American Labor in Fighting Mood At the Cincinnati Convention
American Labor in Fighting Mood At the Cincinnati Convention CINCINNATI.—Calling for the universal adoption without delay of the ux-hour day and the five-day week, the delegate* to the 52nd...
...The report of the committee on the shorter work-week Is of special interest because of its recognition of the nature of the economic problem facing the workers of America...
...This shorter work period was to be achieved without decreases in pay and with steady increases in line with expanded production...
...THIS MUSI NOT HAPPEN...
...For millions to suffer the lack of adequate foot, An Intelligent Christmas Gift QNE of the forerunners of the age of ballyhoo once observed, "That he who tooteth not his own horn, by whom will it be too tooted...
...How long will it be tolerated T" Coming, as the declaration In *»v°r of a fight for the 80-hour did, after approval of comWeory unemployment insurance |N been voted, this call to battle "to compel industry to yield to the demands of the worker s," as President Green put it, is further evidence of the fact that the American Federation of Labor is moving in the direction of world labor objectives and away from its older anarchistic social concept and political attitude...
...He fu ther asked that the council study the federal unions and make them more effective If the federation is unable to have the "white only" policy of the refractory Internationals changed...
...Green warned industry that labor would find a way out and was ready to use every weapon in the union armory—economic, political, and industrial...
...We also declare that the advance in wage rates should kee|) steady step wtih expanding productive efficiency, not only as a matter of social justice and enlarged purchasing power, but also as indispensable to the future prosperity of the country...
...Facing Catastrophe "During these same years, the total national production loss, variously estimated, has run from 60 to 76 billion dollars, due to the vicious circle of wsge cuts, .reduced consuming power, maladjustment of labor hours and widespread unemployment, until the material cost of the existing depress...
...Those in charge of THE NEW LEADER have refrained from tooting about the quality of the paper that mak-s it the outstanding educational and organization organ of the Socialist movement in the United Stated...
...a mansion will have no moral right to exist while a hovel la to be found...
...If we are to measurably match production and consumption wages must go up and the hours of labor be progressively lessened as the only answer to the machine esa in which we now live...
...Ill our social order sustain such • •ltuatlon...
...In reporting on unemployment, the resolutions committee blamed the management of industry for the unemployment and industrial debacle and declared that the majority of the leaders of American finance and commerce were incompetents or worse...
...Although the proposal was bitterly attacked, and concern was expressed lest this be "just a step toward a demand for further social legislation and even for health and sickness insurance," only five votes were mustered against the recommendation...
...Before the vote, President Green called on Delegate A. Philip Randolph, Negro representative of the l'ullman porters who are In federal unions...
...In almost every mail active Socialist Party workers inform us that there is no more important work than increasing the circulation of THE NEW LEADER...
...Green and the members of the executive council were empowered to present labor's demands to President Hoover and to Congress, together with a copy of the farmer's speech emphasizing that labor would no longer b< denied the shorter work-week and work-day...
...Later, the convention adopted a comprehensive program dealing with unemployment, which included demands for adequate relief funds to come increasingly from federal appropriations, for legislation curbing corporations which deny labor the right to organize, and for a national economic conference to Consider national economic planning "to a limited degree...
...No program of social or economic reform can hope to attain success that does not embrace this economic truth, as the cornerstone of its reasontag...
...boulevards cannot be justified while slums remain...
...President Green, speaking in behalf of the 30-houi week, painted • vivid picture of the breakdown of private industry in this country, *f the misery and destitution of •Treat masses of workers and work !•*¦ and of the "erroneous industrial policies that had hastened the •HI day of industrial collapse...
...Are we going to resign our•elves to a situation where eleven to fifteen millions are to be continually idle...
...Mr...
...These condition* must not be permitted longer to continue, 'o admit, that this problem cannot be solved In an orderly manner, would be an Indictment of American common sense...
...Especially were the big corporations and the spokesmen for concentrated wealth warned, that their actions would compel the Workers to pol.t out that "there can be no justification for a millionaire while there is poverty in the land...
...The convention likewise heard the execntive council, in its report, expressed strong opposition to the sales tax Favor Job Insura'nce Another notable reversal in its past traditional policy was taken by the Federation when the convention went on record overwhelmingly as favoring compulsory unemployment insurance, under state auspices...
...Following a fighting speech by President William Green, who threatened the use of "forcible methods" if necessary to achieve the demands of militant unionism for the shorter work period without pay decreases, tne convention unanimously adopted the report of its committee...
...he demanded...
...Today, however, with this problem of surplus and the disposition of surplus on the one hand, we find on the other some twelve million workers in this country begging vslnly for liberty to toll, while millions of others on part-time employment must, in addition thereto, suffer intolerable wage redactions...
...This pos 111 o n was reaffirmed unanlmously...
...How long are we going to be patient...
...Furthermore, the officials of the A. F. of L, were Instructed, to spare no effort in giving "purpose and direction to this program...
...This means that there must be a balance achieved between the increase in productive efficiency snd average labor hours so as to provide a wider and an adequate diffusion of work opportunities as well as to grant the workers larger leisure as a condition precedent ta enhancing consuming power...
...Randolph praised the A. F. of L.'s own declaration, but pointed out that federal unions are very Ineffective, that in effect they divide workers along race lines and that the best way would be to have all international unions admit Negro workers who are otherwise qualified...
...It turned down its committee's suggestion that a women's auxiliary—the newly organized Federation of Trad* Union Auxiliaries (women)—be given a fraternal seat at A. F. of L. conventions...
...American Labor in Fighting Mood At the Cincinnati Convention CINCINNATI.—Calling for the universal adoption without delay of the ux-hour day and the five-day week, the delegate* to the 52nd annual convention of the American.Federation of Labor, in teuton here, pledged themselves and the resources of their organization to battle for the 30-hour work week...
...and it was made clear that the door Is wide open to Negro workers through the organization of local unions directly f e d a r ated to the A. F. of L. and known as federal unions, wherever Negroes are shut out by interns tional unions...
...When the c o n v c n tion answered Green's challenge that industry must yield or it would be forced to yield with an i m p a ssioned "aye" from the 322 delegates that shook the rafters of the Cincinnati hall, the response indicated that at long last American labor is on the war path for a status that will meet the conditions of industry today...
...Furthermore, organized labor's threat was cast in the teeth of those national political and business leaders, who demand retrenchment in governmental expenditures that such insistence would arouse public opinion to insist upon a more equitable distribution of wealth...
...And it took no steps to see to it that, w'lere international unions affiliated with the A. F. of L, shut out Negroes from mem bership (as in the case of the machinists and rail way clerks) the color ban be lifted...
...President Green told the convention that he and his associates on the executive council would begin by demanding that government employes be accorded the five-day week and the six-hour day...
...Could there be a better gift to make to an intelligent friend—a gift that carries the truth about the world we live in and makes for • .I i nirlii tliml.-me ? THE GIFT TO A FRIEND OF A YEAR'S SUBSCRIPTION TO THE NEW LEADER IS A GIFT THAT GROWS MORE VALUARI F. WITH THE PASSING OF TIME...
...No Other Way "There is no other way...
...clothing snd shelter and be denie< work opportunities solely becausi of increased productive efnciencj is to stamp the word defeat on oui entire social system...
...At the same time, the workers of America are warned against the so-called "spread-work" movement, now being urged In msnv quarters, with its pay reduction policy "which would defeat the very purpose it is proclaimed to serve...
...We are certain that among our readers are many who plan making Christmas or New Vear's gifts...
...WE MUST MASTER THE MACHINE AND MAKE IT SERVE THE PUBLIC WEL FARE...
...The I'liiamoi nt Issue So impressed was the convention with the need for immediate action to salvage the millions of unemployed, that it unanimously accepted the declaration of Its committee that the objective of the shorter work-day and work-week was "the paramount purpose of the convention...
...In two other matters, one comparatively unimportant and the other of vital int e r e s t, the convention took a stand that met with considerable criticism...
...With this purpose in mind, w< therefore declare thst economic health cannot be restored except through observing the principle oi balance in our economic relation ship...
...He felt that the investigation of the possibility of introducing the sixhour day on the railroads, now being made by the Interstate Commerce Commission, was "significant and heartening" and that if the commission found the change feasible the way would be opened for a demand upon Congress for the six-hour day for transportation workers...
...No Color Line Howe ver, the official A. F. of L. position on the color question— that the federation has been consistently against any color line and welcomes all vorkers regardless of creed, sex, nationality, color or politics — was reaffirmed...
...Considerable attention was devoted to problems affecting the teachers and public schools and the delegates voted to support the teachers in their struggle against wage reductions and in their efforts to maintain teaching standards...
...The problem that confronts us," the report admitted, "la in fact a problem of plenty...
...in is no«v much greater than the World War...
...The genius of man has solved, and more than solved, the problem of production...
Vol. 14 • December 1932 • No. 23
