A Communist organized day of fund-raising and solidarity for the T.U.U.L.’s Taxi Drivers Union in the midst of the 1934 strike sees thousands of New Yorkers come out at events across the city.

‘Thousands of New York Workers Back Cabmen in Strike’ from The Daily Worker. Vol. 11 No. 77. March, 1934.

4,000 Workers Pledge Support Taximen at Cooper Union Meet

NEW YORK. Four thousand workers from practically every industry in the city pledged their support of the striking taxicab drivers at a mass meeting held Wednesday night at Cooper Union, under the auspices of the Labor Committee to Support the Taxi Strike. A sum of $651.05 was collected and given to the Taxi Drivers Union Strike fund.

Long before the meeting opened a large number of workers waited in the foggy chilly weather outside of the hall for the doors to open. The meeting opened at 8 p.m. Sam Nessin, representing the Trade Union Unity Council of Greater New York, presided as chairman.

Thunderous applause greeted Ben Gold, leader of the New York fur workers, when he appeared upon the platform to address the meeting and pledged the support of the New York needle trades workers.

Levitt of the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union said that the metal workers had promised to send out pickets to assist the taxi drivers to stop cabs. He told how the Majestic Metal Shop workers collected $100 for support of the taxi strike. “The drivers are learning the differences between a false union and a union which fights for their interest,” said Levitt.

Greeting the striking hackmen was a group of railroad brotherhood workers headed by O’Neil who told the drivers of the intense interest that the railroad workers had shown for the strike. “Your strike may be the stepping stone to greater strikes in transportation,” said O’Neil.

“May we see more scab taxis driven off the streets of New York,” said Foyt, of the Radio Telegrapher Union. Fort brought a contribution of $1 from the radio operators.

Speaking for the war veterans, Davis of the Workers Ex-Servicemen’s League, said that Mayor LaGuardia had promised the veterans all that was coming to them. “We got nothing,” said Davis, “and the hackies can expect the same from Mayor LaGuardia, LaGuardia’s plan, as well as the company unions’ plan is to starve the strikers.” Joseph Gilbert, organizer of the Manhattan Local of the Taxi Drivers Union, received an ovation which lasted over five minutes, when he appeared on the platform to speak. He told how the hackmen had been kicked from pillar to post and how they were betrayed in the first strike by Judge Panken, Mr. Levy, Morris Ernst and other Socialists and liberals. “We are determined not to be crushed by the Parmelee and Terminal bosses,” said Gilbert. “Our militant fight will force the bosses to give us a living wage. We know that we have the support of the best section of the working-class in New York City.”

Cheering and applause greeted Samuel Orner, president of the union, who told how, when the first strike began he was driving a cab in New York. Orner stressed the question of fighting against the Parmelee Jim-Crow system and told how the union was carrying on a special struggle for the Negro cab drivers. “Come out and help us picket the day line at 6 a.m. in the morning,” said Omer. “We must have a 100 per cent picket line around every garage.”

The meeting, one of the most enthusiastic held during the course of the strike, did not only bring additional financial support to the striking drivers but brought additional moral support, and support on the picket line throughout the city from the various unions and labor organizations. Nathan Schaeffer, speaking for the International Workers Order said; “The medical bureau stands ready to aid medically the striking taxi drivers. Our organization pledges to bring, within two weeks, $1,000 for the striking taxi drivers. To begin with we are bringing $200.”

The meeting was also addressed by Henry Shepard, organizer of the Trade Union Unity Council of Greater New York; Andrew Overgaard, General Secretary of the Trade Union Unity Council; Sarah Licht, representative of the Women’s Councils who gave $60 to the strikers, and J. Baxter of the Marine Workers Industrial Union who told the strikers that “any cab on the waterfront will be tested to see if it can run.”

Bronx Workers in C.P.-Called Meet Hail Taxi Strikers Speakers from Unions, Communist Party Address Crowd

NEW YORK.  An enthusiastic meeting of workers was held in support of the taxi drivers’ strike on Wednesday night at 2075 Clinton Ave., Bronx, N.Y., under the auspices of the Communist Party. The meeting was addressed by representatives from the Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union who brought a donation of $18.30 for the strike fund. Rose Nelson, organizer of Section 15 of the C.P., who brought a donation of $25 for the strikers, and Harry Raymond, representing the Daily Worker. M. Taft was chairman of the meeting.

An attempt to disrupt the meeting was made by a group of hooligans who presented themselves as taxi drivers. This group was soon quieted down by a delegation of taxi drivers who came to the meeting from the Manhattan Local of the Taxi Drivers Union. Joe Krauss, told of the excellent support that the taxi drivers have been receiving from the Communist Party and the left wing labor movement throughout the city. He was greeted by long applause when he s:|d that the taxi drivers should support the Communist Party. A final collection taken up for the strikers amounted to $61.30.

Downtown Communists Back Cabmen

NEW YORK. Responding to the call of Section 1 of the Communist Party, more than 600 workers, including 200 taxi drivers, attended a mass meeting held last night at Manhattan Lyceum, 66 E, Fourth St., to obtain funds for the drivers, who are waging one of the most militant struggles experienced here in years.

With Joseph Brandt, section organizer, acting as chairman, $118 was collected for the drivers, $100 being donated by the Majestic Shop unit of the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union. Five taxi drivers joined the Communist Party. Speakers included Carl Brodsky, a striking taxi driver, Gene Morse, and Sam Stein, of the International Labor Defense

The Daily Worker began in 1924 and was published in New York City by the Communist Party US and its predecessor organizations. Among the most long-lasting and important left publications in US history, it had a circulation of 35,000 at its peak. The Daily Worker came from The Ohio Socialist, published by the Left Wing-dominated Socialist Party of Ohio in Cleveland from 1917 to November 1919, when it became became The Toiler, paper of the Communist Labor Party. In December 1921 the above-ground Workers Party of America merged the Toiler with the paper Workers Council to found The Worker, which became The Daily Worker beginning January 13, 1924.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1934/v11-n077-mar-30-1934-DW-LOC.pdf