IN TWO SECTIONS TRAPE UNION V N ITT Section H PBttvL^Vbrker LEAGUE STATEMENT (Section at the )

DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, 1933 “We Come to Place Before the Government Our Demands for the Means to Live!” Statement Submitted by the Unity League and Affiliated Unions Before Secretary of Labor Frances a Conference on May 6th

On March 31, 1933, Secretary of Labor, favor only of the capitalist -. The following Perkins conferred with William Green, presi- statement was presented to Perkins by the dent of the American Federation of Labor delegation: and with many other misleaders of the A. F. of L. unions. She stated that she “desired to • • * get aM possible viewpoints”, but T.U.U.I>. unions were barred. This of course is part of the demagogy of the Roosevelt government in putting through its program of aiding the The Statement employers at the expense of the working class, which is described in the statement At no tin - in the history ol til-: United States v-'as below. the uffciing ol the masses as great as it i, today. After four years of the worst economic crisis tlfs or any other Green and the A. F. of 1* misleaders left nation lias ever experienced, large mss.-es are faced with the conference full of praise for Perkins and actual starvation. Millions are on the brink of starva- stating that “accord was reached” between ' tion. Millions are living on day to day charity hand- them and Perkins. No wonder, they pro- outs. This condition is not caused by any natural un- posed anti-working class program the same avoidable disaster. It exists amidst plenty in the richest as Roosevelt and Perkins do. They called for and most industrially developed country in the world. It price increases, endorsed the wage cutting is an indictment of the whole of the present system of Bill, insur- Black called for . ance in a vague way, mentioning no amount

of unemployment insurance; all of which The piesent administration is not unaware ol these naturally pleased Miss Perkins. conditions. In the last presidential election campaign the leaders of the administration asked for a change in The wrote Perkins and demanded T.U.U.L. the ruling party in order to remedy these conditions. scores thousands of that it, representing of But the whole program of the Rootevclt government is workers, receive a hearing too. directed in saving the big fortunes of the rich, in bolster- ing up profits, and represents not only a total disregard The and revo- for the well being of the masses, but is in itself a fur- with dif- lutionary representatives came a ther enslavement and pauperization of the masses of ferent air, than that of the A.F. ofL. mis- toilers leaders. They didn’t come hat in hand, they WILLIAM Z. FOSTER, lecreUuv at We Treat* didn’t soft soap Perkins, they spoke oat boldly Union TJnHy Leagae. We come here representing hundreds ot thousands of and demanded what the workers wanted. In organized workers. Behind our demands are increasing millions of We come here to beg charity. hort, they acted like real representatives of toilers. not We come here to place before die government our de- the workers, and not of the bosses. mands for the means to live. We take the position that mean to the workers, and what those meas- the capitalists and their government owe to every man the T.U.U.L. (Stachel Representatives of ures of Roosevelt which have been passed and woman and their dependents a living. We demand and of the In- this. We know that we shall get only what we can and Ford) Marine Workers have already meant. It was a picture damn- dustrial Union, (Hudson); National Textile secure through our organized strength. We come here re- ing the Roosevelt “new deal” as a deal in presenting Union. (Burlak); National Miners the workers in struggle. We shall continue Workers to organize and lead the masses in struggle for the win- Union, (Myerscough); Shoe and Leather ning of these demands. Workers Industrial Union (Biedenkapp); Councils (Amter), spoke and Unemployed UNEMPLOYMENT GROWING gave a factual picture of the conditions of industries, the workers, in the at home, in the W others’ Demands With every year of the crisis unemployment is grow- a picture of how little relief is ing. At the present time, according to the breadlines, the Workers Unemployment Insur- admitted against For figures of the Hamilton Institute, there are actually given; described the terror unemployment Alexander ance Bill, which provides for over 17,000,000 unemployed (March, Thi» workers, which is aided by the governmental 1933). insurance to be not less than $lO weekly foi figure corresponds to tile estimate established the Labor demands of the by forces. And they gave the adult workers, $3 a week for each dependent Research Association. These same figures aljo disclose workers, which are listed elsewhere. for entire period of unemployment. that 50% of the workers engaged in manufacturing, of the building trades workers, of the Immediate federal -appropriation of suf 85% and 46% Roosevelt program, railroad were in March, They showed what the ficient funds for adequate relief for unem- labor, unemployed 1933. Os the remainder, large are working The inflation, the stagger system legalized, wage pending of Workers’ Un- sections part time. ployed enactment Teaglc Committee received from 91,000 cutting (of government employees), econo- employment Insurance Bill. communications business houses, showing that 77% of them were on the mies at the worker’s expense, setting up of Include in Black 30-Hour Bill that weekly shall be the same for 30 hour week compulsory arbitration boards, etc., would earnings as at present for longer hour week, and mini- mum wage for all workers on basis of actual current cost to workers of all essential needs. Payment of all wages based on actual value of dollar (cost of living). Federal legislation against child labor un- der 15 and against night work for women. Establishment of lodging and mainten- ance for homeless youth, free medical care, abolition of vagrancy laws. Rescinding of 15 percent wage cut for fed- eral employees. Repeal of forced labor reforestation camps. No industrial arbitration boards. Legaliz- ing formation of workers committees in shops, elected democratically by the workers. Right to organize, strike, picket, abolition of injunctions against workers. Equal rights for Negro people. No deportation of foreign-born workers. Recognition of and establish- AMTER, National Secretary at the UnempHreS I. ment of normal trade relations. JAMS* W. FORD. Spefcoon— for the Pelßgattf, Councils, who reined, the demands ter the unemptared > - .7.-:„. Jt . '** - -'V ,-5 * - •*, ' J: . v '¦-* .- *s i ' -• -* O: