The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-10
Real Fighters

What can be done by determined workers and
fighting leadership in defense of living standards
against the attacks Of even such powerful organ
ization of capital as the Pullman company is
shown by the brilliant strike now in progress in
the little empire owned by that corporation
The workers engaged in the struggle were I'M
organized previous to the walkout those who
came out at first were small in numbers, but were
not discouraged because of that fact, and have
extended the strike and strike activities until the
giant industrial concern whose heads at first de-
MED even knowledge of the strike is now seriously
hampered and in mood to negotiate with its
former employees.
The spirit of the strikers is such as to shame
the timid and reactionary officials of the American
trade union movement who always raise the cry
that they can do nothing because workers will not
fight This spirit is an infallible refutation of
that statement and proof that the Communist
left wing is right when it says that, given encour
agement and inspiration by the officials instead
of defeatism, the American labor movement can be
built into powerful unit by the same millions
who are now unOrganized.
The DAILY WORKER takes credit for good
deal of the activity displayed by the strikers and
it knows that without the publicity it has furnish
AS it is, it is of national Importance when the
capitalists are about to launch another wagecut-
ting campaign showing that in one huge industry
the workers are not going to take reductions lying
down.
Another feature of the strike is the refreshing
mlitancy of John Holmgren, one of the vice-pre-
sidents of the Railway Carmen. This official seems
to be one of the few who are not afraid of what
the standpat element might think of his accepting
support from the left wing and his attitude in
this strike is one of uncompromising hostility
towards the company as long as it refuses to meet
the demands of the men as well as a disposition
to fight it out in a militant manner. A trade
union movement with few officials as close to
the actual struggle as Holmgren is would amount
to something. We do not wish to be understood
as sponsoring his political beliefs-as matter Of
fact we do not know what they are-but certainly
if one labor official in this decadent period of the
trade union movement has the courage to chal-
lenge the might of a corporation like the Pullman
company and the ability to build an organization
in the face of its bitter opposition, he deserves
some credit if only for the sake of contrast with
the great majority of oficialdom.
If the whole labor movement would rally to the
support of the Pullman strikers-raise the slogan
of 100 per cent organization in that plant-such
an organization could be built.
Unfortunately the American labor movement
has not yet reached that state of development and
until it does the Communist left wing and DAILY
WORKER will give the best it has in it to labor
organizers and those unions who show that they
know how to fight and will fight.
The Pullman strikers and John Holmgren, iso-
lated from the rest of the American labor move
ment, waging a singlehanded struggle against a
gigantic industrial monopoly, present picture
that is food for thought for those who realise the
necessity, if further progress is to be made, of a
labor movement that is something more than a
name.