorities change their minds (Special to the Socialist Appeal city are in a state of disorgen innermost sentiments of his lisJuly 20, grew nearer.
about the principle of the (Special to the Socialist Appeal)
teners.
Alliance Gets Cold Feet CHICAGO, July 17 The ization.
ST. LOUIS, MO. The jobless Geldman Speaks hitch and hundreds of workers prevailing wage. Special to the Socialist Appeal)
Alliance leaders began to get The Building Trades Council strike was slow in getting on Max Geldman, organization here envy the monkeys. Last NEW HAVEX, Conn. July 19 thronged to Asylum Street to a bad case of cold feet. Their That the people, in the aggregate, will not permit the way here; but the Building dispatched telegrams a week secretary of the Federal Work week they read in the local Two members of the so listen to anti fascist spokes master, Roosevelt, had spoken Trades Council has now called and a half ago to al Congressmen.
sharp words. You can strike the authorities, by their pigheaded attitude in refusingers. It refuses to take any steps have already replied favorably, out a total of 6, 000 skilled work men from New York City. AlThe arrests were made Tues against the government.
Congressmen Local 541. declared that Berg monkey house at the St. Louis cialist Workers Party were arstrom will be the flaming sym zoo is nearing completion, and rested last night for participat cay night at the first anti Through the agency of of pay, to have those projto restore the prevailing rate to call out unskilled workers still to be heard from is conbol in the workers struggle in a few weeks the chimpan ing in the first of a series of coughlin rally to be held by mouthpiece President Lasser.
from the projects.
ects, into which millions of for a decent living standard. zees, gorillas, and orang utans Anti Coughlin street meetings any organization on the streets the Workers Alliance showed gressman Vito Marcantonio, dollars have already been The sentiment of these un darling of the Stalinists and the skilled is quite well demon President of the Stalinist con He is our unknown soldier, will move into its spacious and those in pregressioni his heity a New Haven. The meeting its true colors a slimy, strikepoured, left standing exposed to the elements, un sur ated at the huge sewer pro trolled International Labor Dethat Bergstrom will take his The monkeys will be well ts peddling without a license. than an hour when the cops Arriving Sunday night, July finished, worthless. a8 jects on the South Side employ tense.
place alongside Henry Ness housed and well fed but not so and the two anti fascists. Al stepped up and arrested the 15, in Minneapolis, strike ing about 10, 000 workers. The and John Belor, labor martyrs their civilized descendants. Harde and Ray Robbins, are speaker on the platform, after stronghold. Lasser started the monument to the fact that Returning from North Beach slowness of the unions, plumb Airport Thursday afternoon, the elected representatives killed by the police in the 1934 the unemployed workers and under the exorbitant bail of buying the pamphlet. Father strike breaking machine going.
ers, steam fitters, electricians John Brennan, Secretaryof the people. In this year truck strike.
their children. On top of wage 300 each.
Coughlin, Fascist Demagogue.
Belly Crawling 1939. deliberately and bra in calling out their members 80 Treasurer of We must struggle not only cuts and discharges for Despite this vicious attack on as evidence.
First, he sent a belly crawl.
the Building irked the unskilled workers Trades Council, reported that zenly refused to carry out to repeal the vicious Woodrum workers. the same day the democratic right of free At the police station. Raying telegram to President Roosthat they called them scabs. of the 23, 000 men normally emthe will of the overwhelming relle bill, said Geldman, paper reported a drastic reduc speech by the cops, the plans Robbins and Albert Harde were evelt, offering his services grathrew stones at them, cracked ployed on the project, picket majority of their constitu But we must also build for a tion in home relief allotments for the second meeting in the treated like bank robbers by tis as strike breaking chief in several heads and chased them captains had counted only 1, 500 ents. Copthawed on Page Continued on Page 2) series went through without a (Continued on Page Continued on Page Continued on Page Continued on Page 3)
Slashed Monkeys New Haven Cops Arrest Two Conditions Improved At Anti Coughlin Meeting