The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-02

American trade union movement, tC
say nothing of revolutionary political
vision and tactics, is source of grea
concern to everyone who realizes thu
important part the trade unions mus
play in the tremendous changes thai
are taking place in the capitalist
world.
Disguised with the reactionary char
acter of official trade union policies
the belief has gained ground among
the revolutionary elements that the
American trade union movement is
generally anti-political, and that
where it is not, its activities serve
only to strengthen the hold of the
capitalist class on industry and gov
eminent.
Two Points
In this article, want to prove two
thinas.
First, that the American trade un-
ion movement, as represented by the
American Federation of Labor, in
stead of being anti-political, or even
non-political, conducts intensive and
very complicated political activities.
Second. that, while judged by revo-
lutionary standards, these activities
are either of a mild reformist or pos
itively reactionary nature, they are
not entirely the result Of the conspira-
torial Vaccinations Of evil geniuses
in the form of trade union bureau
Gratis, but are also conditioned by the
social, economic and political milieu,
in which the trade unions have de-
veloped.
Early Political Thinking
The earliest protest movements of
which American history advises us,
conducted by the feeble trade unions
of that day, were against executive
and judicial tyranny, and took on a
political form. The right, first to
combine for protection and then to
strike, was gained by the early I'M
ions only thru political agitation and
action, as McMaster clearly shows.
The campaign for free and compul-
sorry education resulting in the estab-
hshment of our public school system
was an early movement in which the
trade unions of that time formed The
most active section.
The Owenite agitation again at
tracted the support of the trade un-
ions and it was these organizations
that furnished the nucleus Of the
movement. The Knights of Labor
was more a political than an indus
trial organization and in every wave
of protest that has swept the nation
since that time the trade unions have
taken a leading part.
No Anti-Politieal Tradition
There is, therefore, no anti-politicalI
tradition SO far as the trade unions
of the United States are concerned.
There is plentitude Of confusion of
thought and a disposition to follow
what appears to be the line of least
resistance, such as the support of
liberal candidates on the capitalist
party tickets, but this is no evidence
of any anti-political bias.
Reasons for Present Methods
1t seems to me that one of the
principal reasons for the ineffective
and non-working class character
of the present political activity
of the trade unions is to be
found in the fact that in the United
States, owing to conditions which can
not be detailed in an article of this
length, the trade unions never have
been able to convince the ruling class
that they have a right to exist; that
they are a permanent part of our So
cial structure, and must be recog-
nized as such; this fact is made clear
during every period Of stagnation in
industry bringing widespread unem-
ployment. The national associations
Of employers no sooner see an over
stocked labor market than the cry of
"wipe out the unions" is raised. In
no other great capitalist nation is
this condition found. The recent open
shop drive is only the most recent
evidence of this attitude.
Il is little too much to expect that
such an extremely feeble trade union
should develop a powerful
political movement.
American theology