Unemployed Union Launches Attack On Relief Problem Along Three Fronts
Unemployed Union Launches Attack On Relief Problem Along Three Fronts Suit Started to Compel City to Spend $3,000,000 More; Demands on Municipal, State and Federal Governments Outlined;...
...Public Rallies to Support of Low Paid Help, Challenging Movie ^ Monopoly in Small Town Iy Louis Yacjoda Tired of the dilly-dallying of the management of the A>ur Warner Theatres in this town-puts one in Red Lion and disgusted by the shilly-shallying of the labor department, employes have gone out on strike against low wages and long hours...
...When the union started a couple of months ago, the most prominent member was fired...
...We started negotiations with all the'alphabetical combinations of the government, with no result...
...None of this sum, claim the petitioners, has been expended by the City of New York for the relief for which it was collected...
...When the management stubbornly refused to hire members of Local 4 (stage hands' union) the party swung into action...
...Warner's "labor adviser" met the union committee and said no to everything, offering them an elaborately worded agreement which said nothing but assured the workers of the friendly relations existing between employer and employes...
...The shifts were staggered so that many earn six and eight dollars a week...
...The union then issued a statement setting a definite date for a conference or a strike would result...
...William Sontage, Charles Kennerlang...
...Comrade William Karlin, attorney for the union, showed that there had been no force, violence, threats or intimidation and insisted that it was the business of the magistrate only to determine whether the strikers were violating section 722 of the penal law...
...After getting the "run around" for a week, they were informed no committee would be spoken to...
...They poued as customers, changing their clothes in the theatre and then sneaking out to buy tickets again, but the public was on to that trick...
...As long as you simply try to win our members and not organize the great mass of the unorganized, you are holding back united action...
...The city, through Mayor LaGuardia and Comptroller McGoldrlck, must show cause before a Supreme Court Justice on Friday, May 18, why it should not "t>e compelled to spend immediately the money it has collected...
...When we have done that then we can approach the United front as an honest joining of forces and wo can have tremendoua city-wide and local united actions...
...The few who had been earning more of course had their wages reduced to that figure as soon as the code was approved...
...But before the strike could be called Mrs...
...The union members were arrested and tried before Magistrate Thomas A. Aurelio, who held that they were carrying on an illegal secondary boycott and that their conduct might lead to a breach of peace...
...Indignant at the refusal of the mayor to grant public hearings before the Board of Estimate on relief appropriations, the four organizations of unemployed and CWA r—--workers met in a conference of Greenwich House...
...Comrade Weinfeld, Lemchick and Salt/man were in charge of the open air meetings...
...A victory < party is being held Friday night (May 18) at the cen, ter, 1118 Brighton Beanh Avenue, with dancing and rolseshments fret...
...A parade was held Saturday which aroused much interest...
...Comrade Lasser is chairman and Saul Parker, organizer...
...Then came the St rise...
...Citing the history of past attempts at united fronts, the letter concludes: •> "We mention this past history to show that we have worked sincerely for real united fronts...
...Local 306 refused to send its men into the theatre, and branch members were out every night distributing literature, picketing and holding open air meetings outside the theatre...
...So can we...
...The order served on the Mayor and Comptroller explains that when the Utilities Tax was passed last October 14th by the O'Brien administration, a state of emergency was declared to exist in regard to the more than 100.000 families on home relief and a like number on work relief in New York City at that time...
...The branch recommends constant participation in local industrial disputes as a means not only of helping the workers but nr-¦ ™ ^ »'¦ also of building membership morale...
...Leader to help hsuM R. BRANCH CELEBRATES MOVIE UNION'S VICTORY The strike against the Oceana Theatre in Brooklyn has been practically won and union officials declare that much of the credit belongs to the Brighton" Beach branch of the Socialist Party...
...The demands call for $15 n week home relief for a family of two with $3 n week for each additional dependent, and a minimum of $20 a week for work relief...
...Last September, the petitioners declare, applications made for home relief were at the rate of 900 each day, while this month they have increased to 1900 each day...
...The emergency utilities tax, which ran from September 1, 1933, to February 28, 1934, called for the payment to the comptroller by companies operating under the public service commission, of a tax of l'/i'X upon their gross monthly incomes...
...She promised the union to arrange a conference and asked to hold off the strike...
...The Workers Unemployment Insurance Bill HR7598 was endorsed and will be supported...
...Today, the petition reads, quoting from a public statement of Or...
...About 200 delegates from a considerable number of CWA projects in addition to unemployed delegates were registered for the conference...
...Crowds of sympathizers stand around the theatres, without solicitation by the strikers, and boo those who attempt to go in...
...Eastern Conference to Plan Gathering to Push Unemployment Insurance None Used for Relief AN attack on the unemployment problem from three fronts has Been started by the Workers Unemployed Union and the joint committee of unemployed and oiganizations of which it is a part...
...With their living standards so miserably low, it is treason to these unemployed to spend time simply trying to break urf*p.ach other's organizations...
...John L. Rice, Commissioner of Health, the situation has been intensified by an increase of 100,000 families on relief rolls, with over 150,000 additional families requiring but not receiving unemployment relief and that "such condition is thereby inimical to the public health and welfare of the residents of New York...
...On one front, the Workers Unemployed Union, through Oavid Last-er, its chairman, has instituted a suit against the city of New York to compel it to expend for unemployment relief more than $3,000,000 collected by a utilities tax deaigned for that purpose...
...When some of them began carrying signs upholding the Warners, the crowd became enraged and "requested" the discontinuance of this practice to such good effect that the police, in the interest of public safety, helped the scabs get out of town...
...You can win tens of thousands of unemployed to your banners if you concentrate on the job of organization...
...On the third front an Eastern conference of unemployed and CWA groups is planned for the week end of July 1st to prepare for a national conference in the fall, to make demands for adequate relief and for the passage of the Workers Unemployment Insurance Bill upon the federal government...
...The united front of locals "below 14th Street only" petitioned for by the Communist unemployed councils was rejected in a detailed letter explaining how the council's demands were in many cases less favorable to unemployed than those of the Workers Unemployed Union...
...The petitioners declare that "the failure of the respondents, the mayor and the comptroller, to cause to be applied, expended and disposed of, such revenues collected pursuant to the aforesaid local law, is in violation of their official duties as mayor and comptroller...
...Editor's Note—The letter of rejection is a classic and we Urge all interested in united fronts to get a copy of it...
...Rose Forrester was sent in by the Labor Department...
...and Joseph Carmen have therefore been discharged...
...This contention was upheld by the appelate court...
...There are a million unemployed in New York City to organize...
...The Warner monopoly, on the other hand, enables the theatres to charge as high as 40 cent» for a second run picture...
...The management imported professional strikebreakers...
...Max Reissner, business agent, states that the picketing is being conducted in connection with it8 union fight against Ukor in an effort to compel that firm to employ union labor to produce kosher delicatessen.* The Ukor is a subsidiary of the United Dressed Beef Company, which in turn is a subsidiary of Swift 4k Co...
...The /union was given no other answer...
...BUTCHER UNION WINS REVERSAL ON THREE CONVICTIONS The conviction of three members of Butchers Union Local 174 for picketing a delicatessen store with signs proclaiming the fact that it sold non-union made products has been reversed by the appelate term of the court of special sessions...
...Then tha boys and girls decidea to attempt to deal with Warner Bros...
...At the same time, a conference of unemployed and CWA groups (including the League of Office and Professional Employes, the Association of Civil Works Employes and the Association of Unemployed Single Women, in addition to the Workers Unemployed Union) adopted on Tuesday, May 15, a program of demands upon city, state and nation which it will carry on by practical action...
...That afternoon, Warner Bros, inserted large ads in the local newspapers for positions as ushers, doormen, etc...
...The theatre help were getting code wages of 25 cents an hour...
...And as soon as you come to look upon the united front as an honest uniting of organizations for common demands and not as a 'strategic maneuver,' as your Communist handbooks tell you to do, then we can really unite...
...The total amount of this tan received by the city is $3,109,340.01...
...Despite attempts to arrest and otherwise intimidate them, and the breaking up of several meetings, they continued the fight, inspired by a labor com mil tec including Jack Kaye, Sam Schwurtz, Al Meyer, Natalie Schwartz, Edna Seligman, Sophie Weisberg, Anne Posner and Bertha Bass, and aided by the Brighton Yipsels...
...They were referred to District Manager Schlesinger of Philadelphia...
...fl* Local 4 was more than pleased by the cooperation of the branch and several joined the party as a result...
...Spurred by public support, which cut business at the theatres about 80 percent, the inexperienced ushers, doormen, sweepers and cashiers are conducting a fine demonstration of labor solidarity...
...They fell for it...
...and how a united front must be city-wide rather than neighborhood and must be based on honesty and good faith...
...The Workers Unemployed Union is a city-wide organization of unemployed and CWA workers with 34 locals in New York City located in settlement houses, churches and libraries with a regular membership of over 10,000 workers...
...The results were one more week of fares to Philadelphia...
...f Do two things, build the Socialist Party and gat suae far The New...
Vol. 17 • May 1934 • No. 20
