The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-01-03
By JOSEPH JACK.

amongst the masses of the prOle-
tariat, the more able are we to per-
ceive the shortcomings of former
methods and forms of organization.
We are now entering upon the most
important phase of transforming our
organizations from social-democratic
forms, inherited from social democ-
racy and developed in the era of CAPT
talist expansion and social reformism
into those fit for the era of decay of
the capitalist system, our era, where
capitalism cannot any longer give the
reforms and concessions it could cas-
lily give during it's period of health,
and whence as a result the workers
can maintain their standards and
progress only thru merciless sharp
class struggle.
This sharpening of the struggle,
which is the breath and life OF our
movement, needs new forms of organ
ization and mobilization of the prole-
tariat en- masse just as it requires
different tactics. Hence, the need Of
a party based on factory nuclei, and
Industrial organizations based on shop
committees, which is in line to fit the
proletariat organizationally for the
seizure of power and the overthrow
Of capitalism.
The worlds trade union bureau
cracy have long ago realized the mean
ing of rank and file organization OF
workers to their fortunes and future.
It is no wonder that whenever the
workers made an attempt in that d.
rection it is bitterly fought by the
bureaucracy. 1t arose in various
forms in a number Of countries and
under different names, such as shop
stewards, shop delegates, factory
councils, Betriebstrate, ct. 1t was as
a rule an attempt by the rank and file
to hit at their exploiters, to defend
themselves over the heads and despite
the reactionary leadership. 1t arose
as a spontaneous resistance to the
class collaboration and selling out
tactics of labor's business men. and
not having firm. clear force like the
Communist Party behind it. decentral-
lied and undisciplined as it usually
was, it was overcome or petered out.
Nevertheless, it was the natural form
of organization of resistance against
the bureaucracy and the exploiters,
organized at the place OF work.
Amongst the labor organizations in
the United States, the needle trades
witnessed probably the greatest agi-
tation and experience along this line.
And the militants of the needle IN
dustry have undoubtedly developed
the clearest conception Of this form
of organization, altho they conceived
of it mainly as a union reform affair
and not as a means to organize the
unorganized. The Bolshevik revolu-
ton in Russia, which had tremen-
dous effect upon the needle workers,
gave the shop delegate movement in
the needle trades q tremendous I'M
petus. The biggest local of the l. l..
G. w. u, the old Waist and Dress
makers Local rs with $4,000 members,
actually attempted to put it into
practice (shop delegate system) and
participation at the shop delegates
council meetings and enthusiasm ran
high. This shop delegates council,
which was sanctioned by the officials
under pressure as an advisory body,
naturally assumed more and more
power for itself so that the bureau
Gratis forced their dissolution with the
present president, M. Sigman, as the
executioner. The agitation for the
shop delegates system (which advo-
Gated organization in the shop in the
form of a shop committee and shop
delegates from all shops to form a
central body Of the trade to manage
the union) continued undated until
the t. U. e. L. took the field. when
the capturing Of executive boards and
local Offices became the main obiec-
tive in the first flush of victories. A