Rival Unions Competing For R.I. Textile Workers
Stanley, Louis
Rival Unions Competing For R.I. Textile Workers Closing of Strategic General Fabrics Mill Follows Strike Call By Louis Stanley (By A Special New Leader Corr.) PROVIDENCE, R. I. — Thre* -Cr timea...
...An N. T. W. leaflet addressed to Rhode Island textile workers ac-ciises Powers of raising the cry of communism...
...The recent strike at the American Woolen Company mills at lAwrence, Massachusetts, baited the introduction of efficiency experts and prevented the imposition of a wage cut already given to the other mills of th^ company...
...PROVIDENCE, R. I. — Thre* -Cr timea a day pickets march and down in a long double column before the General Fabrics Corpo-raU<» building on ICill street in Central Falls, a anall town which is indistinguishable from adjoining Pawtucket...
...Tlie admission is fifty cents...
...It should also make them realize how Uttle they know and how easentlal it is to know more about the laws and structure of a system by which the working class is governed and held down...
...a*ich extends tnm Voon»nfket ea —the aocih alee^ he picturesque BiackaUme river to Providence, are watching the outcome w5th interest' nie N. T. W. V. Campaign The General Fabrics atrike is part of a two-fold plan of strategy of the National Textile Workera Union for New England.' The scheme ia to concentrate on organization campaigns (1) among the textile workera in the Black-atone Valley, especially in the silk mills, and (2) aipong the employees of the gigantic American Woolen Company throughout New England...
...On May 14 the workers at the Weybosset mill encouraged by the happenings in Lawrence and Central Falls held a meeting under the auspices of the N. T. W. U. and demanded the restoration of the 12^ per cent wage cut and improvements in certain worldng conditions...
...Francis J. Gorman, vice-president of the U. T. W., is in Rhode Island preparing for the inauguration of a campaign in conjunction with the State Federation of Labor for the forty-eight hour week and the organization of women workers, especially in textiles...
...Con-^ and anything of fam-^ Tvt aiAile the iVb^ left-ov-^ lut this has Mtkj people are , ut toeaklng in Htu^ growing ¦jaat are owned m-Aadnw Mel-itt-CciBon, Insane of them p; all flre theit ly join the un-< feei: 4 inches IB to be gov-^ operators' llait election, is ht tie dismissed W court 10 give his I break the union, aty o! indictmentJ igainst the miners >t the gunmen...
...On top of this came wage uts...
...The members of his local, w*o removed the warps in the mill, are not receiving strike benefits...
...The following is an excerpt from Comrade Berenberg's q>eech...
...Algernon Lee in presenting the certificatea to the studenU expressed the hope that this would be the beginning of the real participation on the part of atudenU In the acUvities of the Socialist and Labor Movement...
...Henry Margulies spcdce on he-half of the Rand School Fellowship and presented Comrade Al-(ersoB Lee with a eheck for a trip to the Internatkmal Soctallat aad Labor Ceagreas la Vleaaa aa a t^Ma of .the expreaai<m of the paat aad preaoit studeatt of the SChooL A skit OB the history of the Raad Sdiool tradag lU growth from fU early laceptkat on nth Street to the porchaae of the prea-eat qoartara, the ralda of the l«ak CoBBBiiaakm aad oarrylag the da-vdopneat lato tha futnre waa preaeated by the Raad Sche«d Players oader the dbeetkm of Da-vM B. Roaai...
...whereby a strike waa called in a mill with the expectation that it would spread by contagion to other mills, vdtile great leaders headed the struggle...
...The /q>eed-up was errific...
...John H. Powers, secretary of the Loomfixers local in Pawtucket and vicinity, haa stated to the writer that he would do nothing to interfere with the conduct of the General Fabrics strike...
...The new idea is less spectacular...
...to transmit facU, and to give the StudenU an analysis of our social being...
...It Involves more work...
...Vorkera throughout the Black-tone VaUay...
...Many pt they would I it out" in orthem...
...In maay departments one out of every four <Uborers U given a raise ot one cent to 51c an hour, the other ' three are permanently laid oft, and the four men's work is done by <me man...
...of ipWeh ThoBiaa is a auaahar...
...As the seating capacity is limited to six hundred, and tickets have been on sale, it is necessary for thoae who intend to come, to get their Ucketa at once...
...The N. T. W. U. made the most of the results at Lawrence to stimulate organization work in the Blackstone Valley...
...It is all very peaceful...
...2* tbe eight 2**««lleged iJWdBgtwo ^« 5. The g»tobedec¦^P- m the...
...According to iinion officials, the union followers were able to stop a proposed wage cut early this year in the Royal Weaving mUl at Central Falls, one of the largest establishment in the locality and reputed to treat its employees more fairly than other concerns becauae of the paternalism of the employer, Joe Otts...
...George Kuhnlein, <Hse of the studenU who received a cerUfi-caU...
...Daadag aad re-freshaenU were served to those who remaiaed after the regular prognm...
...N( confined to 1^ Joe Cawood pW* been jailed ^ a different P« stirred up...
...Labor bodies of neighboring towna are rallying to the aid of the rubber workers' union...
...Even thereafter it wUl survive becauae institutions for education will then be needed more than ever...
...The woriters accepted the terms...
...It has received a great amount of conunent In newspaper and magaziaea throui^ut the couatry, aad haa been discuned widely...
...The management of the General fabrics Corporation is known in ije Central FaU-Pawtucket-Provl-lence district as one of the worst sxploiters in the vicinity...
...Hk.* aaari: ^^^HMe heStab Picket in Wool Strike At Mishawaka Mayor of Indiana Town Forces Disarming of Strikebreakers MISHAWAKA, Ind.—(FP)— , Miahawaka'a citiieaa arc arouaed* over vi^eace which haa character^ tactica at the Mlah-awaka Rubber A Woeiea Co...
...While ostensibly an independent rubber company, there are definite indications that thei firm is actually a poot of the gl-ganUc United SUtes Rubber Co...
...The union is trying to lay the ground work for future action in some of the bigger mills in Central Falls-Pawtucket Meanwhile, contacts are also being asUbliahed in the various miU villages through the Blackstone Valley, the acene of severe labor struggle* la ^ P**^ Woonsock-et near tlaa Maaaaehuaetts Uaa...
...David P. Bv-enberg, long aaaodated with the School and the Socialist Movement and one of the most beloved teacta-era of the School made the addreaa...
...STEEL PAT CUT ' YOUNGSTOWN, O. — (F P) — I Pursuing its poUcy of cutting <me department at a time to ayM united labor action, the Toungs-towa Sheet and Tube Co...
...In face of the atrike which is virtually 100% effective, the ctan-pany has been forced to shut down...
...t is an attempt by Fr^der to )reak down the sklU of the loom ixers...
...Emphasis is placed by the imion organizers upon the last point...
...The Rhode Island textile workers need unionism...
...The communists referred to are the orgranizers for the National Textile Workers Union affiliated with the communist Trade Union Unity League and opposed to the A. F. of L. union, the United Tex-Ule Workers...
...The workers at the latter two took heart On May 7 the General F^ rica struck and on May 11 the Lexington...
...The former prevailing cynicism seems definitely at an end...
...Hie mayor i>erson-aOy took guns away from two "iwlvate detectives...
...I j.'^;i,yi':iii .¦ '•¦--fe...
...On May 1» the company Yigreed to grant all the demands except the return of the wage out...
...he "The achool will be judged by our success or faUura and while departing aa sttidenU," he hoped that they woukl all remain studenU of the School in a broader sense and becone connected with it as iU lifelong friends...
...Thla ahould be enough to awaken and to atrength-en the consciousness of the studenU...
...Nonnaa Thaaaaa who was to have nude the addreaa of the eve-niag waa prevented from doing so becauae of ifineas...
...It is up to ourselves to draw conclusions and to find a way into the movement for a new social order...
...Comrade Kuhnlein commented on the fact "that athough the Rand School was maintained by a Socialist organisation party principles had not narrowed the selection of studenU or teachers...
...a town domiaated byt the French Canadians, ia one of the centera of effort Not far away in the Olneyvllle section of Providence is located the mills of the American Woolen Company...
...just cut the" pay of ccmmon laborers in its steel i^ts at Youngstown one cent an hour...
...By this method the dangers of spies and blacklists are supposed to be reduced, the organization built up on the basis of genuine grievances .and local leadership developed...
...The method of organization was to be different from the "rolling wave" technique pursued under the leadership of the former secretary of the N. T. W. U., Albert Weiabord...
...Ilie Rand School will need to train workers in this direction tmtil the social revolution shall have been accomplished...
...ta face of peaceful picketiag hy the 2.400 workers who have gone out on atrike .agahut wboleaale pay cuia...
...Asked why there should b? picketing when the mill is shut down, the N. T. W. U leaders give two reasons: first, the plant is expected to reopen to fill new orders, and secondly, the picketing keeps up the morale of the strikers...
...On the door of the mill is pasted a notice signed by the agent of the Comply, George Manton, which is dated May 7. It announces that "We are advised tiiat some communists are endeavoring to create a disturbance in this plant, and rather than subject our loyal employees to any intimidation, we have decided to ctose the plant ua-til further notice...
...Oae irtcket, Wixga Stutaman, IS, waa aerkwsly stabbed...
...As far as the function of the School Itself," Comrade Kuhnlehi went <m to say, "aU that the School can do is to lay the ground-'work...
...rested, men 2^ outaide the JiPn« 8f a hat |^Jw»c5 ;^-Tbehear...
...The gunmen ¦iaers with pisixBea bled: they a ont of company ¦ Qiey had gone Fkave made them Isweks 'just for '-rtways at the Marts have been nand jury in-aiot Judge Jones Nttcd If miners al-•l« of rebellion— «Wy authorities k When the lead-komet's' nest ¦4 the ccostant jftef ipdictmentg fcfittments in two ¦•kept the men •k &ov^ by the < theriff and '*r aelr obvious ' *i tiiot...
...The U. T. W. Acttvltiea The A. F. of L. imion, the United TextUe Workers, has locala in Rhode Island, especially among the loom fixers...
...During the years of prosperity 4he customary attitude of the young people was one ot cynkdsm towards all form^ of Radicalism...
...At Woonsocket there U a poasibility that a U. T. W. local may go over to the N. T. W. At Warren, R. I., the United Textile Workera has been waging a strike for about ?hree months against the Mount Hope mi^s, i^ch wants to establish the fifty-four hour week...
...A conference win be called in a month or two to decide on joint action for rescinding the wage cut and obtaining the eight-hour five-day week in all the mills of the company...
...This marked the ckise of tw«ty-ftve yeaia of aeUvity oa the part of the Raad Seho<d aa Oa edueattonal testltutioa for tha SodaHst Mova-mmt Tweaty atodenta who had satisfactorily coaapleted the Ingram of the Worlurs' Tralaiag Course received oertificatea...
...He went on, however, to staU that "although the present directors of the School are only too eager to give consideration to criticisms and suggestions it was up to the students to make tlie proper demands...
...We are all connected with groups of young people who share our inUresU and fight our battles...
...The number of lodma that lad to be tended by aa "a4Jaiter" nras iacreased from S6 to M aad )y a weaver from S to 4 to aa nany aa- 12...
...Frieder, Jie proprietor, has strtven to whip Lll the work he can out of his em-jloyees by "efficiency" methods, rhe highly skilled loomflxer toe-;ame an "adjuster" and hla job vas subdivided among a noBiber tf other specialists under the au->ervision of a "board of angineers...
...Sentiment of the town ia in favor of the strikers, aa was evidenced by cheerfng aa the work-era paraded through the city...
...Now perhaps with the world wide ec(»omic depression wliich showa ao sign of letting up, young people everywhere are turning to scmie farm of Radical expression as a meana of releasing their dasi from lU difficulties...
...Martin Russak is is charge of the walk-oiit...
...15th street or m the Rand Book Store...
...He did Kisd the other biriien they at-C trith machine ^^OgBOUHiweaith mfpst that Mor-^^^nQf un-Judge Jonea' mg] u obviously Kft AowB by the K^aSs have been Kteapaay guards «s & reign of ^(lififitT against j i fuard and a ,«at recenUy are ga There have M is the labor skloiown...
...Others might have been shot had not: Mayor Petro taken a stand with the atrikers and ordered the dia-| arming of the imported wortcers aad guarda...
...It should not be a very hard task to convince otlf friends of the necessity of a fundamental study of labor problems...
...Their ijeaed...
...Mail check or money order...
...Con^any qi-Famed The strikers realize they are facing a difficult economic situation...
...Mnr-KgfleidUn...
...Tlie winning of new studenU," said Kuhnlein, "depends largely <»i the active inUrest of present and former studenU...
...I>y the operators, r tod cpealy forced t/mert to vote for K intimidation and :u by litpux and aevertheleaa beat-It U ths geaeral to—yet Jones is He Harian Coun-IB...
...and tjiat the local firm's wage policy ia p?ut of the rubber truat'a larger plan of wage cutting...
...nie strike at the General fabrics mill ta, therefore, of aa->reme psychological Importance...
...responded fon the atudenU After expressing the respect and aitaairatioa of the atudenU for Cenrade Lee and the other members of the faculty...
...This made it easier to organize the workers h» the Bay State silk mill employing some fifty workera and lead them last month in a successful strike against a wage cut The Bay State la acroas the street from the General Fabrics and not far from the Liexington Worsted mills, givr i ing ei^iployment to about fifty...
...A delegation from the Maynard, Mass., mill of the American Woolen Company attended the meetings of the Weybosset workers...
...takes by force wiat the voters ainers aad their fe| under an at>-iltpt in power by...
...The tmion claims contact in many of the New England mills of the American Woolen Company as far north aa Maine...
...Is president and William Murdoch, secretary of the N. T. W. U. As a result of the present policy of lining up individual workers, the union states that it has been able to take the lead in successful actions in New England...
...Only if a majority of the studenU become actively engaged in serving th^r particular imiona or the party have we aiade good...
...They are part of the five hundred workers who have bees on strike against the company since May 7. Two policemen m a handsome car at the curb while away the time until the strikers begin to disperse and then leave, too...
...It consists, in short, af making contacts with the workers through personal i intervievdu|and conferences and calling on^>pen meetings or distributing handbills tmtil a specific situation calls forth action...
...Th« ^aisjt Judge Jones judge...
...The lecture is held under the auq>ices of the 6th A. D. aecialiat Braivch...
...The worsted miU sub- \ mltted to the strikers deman<te after three days...
...Tbeae ticketa can be purchased at tte Party office, 7 E...
...Thomas Will Lecture On 'America's Way Out' The most interesting lecture of the season will be delivered on Wednesday evening, June 3, at 8:30 p. m., in the People's House audltoriimi, 7 East 15th street when Norman Thomas will reply to the critics of his book, "Amerr tea's Way Out" Tills book has aroused more comment criticism and discussion than aay Socialist work in decades...
...been removed ilnce the strike and it is suspected that some of the orders may be illed at mills of the company ia ither states...
...AnU...
...gJii^tser*un-E^lMden are k*^|fc Bturder ^ Qm cam-PS— ty Judge W^gjotm Henry W^tmiUK forces ¦^^gat SO union K|« t«ctber, the ^Sc" aad syndiB _ iaaeted on Km a tmxOt ol K^saPatitek ICmmtaln E Iril tha grand ito gnards at F Later, aaid, being drunk Ette minera told ^etmg...
...The Gener^ Fabrics is .one of a number of subsidiaries of the General Silk Corporation of Kew g^anizations engagifig in all phaaea fork dty, <me of the largest or-af the sUk business from purchasing and importing the raw material to seUing the finiahed product The warps of the General Fabrics miU have...
...How the presence of rival organizations will affect their fortunes the tKiming months will teU...
...James Reid, who is a dentist by profession...
...An infiniU amount of patience is required before the worldng class orgaaizati(» can be molded into a force capable of inaugurating the Co-operative C<»nmonwealth...
...Ihere is room for wtH-Icsrs of all aorU in the Radical Movement But, young workers altering the field of Trade Unionism aad political organizations should not expect the world to be made over in a day...
...Uiey backed ', miser candidate...
...We must find, a way to reach the American Youth, otherwise, we will never exercise the infiuence necessary for the advancement of a strong and clean labor movement in this country...
...Throng Attends Rand Schools Graduation Twenty Students Complete FnO-tfane Train, ing ?onrse <— Lee Speaks TOE X>ita„ Aadttoritmi was packed to e^padfy at the ckw-ing exerdaea ef the Raad School held Suad^, May S4...
...Conferences were h^ with the company officials...
...The attack was mi^ped out a year ago...
Vol. 12 • May 1931 • No. 22
