MILL STRIKE HOLDS FORT FOR UNION
Manning, Frank J.
Mill Strike Holds Fort For Union Organization of Labor in 0Ttjxtik Industry at Stake ^-RfJief Imperative ... By Frank J. Manning strgWiBEDFOKD. Mass-.—The desperate -straggle here of 27.000...
...Finally they drew up a petition which was handed directly to the management This was refused, and workers were told to present grievances through their "representatives...
...Moreover, ft to praeticlly certain that if the tax records are investigated It will be found ^that many who attended" trie May Day meeting cannot themselves make their personal property square with the returns they have made...
...On May 24 Herman began a speaking and organizing trip in other parts of the state On May 24 he spoke at Sandstone and May 25 at Askov...
...Moose Lake...
...Friday, June 8, St...
...Sunday, May 27, Duluth: Monday, May 28, Duluth...
...Sunday, June f Brainerd...
...Minister Who Aided Miners Under Arrest Ohio Babbitts Trump Up Charge Against W. Walter Ludwig, University Instructor JJAYTON, OHIO.n-Ia the struggle of the Ohio miners to prevent their taking to lower levels of economic distress there has developed a case of dais malice that is simply amazing Over In Athens, the home of the Ohio University, on the edge of the Hocking Valey which produced a civil war in the ?arly 'eighties as a result of mine owner* mploying Pinkertons in a big strike, an iffort is being made to "get" two men a*os* offense is that they have helped he miners In their struggle...
...Saturday, June 9, Anoka...
...The Textile Mills Com-, data* (the Communist group) have MM to make any headway here with it exception of the Portugese element, ptawst, they are fast toeing their hold II these people...
...Ludwig and Maurer have been 'ery sympathetic with the strikers of Whom there are 11,000 .in the county...
...By midnight the plant was deserted save for a small managerial force who had to peel off coats and tend the furnaces...
...Word flashed through the immense plant and group by group,t mei»_dropped tools, deserted stills, grabbedarunch baskets and joined the stream of strikers...
...Thursday, May 31, Bemldji...
...The only inference an observer h draw h' that this small but wealthy ¦ts* of troglodytes hope to starve the abate fatto submission...
...Company thug* rode through strikers' rank*, injuring scofet...
...Other jobs were wiped out, "and the worE given men already -loaded up with all they could handle...
...The Textile Council Bt tasagurkted a series of special meetjaB where expert organizers address the litters to the Portugese language...
...papers...
...Their kadi methods of denunciation and senaaaaaejata have set the entirs comIftrtaV against them...
...Should he be unable to come an attempt to engage Congressman Victor L. Berger will be made...
...win p aaed to help some family fight off at Oaniaon enemy...
...Moreover most of them that defeat in this struggle means fcilthathm and future reduction...
...It is none the less a nasi conflict between labor and capital pt (hp late of textile imjutn^ni at : When the facts are understood one resaWs what an achievement is was for a* unkm to hold together even 7.000 (jpuusrd men and women...
...New Bedford Textile Council at *dxth weekly mass meeting heard Wit droBSwaith, organizer of the PuUIh Porters Union and SoHahst leadr- Be took the assembled strikers by **bl Aa he was leaving the building, ' kmd demonstration of cheering f ol'•eathkn...
...tSey may be fooled this time...
...His schedule as thus far completed runs into June and includes the following cities and towns: Saturday...
...Into the picture steps a former president of the sUb-distrlct of the Ohio miners, a man by the name of Daugh3fty...
...The city now owns a building at Moss and Bern streets which has practically aB the heavy machinery needed...
...In 1815'workers struck fof to day* for a 16 per1 cent, increase...
...Mass-.—The desperate -straggle here of 27.000 underpaid IcftSe workers has not received much' Bngntoenc* in newspapers outside of Hew Bedford, because, at yet, no violence has seen place...
...The Local organized In Minneapolis has already doubled its membership and It is preparing to hold a big picnic in June...
...2,200 oil workers, goaded to desperation by successive wage cuts and speed-up struck in a wave that started with 55 men employed on crude stills...
...Why we do not even own a vaive-grmding nmchlne, despite the fact that the city owns upward to 90 pieces of motor equipment counting fire apparatus...
...The company has a bloody history of labor oppression on Constable Hook...
...Monday, June 4, Crosby...
...Thursday, June 7, Westport...
...I am satisfied that we could save money and promote efficiency if we had the proper machinery Installed to a modern shop...
...popular strike leader, asked ¦a* present how many 6f tneni would ke to ^ have Comrade Crosswaith return * a monster outdoor meeting...
...It is said that aa a result of the unusual action taken hi Ludwig'j ease quit* a number of people have proceeded to tin auditor's office to correct discrepancies between their returns arid what'the'} really possess...
...In 1918 another bloody strike occurred...
...It is probable that petitions to place Socialist Party electors will not be circulated till after the primary elections which take place June 19...
...Conditions are now favorable for organization and a good number of votes should be cast for Thomas and Maurer in November...
...John D. Jr.'s republic of labor was stripped of all Its benevolence within 24 hours...
...JUooks like a long fight...
...These people here R not quitters...
...On the whole, the leader¦tip here is to be congratulated for Skat they have accomplished under exSatag conditions...
...This union has been apJJJW to for donations of bread...
...A man handling five stills was assigned eight more...
...Emil Herman Tour Through Minnesota Covers 14 Towns MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.—Work of organizing the Socialist Party in Minnesota is more encouraging that was anticipated when the National Office sent Emil Herman into the state a few weeks ago...
...The raanuaeaVren have retired to then- own pease*- attoOaphere and are as silent pa Mr servant in the White House, and I Sutler by name and butter by nave...
...There is little doubt that the charge against Ludwig grows out of his sympathetic aid ,to the miners...
...The terror was so rampant that a Socialist organization could not function...
...BoTsheviks?^ bawled quite a number of the gentlemen, in reply...
...I am how studying the budget and hope* to "prepare a plan fbt financing and maintaining a shop' of out own.'* John D. Plant In Bayonne Hit By Strike "Labor Utopia" in Oil Plant Shattered by Spontaneous 'Rebellion of Men Bayonne, N. J.—Another strike' has 5.*v.t'n out in J:.l:n D. Rockefeller Jr.'s "Republic o*f Labor" in the Tide Water Oil plant...
...It is jaeult'to organize workers under suet skauBMtances, Further, the textile bassgt here practice the cruel system of itsriaus, suspending those active in oryantpg and using other methods to terianhe those who take an active part Si sBtonism...
...h* Obnnnunisbj hare found a situate acre entirely diffsreit than in Pas9k...
...Maurer declared tbat be is still ooking forward to the day when all of the many pieces of equipment owned, by the city will be repaired and conditioned in a modern central plant owned by the city...
...Batty was the Hpnisa'iatf- Be told of encouraging aid received "to outside sources and urged the Bulk's-to hold nrm...
...m contribution sent now to the New Mfcrd Textile Council Strike Relief, I b. Box 57...
...Tuesday, June . S, Battle Lake...
...a well-organized union...
...This includes the forfeiting ef all rights to company benefits, such at sickness benefits, death benefits, group insurance, vacations with pay And pension eligibility based oa continuous service.'' Hisses, boos and Jeers swept strikers' ranks as the manager's ultimatum was read to them, crowded into a barn-like Bayonne meeting hall "The plant will rot before we return, unless our petition is granted", shouted one striker...
...This is not the kind of BUY upon which they thrive...
...representatives of he Tseng People's Socialist League and Ta»' mill workers Here are mostly rib, Scotch, Irish, Portugese, French Nab...
...Uving...
...Secretary Batty of the Tex•e ^buncH...
...Seere¦* ftftlsman said that the Unibn would ¦"bably make.daily donations of bread •"the strikers after his report had been «*Wtted...
...eretary-Trea*urer Relstaxtt' of the Mfch Bakers Union of Boston has arM'fa New Bedford to investigate reT conditions...
...May Day was chosen for a meeting of the business and professional men at Athens for a meeting at which about 700 attended...
...May 26...
...NeW Bedford, Mass...
...The sty of the fantastic promises held out Bf| Communists is being revealed tc ¦anand they are beginning to appre¦se that ttto union is their real friend aft to* hope of a Decent...
...Managers snarled and issued ultimatums One paragraph/ read: "Employes are reminded that absence from doty sob jests them to discharge...
...Wesley Maurer is Associate Professor of Journalism and city and district editor pf the "Messenger", the only daily paper to the wunty...
...John D Jr.'s company union meets quarterly...
...Tuesday, May 29, Cloquet...
...Karl H. Porter, who has the power to bind the defendant over to the grand jury and if it returns an indictment it means a (possible one tc ten years in the penitentiary...
...Works council has been a bad joke, strikers charged...
...He has gohe over to the other side and is working with the business Interests to end the strike...
...In the first place, the "workers' representatives" are stuffed shirts for the company...
...Their W« one Involving their hopes for a Wit future...
...Formerly they were fed chicken, but at the last dinner fish was the high spot "Workers' representatives" were quite disgusted at this evidence of the company's economy program Workers in twtf other Standard NOil plants at Bayonne, situated across the harbor from New York, have Republics of Labor, but they are never allowed to get together...
...support of tit sinkers by the community and the sag...
...a" is dear that only hunger threatens at Workers' success This can be avoid* oy the help of Labor and its friends...
...Friday, June 1, Bagley...
...the county...
...Final appeal is to the board of directors, but no wage questions has ever ascended to the board...
...Ohio University is a state subsidised nstltutibh and its Director of Religious Instruction is W. Walter Ludwig, a young Methodist minister...
...At the last meeting, "workers representatives* failed to present a single request, although the men were on the verge of using the most drastic action they knew to gain demands...
...The date has been set tentatively for June 24 in the hope of having Norman Thomas as the speaker...
...Wednesday, June 6, Fergus Falls...
...And anyway, the management has veto power over an decisions...
...Wage Cots Attacked Then speaker after speaker mounted the rostrum and detailed grievances of unorganized workers in every department "Scientific wage reduction" the management calls it But It's just plain speedup and starvation wages to Standard Oil's' workers whe nprocess men are transferred to laborer's wages while other men are forced to take process jobs at lower wages...
...Ludwig and Maurer were present and asked a number of questions regarding the purposes of a fund which wad to be raised at the meeting which brought hostile cries from .Uhe audience...
...Satur lay,, June 2, Pequot...
...A number of these cities and towns had very active locals of the party before the United States entered the World War but Minnesota received a huge installment of Wilson "democracy...
...Arrest Follows In the evening of the following day Ludwig was arrested on a charge of perjury on the ground that he had failed to make-a personal property tax return in March, 1927, on his automobile, but had sworn in December, 1927, when taking out his auto license, that he had made the tax return The charge was made before a Justice of the Peace...
...Wages, hours and conditions are hot subjects of discussion...
...For years the city has been milked by excessive charges made by numerus repair firms and it is the intention of the Socialists to stop this leak and save the city's fund* for purposes that will bring some substantial good to the city...
...Ludwig has retained a Columbus firm of attorneys and in the meantime affidavits of prejudice have been filed against the Justice of the Peace by Ludwig which ask for a change of venue on the ground that he cannot get a fair trial in...
...are confident that most of these can be obtained at the big picnic...
...A retf-pianried national campaign for Mai will save the day and enable the Rrkws to hold out...
...Cloud...
...In the meantime organizer Emil Herman requests any friends who wish to volunteer to collect signatures to write him at the Hotel Rita, Minneapolis...
...All dem9M*ted their approval hi an unmistakwface A Riviere, general organiser of ¦ u. T. W., who has taken an active jrl to the strike since the local body Pitted with the A. F. of U, was anw.speaker...
...The Textile Council has held five sseny mass meetings since wiurg the ayara Their progresslveness is lndicats) by the type of speakers who have Isaa called in: :Norman Thomas, SojsMet candidate for President...
...This has happened often in the miners' organization and one wonders what there is in 'he environment of an official position Chat has lured many union officials into :he service of the mine owners...
...The procedure against him is unusual When a citlsen makes an Inaccurate return it is customary to send him a notice to that effect and not to take action unless he persists in his delinquency after having received such notice...
...1 Municipal Machine Shop For Reading (By A New Leader Cerress«*«e*t) Reading, Pa.—"The idea of a municipal machine shop has not been forgotten," declared Councilman James H. Maurer at a recent meeting of the County committee of the Socialist Party 111 reviewing some of the activities of the Socialist administration...
...The unan has bad to contend with seven years at krefttiar employment, with wages as aw u 99.08 and $9.00 a week...
...They have held classes in sociblogy, and Maurer has endeavored to give the min3TS a fair hearing in the Messenger...
...Alfred sjker Lewis, New England Secretary of h* Socialist Warty...
...The petitions will require 2,000 signatures but the member* of the patty...
...The stuffed shirt "workers' representatives" are invited to an annual dinner at the Robert Treat Hotel hi Newark, where they are filled with food and company gospel...
...Maurer stated that the immediate big job is to complete the plans for the converting of the old boys' high school into a modern city hall...
...It makes me sick to see some of the bills that we are forced to pay for repairs which are made by private firms,'' Maurer declared...
...Tell them to go plumb to hell", cried another...
...Wednesday, May 30, Grand Rapids...
Vol. 7 • May 1928 • No. 23
