Page:William F. Dunne - The Threat to the Labor Movement (1927).pdf/21



HE thirtieth convention of the United Mine Workers of America afforded a world of proof of the correctness of the statements made elsewhere in this pamphlet relative to the drive against the trade unions as weapons of the working class.

In session from January 25 to February 2, the officialdom of the U. M. W. A. at this convention carried thru their program of eliminating all constitutional and official sanction for a policy of struggle.

The methods by which this onslaught on the interests of the rank and file and the integrity of the union was made were of themselves a convincing testimonial to the deapth to which the officialdom has sunk—first because of its role as the agency of the bosses within the union and secondly because of the frenzied fear of a rank and file revolt.

HE convention was packed with fake delegations of which delegation from District 31, West Virginia, was a good example—166 delegates representing an actual membership of 337. The delegations from District 17 of the same state, from Kentucky, Tennessee and portions of West Virginia, together with delegations from "blue-sky" local unions (locals dead or moribund) paid for out of the international treasury and representing nothing except the "payroll" elements, gave the Lewis machine its organizational base for putting over its program. Probably 40 per cent of the convention was of this character.

In addition to this, there was the atmosphere of intimidation furnished by the army of machine henchmen appointed by President Lewis as "sergeants-at-arms."

These machine supporters had advertised the kind of instructions they had received by beating up Powers Hapgood, one of the leaders of the "Save the Union" progressive bloc, the day before the convention. During the convention they surrounded all known leaders of the opposition and did not hesitate to use force to prevent them getting the floor. Left wing leaders were slugged on the convention floor.

A "red baiting" campaign was staged every time the Lewis machine wished put over some particularly brazen betrayal of the principles of trade union democracy, betrayal of the interests of the rank and file or increase its already autocratic power. It sought at all times to prevent a discussion of the merits of either its proposals or of proposals contrary to its reactionary program coming from local unions.

It even eliminated from the proceedings en1tirely all of the numerous resolutions demanding the reinstatement of Alex Howat—expelled by Lewis without charges while he was in jail for fighting the Kansas Industrial Court anti-strike law.