Edison Company on Defensive
Edison Company on Defensive Why the Headgear Unions' Amalgamation Failed By Max Zarittky President, Cloth, Hat, Cap and Millinery Workers' International Union. WHEN the convention of the Cloth...
...The case against the two brothers Lahusen, owners of the internationally known German woolen concern Nordwolle, which went Into bankruptcy two years sgo with losses of hundreds of millions of marks, attracted world-wide attention...
...An organization was set up, officers and sa executive committee elected...
...SHIPPING CLERKS TO JOIN UNION The shipping clerks of the women's garment Industry, the last branch of the Industry to be organized, have voted to join the labor movement...
...Appro iriations from the contingent fund 'equire three-fourths' vote...
...The temporary injunction has been voided on a technicality, by mutual consent of both sides...
...and WHEREAS, We recognize that Morris Hillquit incessantly championed the battle of the wageearners for higher standards of living, for the abolition of sweatshop work conditions and for economic and social justice...
...Jnler Mayor Hoan's plan the indertaking would not affect the ity's credit or taxes, as the loan s to be liquidated out of the in:ome on the project...
...At this moment the spparently nervous prosecutor tried to ward off further questions...
...We went to the convention in high hopes and with joyful anticipation of the official launching of the great new union...
...MAYOR APOLOGIZES TO SOCIALISTS CT...
...He revealed that almost 100,000 marks were turned over to the Nationalist (Hugenberg) party at Oldenburg, and that "much more money" was sent to Munich...
...Louis, appeared before a Socialist meeting of that town and 1 apologized for the sttempt by the 1 police to disrupt a Socialist '¦ meeting...
...The Mayor said that the So' clallsts were perfectly right and " that the ringing of a telephone in his office, which disturbed the meeting, could not come from the outside but had to go through the switchboard in the police station The police knew that he was nol [ in the office and the arrest of Walter C. Meyer, who never wai implicated In any trouble, was nol only a crime but also stupidity 1 The meeting accepted the Mayor'i 1 apology...
...The millinery workers who have suffered so much as a result of the unfortunate jurisdictional disputes will see to that...
...The law applies V all office workers of whateve: capacity, including messenger* porters and traveling salesmen...
...Karl Lahusen, however, persisted and declared point blank that most of the subventions went to the Brown House in Munich, headquarters of the Nazi party...
...SOCIAL LEGISLATION IN ARGENTINA A new law just passed in Argen ina guarantees all white-collai workers half a month's salary foi >ach year of service on dismissal .wo hours' freedom from work i lay for job-hunting for a montl preceding dismissal, and annua lolidays of from ten to thirty dayi on full salary...
...Their firs', meeting, attended by over 100, was addressed by Murray Gross of Dressmakers' Union Local 22, Amicus Most and Hill Levine...
...42 agreed to accept a« an officer one who had betrayed *he interests of our members while holding responsible position in that «cal and who was expelled from •Wee by our General Executive »aard after having been found luilty of serious charges...
...The appropriation, if approved, is » be used to make preliminary dans to be submitted to ths federal government, with a reluest that funds from the Public iVorks Administration be allotted...
...The arrests were msde on the complaint of the managers of the different piers, on the ground that these men had published a Joint manifesto calling for nationalization of the piers...
...This is but one of numerous incidents tsking place in various parts of Germany, which show how completely the Nazi government is breaking the promises by which it got .into power, and how widespread is the discontent among the workingmen who supported it...
...A fe< strikes had been called on th larger companies...
...But at the very last moment we Were Informed by the national of fleers of the United Hatters that the agreement would not be lived up to, unless our International accepted a number of changes which were contrary to the letter and spirit of «*«- original understanding...
...We believe a grave error was committed by the United Hatters when they declined to live up ! to the agreement...
...According to the prosecution, the defendants gave more than 60,000 marks annually to political organizations...
...be it RESOLVED, That the Central Trades and Labor Council of Greater New York and Vicinity express deep sorrow over the demise of Morris Hillquit, and unanimously tender its deeply felt condolence to his wife and family in this hour of their bereavement...
...The Socialist Party has also sen) " an encouraging letter to the \ striking garment workers, pledging * solidarity, and denouncing the re j actionary press...
...Edison Workers Block Plan for Company Union By Charlotte Classman •"THE 30,000 employees of the New York Edison Company have definitely blocked the attempt to have a company union forced upon them...
...Conclusive proof that the Nazi movement was financed by leading industrialists and agents of other financial interests has been furnished by the Lshusen trial, now being held here...
...Hence he previous resolution was defeated, although 15 voted for it to 12 against...
...The basis for this feeling was an agreement to merge the two onions, signed June 19 by myself sad the national officers of the United Hatters, President Michael F. Greene and Secretary Martin Lswlor...
...An issue, raised by the United Ratters which caused the greatest resentment among our delegates, *as the insistence that they would sot go through with the amalgamation unless our Millinery Workers' Local No...
...The millinery workers do not ; want fratricidal conflict...
...An appropriation out >f the special unemployment fund -equires a majority vote...
...Strehlow told the committee that lis new proposal had the support if Mayor Hoan, who sharply critiised the non-partisans voting igainst the previous appropriation vhich was to have come out of the Council's contingent fund...
...However, we would betray the interests of our members and prove ourselves false to our : ideals were we to accept as an officer of the union one who had : turned traitor and had carried on a vicious fight with the help of ] enemies of labor against the mem- , bers of our organization...
...Capitalists Staked Money On Hitler, Trial Reveals BREMEN...
...Immediately after the crash It was charged that considerable sums of money had been given to the Swastika cause while wages and working conditions of ths Nordwolle workers were drastically lowered snd the owners indulged in phantastic luxuries...
...On the same day, I addressed the convention of the United Hatters and greeted them •s fellow-members of the new International Union...
...The injunction was granted on the complaint of the Brotherhood that the company violated the NRA code which gives employees the right to organize and bargain collectively "through representatives of their own choosing, free from interference, restraint and coercion.'' Because of the injunction, the company was forced to call off a meeting to make the Association of Employees of the Edison Company the official voice of its workmen...
...The Brotherhood of Edison Employees, according to Jerome Count, its attorney, is an industrial union not yet ready for affiliation with the A. F. of L., but determined to forgo ahead as representative of the Edison employees...
...There are eleven Socialists in th< Argentine Congress...
...It is contended that the Moscow broadcasts are extremely offensive to the new German regime and that the assembling of people for such purposes constitutes a danger to the welfare of the Third Reich...
...We feel that I the responsibility for the breakdown of the amalgamation plans i rests on the heeds of the officers i of the United Hatters...
...NAZI LABOR POLICY The Social-Demokraten of Stockholm reports that in the last week of September the chairman of all the Nazi trade groups at the waterfronts of Hamburg and Altona, 48 in number were simultaneously put under arrest...
...When he was removed from of™*> this person left our organiza¦°» and did everything in his Jj°wtr, in alliance with enemies of ~* trade union movement, tc *ask down anion conditions wor *t the millinery workers in oui ™*>n over a period of years...
...and WHEREAS, Morris Hillquit, throughout his public career of a half a century, contributed generously and constructively of his great gifts to the cause of the workers as industrial adviser, speaker, writers and peerless defender before judicial tribunals...
...We are anxious to bring about i the amalgamation of our Interna- i tionals...
...Concentration Camps for German Radio Fans PARIS.—The police authorities of Frankfurt-on-Main announce strong measures against radio owners who make it a practice to invite friends to their houses and listen jointly to the Moscow broadcasts...
...Even in the years of depression the company increased its dividends and added to the surpluses...
...Certified illness is not cause foi dismissal under the law, snd ii event of such illness, full salarie must be paid for from three to si: months, depending upon the timi of service...
...LOUIS.—The City Mayor of 1 Richmond Heights, a suburb of St...
...N. Y. Central Labor Union Mourns Hillquit •THE Central Trades and Labor * Council of Greater New York, the largest central labor body in the United States, passed the following resolution of sorrow at the passing of Morris Hillquit at its last meeting: WHEREAS, In the death of Morris Hillquit the organized labor movement of America has lost one of its staunchest adherents and life-long supporters...
...Our convention, expressing the Will of the entire membership, approved the agreement in good faith, adopted the constitution for the new International Union, and ratified the amalgamation...
...Two months ago, at the begir ning of the bakery workers' cam paign, John Pippan, former seen tary of the Italian Socialist Fed eration, was killed, presumably b gangsters who were trying t "muscle in" on the union...
...As soon ss ths organization is firmly established, they plan to ap» ply for affiliation with th« I. I* O, W. TJ...
...The Hitler movement, however, succeeded In hushing up and postponing the trial which had undoubtedly resulted in a tremendous setback to Hitlor's dictatorial aspirations...
...WHEN the convention of the Cloth Hat, Cap and Millinery Workers' International Union opened Monday, October jUith, concurrently with the convention of the United Hatters of (North America, it was taken for granted that before the convention adjourned our delegates and the delegates of the United Hatten would have held a joint session to amalgamate our International with the United Hatters...
...These radio owners and their friends will be sent to concentretion camp« Hoan's Housing Plan Moves Forward jPHE $1,500,000 slum clearance * and low cost municipal housing >roject, advocated by Mayor Daniel N. Hoan, of Milwaukee, and the lousing commission appointed by lim, which received a setback when L2 non-partisan Aldermen voted igainst an appropriation of $2,500 ¦o prepare preliminary plans, was evived when the Common Count's joint committee on finance and inemployment unanimously apiroved a resolution by Socialist Vlderman August W. Strehlow for naking this appropriation out of lie city's special unemployment und...
...When confronted with those figures, Karl Lahusen declsred that the amounts actually were much higher...
...want to make it clear thai !SP*t no quarrel with the Unit* and that ths Interests nJ the members of both unions would ' best be served through amalgamation...
...It is desirable that regardless of whether or not there is an official merger, all the workers in the millinery industry will be in one union because there is no room for two unions...
...Their names were not mentioned...
...All that the conventions of the two separate bodies was supposed to do was to idopt a constitution previously igreed upon at conferences between the officers of the two Interpationals...
...The Brotherhood of Edison Employees have been granted a temporary injunction which prevents the powerful utility from interfering, as they have been doing, by means of coercion and intimidation, with the Brotherhood...
...Pippan wife continued the fight in h stead, and the union brought I Severino Polio, a meWtber of executive committee of the Mi waukee Socialist Party, as ton porsry organizer...
...The joint statement over the Signatures of the international officers of both organizations, announcing the amalgamation agreement and giving details, was incorporated in the official report of the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor to the 1933 convention...
...BREAD DRIVERS WIN RECOGNITIOf CHICAGO.—The Italien Bree Drivers' League, an Industrie union of bakery employees, ha won recognition from employer after two months of intensive oi ganization work, carried on pri marily by picketing and the dli tribution of handbills...
...Oui convention voted unanimualy thai mdtt no circumstances could oui •tttlaatlon accept as an offlcei *™ "*»» who had betrayed oui ¦Son...
...A hearing upon the application for a permanent Injunction will be held Monday.] It seems that the Edison Company will have to learn to concede the workers a living wage, though it may mean smaller dividends for the company...
...The New York Edison paid 10 per cent dividends in 1932 as compared with K.O per cent in 1929, while the average family bill was $100.20 as compared with $97.80 in September 1929...
...The new international anion was to take in the 50,000 workers employed in the men's and Women's hat industries...
...On the death of th employee, the heirs have the righ to an indemnity...
...Our delegates were addressed by Presiiient Greene and Secretary Lawlor, Who brought a message of fraternal greetings and expressed gratification that the amalgamation was so close at hand...
Vol. 16 • November 1933 • No. 19
