Unemployed Organizations in Illinois, New York And California Carry on Battle for the Jobless

...Seve r a l new locals a r e in t h e process of o r g a n i z a t i o n and will soon hold t h e i r first meetings...

...Several hundred w o r k e r s heard and a p p r o v e d the d e n u n c i a t i o n of the relief s y s t em and the c i t y ' s knowtowing to t he b a n k e r s . They cheered the deleg a t i o n which p r e s e n t e d d e m a n d s to t h e s u p e r v i s o r for t r a n s m i s s i o n to t h e relief a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , and t h e g r i e v a n c e s for immediate a t t e n tion...

...When C o m r a d e J . M e h n h a r d t , national •orpanizev of the Amalgamated Meat Cutter & Butcher Workmen, who succeeded in org a n i z i n g .'100 butcher workers, t r i e d to s t a r t negotiations with t h e bosses, he wa< t h r o w n out at first, as p r e v i o u s l y reported...

...The locals of t h e W o r k e r s ' Unemployed Union a r e a c t i v e l y engaged in b u i l d i n g t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n , through s t r e e t meetings, leaflets, etc...

...The association s p e a k e r s got c i t y managers and officials to condemn the State E m e r g e n c y Relief Administration p l a n s a s i n a d e q u a t e and to propose a d d i t i o n a l means of c a r i n g for u n employed...

...Organi z e r s find allocations pitifully below even a minimum s t a n d a r d of decency—less t h a n a dollar a week per person is common in many I l l i n o i s c o u n t i e s . Aggressive locals in La Salle, F r a n k l i n , Christian, Macoupin and o t h e r counties h a v el been p a r t i a l l y successful in r a i s i ng r e l i e f s t a n d a r d s . O r g a n i z a t i o n work is s p r e a d i n g to K a n e , Kendall, WillI r o q u o i s and L i v i n g s t o n counties...

...The c a s e s were a t t e n d e d to on t h e spot, o n e worker receiving her food ticket before she left t he b u r e a u despite the " r u l e " that t i c k e t s could be delivered only in t h e w o r k e r s ' homes...

...We a r e not out to clash with Unemployed Councils, n o r a r e we i n t e r e s t e d in i n f l u e n c i n g groups at present in t h e i r s t a t e and n a t i o n a l groups...

...IWA l e a d e r s feel s t r o n g l y that jobless g r o u p s must stop supporting Republican politicians h e r e a nd Democratic politicians there, but launch a d e t e r m i n e d fight for t he specific o b j e c t i v e s of t h e j o b l e s s at t h i s time...

...Groups a r e v i s i t e d or c o n t a c t e d af t h e i r own r e q u e s t , not t h r o u g h a ny plan of " c a p t u r i n g ' ' locals...

...It a i m s to b r i n g t h e unemployed and t h e workers t o g e t h e r into one org a n i z a t i o n . It h a s friendly relat i o n s with organized labor, and sends f r a t e r n a l delegates to Alameda County C e n t r a l Labor Council...

...Evictions on a mass s c a l e b e g a n to t a k e place but t h e decision t o withhold rent was r e voked after t h e d e t e r m i n e d prot e s t of t h e u n e m p l o y e dat every relief station...

...asked for a conference with org a n i z e r Mehnhardt and proved w i l l i n g to recognize the right of t h e wqrkers ,u> organize...

...At all t i m e s t h e association has a committee at c o u n t y relief headq u a r t e r s to aid the unemployed...

...Building Service Employees Demand End of Slavery E n a c t m e n t of a blanket code to cover the employees of the real e s t a t e industry...

...All the l o c a l s of the W o r k e r s' Unemployed Unjon also a r e c a r r y i n g on a c a m p a i g n for t h e p a s s a ge of the W o r k e r s ' Unemployment I n s u r a n c e Bill, introduced by Repr e s e n t a t i v e Lundeen of Minnesota...

...A postcard campaign is in full swing, in which the members a re g e t t i n g friends and s y m p a t h i z e r* to write c a r d s t o t h e i r C o n g r e s s men c a l l i n g on them to sign t he p e t i t i o n which alone can b r i n g t he bill out of the House Committee on Labor, which is t r y i n g to squelch the bill, and on to t h e floor of the House...

...S u p p l e m e n t a r y relief for all f a m i l i e s which have an income equal to the food budget of t he given family h a s been cut off...

...i n e x c u s a b l e d i s c r i m i n a t i o n is t a k i ng p l a c e in t o w n a f t e r town...

...Chicago jobless units are still g e t t i n g from two to five times g r e a t e r relief allocations than the o u t s t a t e communities...

...T h e necessity of o r g a n i z a t i on a n d s t r u g g l e a r e made more obvious by such achievements...

...One C o n g r e s s m an h a s a l r e a d y answered t h a t he h a s signed the p e t i t i o n and will supp o r t it when it comes u p . The constant pressure of t he W a s h i n g t o n Heights local of t he WUU on t h e d i s t r i c t alderman, E l i a s H. J a c o b s , has r e s u l t e d in his p r e s e n t a t i o n of a plan f o r , t he unemployed which adopts the d e mands of t h e W U U ' p r e s e n t e d * r e p e a t e d l y to him by delegations elected by t h e local...

...Cash r e lief is s o u g h t to cover adequate help to all jobless r e g a r d l e s s of color, creed, s e x o r p o l i t i c al opinion...

...The b u t c h e r workers of Arbogart & Bastian in Allen'own, who s t r u ck May 3. h a v e won t h e i r fust b a t t le since the e x i s t e n c e of their union...

...This, the IWA l e a d e r s point out, is not due to the work of Cook County's cori u p t p o l i t i c i a n s at Springfield and W a s h i n g t o n , but d u e to t h e mass o r g a n i z a t i o n and m i l i t a n c y of t he Chicago W o r k e r s ' Committee, an IWA member group...

...The c a s e is before the regional labor board, which, however, t h e firm doesn't r e c o g n i z e . BERKELEY, Cal.—Under Soc i a l i s t l e a d e r s h i p , more than 500 unemployed and w o r k e r s have org a n ized themselves into the Calif o r n i a W o r k e r s ' Association...

...Unemployed Organizations in Illinois, New York And California Carry on Battle for the Jobless IWA Pushes Militant Program on Coast for Genuine Relief and New Social Order By Paul Rasmussen CHICAGO...

...For a period all r e n t p a y m e n t s in t h e c i ty were stopped...

...Denials of r e n t , c l o t h i n g , fuel, i c e, e l e c t r i c , g a s a n d w a t e r bills—even p r o p e r medical c a r e — a r c common...

...All forms of work relief a r e o p posed, even t o t h e p o i n t of f o r m i ng picket lines a s w a s done e a r l y this month in M t . Olive a n d C a r l i n v i l le in s o u t h e r n Illinois...

...This is t h e policy g u i d i n g the work of t he s e c r e t a r y and t h e field o r g a n i z e r. The cold and b r u t a l a t t i t u d e of t h e " n ew d e a l " a d m i n i s t r a t i o n at W a s h i n g t o n in calmly reclaiming t h e t e m p o r a r y " s o u p b o n e " that had been t h r o w n t o t h e w o r k e r s in t h e f o rm of CWA h a s caused intense r e s e n t m e n t . Workers throughout t h e s t a t e a r e w a k i n g u p to t h e f a ct t h a t l a r g e r and m o r e militant orAllentown Butchers Win Union Recognition By W a l t e r Wenderich A L L E N T 0 W N, Pa...

...Support The New L e a d e r Labor S e c t i o n ! Pass It nn to your n e i g h b o r...

...In almost every case the committ e e h a s forced t h e w e l f a r e officials j to extend relief and h a s obtained back p a y f o r CWA w o r k e r s . The o r g a n i z a t i o n is "non-part i s a n , " but s u p p o r t s a class-conscious p r o g r a m . It is headed by George W. G r a y d o n , a Socialist, himself one of t h e unemployed...

...The downtown locals of the W o r k e r s ' Unemployed Union held a j o i n t d e m o n s t r a t i o n at t h e S p r i ng and Elizabeth S t s . home relief b u r e a u on Monday...

...New members a r e c o m i n g in a t t h e r a te of 15 to 20 a d a y . A m i l i t a n t fight is being waged to force county w e l f a r e officials to i n c r e a s e relief, a n d for f r e e medical service...

...in view of t he chaotic conditions, inhuman hours and s t a r v a t i o n wages among t he b u i l d i n g service employees was demanded at a recent mass meeting of Local .12-11 of the Ruilding Service Emplyoees Inturnational Uniun (A...

...S w e e p i n g county a f t e r c o u n t y with \ t s m i l i t a n t prog r am of r e a l relief and a changed social order, t h e I l l i n o i s Workers Alliance, a s t a t e w i d e f e d e r a t i o n of j o b l e s s g r o u p s , h a s n ow g r o w n to an a f f i l i a t e d and c h a r t e r e d s t r e n g th of 66 l o c a l s . A s t a t e convention h a s been called f o r l a t e in J u l y . A p e r m a n e n t p r o g r am and o r g a n i z a t i o n will be r a t i f i e d and officers elected...

...As a r e s u l t of t h i s activity, a m e e t i n g was h e ld recently in Berkeley of the L e a g u e of California M u n i c i p a l i t i e s , representing seve r a l scores of c i t i e s . The associat i o n sat in with the city repres e n t a t i v e s as t h e only r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s of labor...

...LA CROSSE, Wis.—Led by t he United Federal Rubber Workers' Union, 1500 employes of t h e La Crosse Rubber Mills Co...

...But the b u t c h e r s taught their s t u b b o r n meat barons a lesson: u n i t e d t h e y were ready to tight for t h e i r r i g h t s . S t r i k e b r e a k e r s were not to be h a d . The firm gave in...

...Occupancy of u n h e a l t h y, d a r k , damp basements was inexcusable, in view of t h e l a r g e number of vacant a p a r t m e n t s , it was pointed o u t . Comrade Amicus Most, o r g a n i z e r of ttje T a x i c a b D r i v e r s Union, made a s t i r r i n g address on t he need for o r g a n i z a t i o n of t h e b u i l d i n g service employees of New York City...

...a r e on s t r i k e for r e c o g n i t i o n , a 10% i n c r e a s e , a 50 cent hourly minimum and other conditions...

...If a family has a n income sufficient f o r food ( a s t h e relief bureau det e r m i n e s ) , the f a m i l y will get no h e l p for r e n t , l i g h t s , g a s , e t c . T h e d i s t r i b u t i o n of c l o t h i n g has been c u t . A g a i n s t these and o t h e r grievances a g a i n s t the relief system, t h e r e can be n o effective answer except t h e d e t e r m i n e d s t r u g g l e of t h e organized unemployed...

...Jobless l e a d e r s from Wisconsin a n d Missouri will be i n v i t ed t o a p p e a r. Oscar S t u r m of S t a u n t o n , I W A s e c r e t a r y a n d l e a d e r of t h e unemployed, r e p o r t s being swamped with r e q u e s t s for s p e a k e r s ^ a n d informat i o n , while field workers report g r e a t i n t e r e s t in o r g a n i z a t i o n a l o ng t h e m i l i t a n t and common sense lines of t h e I W A . Relief conditions a r e bad...

...The Workers—in all d e p a r t m e n t s ret u r n e d to t h e i r j o b s . Negotiations a r e being c a r r i e d on to s e t t l e the demands o f ' t h e workers with respect to a l i v i n g wage, b e t t e r working c o n d i t i o n s , e t c . A s a t i s f a c t o ry Result is expected in t h e near future...

...F . of L . ) . • The 1,(100 members of t h e union h e a r d "war d e c l a r e d " tfgainst the p r a c t i c e of l a n d l o r d s ' compelling s u p e r i n t e n d e n t s and other employer** to live in basement a p a r t ments...

...f g a n i z a t i o n previous to a n d d u r i ng t h e CWA m i g h t have enabled t h em to hang on to t h a t s y s t em a s an immediate g a i n. Cash Relief Demanded The p r o g r am of t h e I W A calls for close cooperation with farmer and t r a d e union groups...

...The Regional Labor Hoard r e c e n t l y , on c o m p l a i n t of t h e union, o r d e r e d the r e i n s t a t e m e n t of Will i am F r a z i e r , a watchman, p o r t er and elevator o p e r a t o r employed by t h e 250 W e s t 3»th S t r e e t Building, on the g r o u n d of illegal d i s c h a r g e. It also ruled t h a t his h o u r s be 48 i n s t e a d of 84, a n d t h a t back p ay be given him since last J u n e for all t h e o v e r t i m e he worked in excess of 4H h o u r s . The union it c i t i n g this decision In i t s a p p e a l to workers to line up w i t h It...

...S i m i l a r g r o u p s a r e b e i n g o r g a n ized in o t h e r sections of the B a y a r e a . One of t h e s e , t h e Alameda County Road Workers' Association, recently expelled members who a r e L e g i o n n a i r e s or a c t i v e in t h e Democratic P a r t y. WUU Points Out Need for Increasing Group's Strength in Order to Win Demands By Saul Parker While t h e f u n d s for the unemployed a r e tied u p by t h e " l i t e r a l " a d m i n i s t r a t i o n of New York City, r e l i e f is r a p i d l y reaching a crisis c o m p a r a b l e to t h e s i t u a t i o n under t h e T a m m a n y regime...

...No "Capturing" Policy The s t a t e office has a d o p t e d t he f o l l o w i n g policy t o w a r d s Commun i s t and CP-controlled groups: While a C o m m u n i s t dominated unit is not e l i g i b l e for affiliation, this does not e x c l u d e g r o u p s which m a y h a v e individual CP m e m b e r s on t h e i r m e m b e r s h i p roll...