The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-10-06

masses of marine workers into
The ship owners were quick to
take advantage, and the disas-
trous conflicts of 1921 left the
organizations weakened.
Nor is there hope of permanent bet
terment in industry. In spite of all
technical advance and the normal in
crease of population, production thru
out the world is only about eighty per
cent of the pre-war total. The finan-
cial system of capitalist exchange is
disturbed everywhere and in Europe
is wholly collapsed. Attempts thru
the Dawes Plan to give it life and to
give Europe over to American imper-
ialist control, promises only to lead
to new and worse bankruptcy. In this
situation the marine transport work
ers play an extremely important role
They are quickly and seriously. af-
fected by conditions, but at the same
time their situation, which makes
them easily affected also enables them
with proper organization and revo-
lutionary direction-to exert great
power for their own interests and
those of the whole world proletariat.
But the marine workers are in a
chaotic state organizationally True,
they have unions, too many unions.
The multitude Of unions is handicap,
tragedy, crime. Not only are the
workers kept discouraged by unions
built upon craft distinctions, but they
are kept blind and ignorant by lead
ership which is so treacherous that
it betrays the interests of it's own
membership to class collaboration and
patriotic" acceptance of any condi-
tions under the American flag. We
need only mention the tactics of Andy
Furesuth and T. v. O'Connor to make
class conscious, and in spite of the long
with disgust. 1t is to the everlasting
credit of the M. T. w. No. $40 that
| it has held UP the banner of revolu-
tionary industrial unienism above all
this mess. But every worker is not
class conscious, an in spite of the long
and noble fight put up by the M. T.
W., which has made it the leading or
ganization among the seamen, the
great bulk of marine transport work
ers are practically inorganic.
With the inustry at low ebb, gen.
eral unemployment sweeping the coun-
try and, above all, the competition
from underpaid European seamen,
continued craft separation and disor-
ganization plays into the hands of the
American Steamship Owners Associa-
ton, which has announced an attack
on wages. Already on the Pacific, the
blacklist has had an effect. Unques-
tionably the government Shipping
Board with Fingey O'Connor will col
laborate to force down wages to coolie
standard and Furesuth will try to
force his members to accept in the
name of patriotism. The craft union
officials will not fight, and if they
would they could not win with such
antiquated instruments. But together
with the unorganized they constitute
an obstacle to the M. T. W. putting ur
successful fight even to protect it.
self. Unity of action against attack
OF the bosses by all existing unions
is a necessity whose urgency will
more and more grow in the minds of
the backward workers still clinging
to the craft union. The time is adj
vantageous and the M. t. w. is in a
position where its own interests
should cause 1t to invite all unions in.
to a Council of Action to formulate
common offensive and defensive opera
tons against the bosses upon specific
grievances. True, the reactionary
officials may ignore your call, but
the membership of their unions will
not. The NJ. T. w. has everything to
gain.
The trend toward industrial union
ism in other industries is greatly stim.
ulated by the establishment of shop
committees, and the advantage OF
establishing shop committees to act
as organs of job control seems OBJ
vious. Conditions exist in hours,
wages, unsafe ships, overlooking, rot