The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-12-05
BY WIN. z. FOSTER.

labor movement, This is the expul-
sion of members from the trade
unions because Of their political opin-
ions and for activities in accordance
with these opinions. In the past there
have been many struggles between
the reactionaries and the revolution
airy wing Of the movement and the
utmost bitterness has prevailed be-
tween the two factions, But almost
never was the weapon Of expulsion
used in a general way in these strug-
giles. save in the cases where there
was open advocacy OF secession, and
even this was winked at In many
cases. AS a general rule the fight re-
manned pretty much in the realms OF
verbal argument, however bitterly this
may have been carried on.
But as stated, in the past two years
the expulsion of members from the
unions, and consequently often from
their jobs, has come to be looked upon
and applied as a regular weapon
against the left wing by the reaction
aries. The difference is that where
expulsion was once practiced more or
less systematically and in isolated
cases, it has now become settled
means of warfare by the controlling
bureaucrats in the unions.
The union that has the shame of
having first applied expulsion against
the left wing is the International La
dies Garment Workers Union, which
began the policy two years ago under
the leadership of Sigman. Unable to
beat the revolutionary elements other
wise, Sigman, aided by his lickspit-
tie, Perlstein, thot to get the best of
them by driving them out of the
union altogether. Brutally he expell-
ed many of the leading left wingers
from the organization in Chicago,
Philadelphia, Cleveland and else
where, merely for membership in the
T. U. E. L., with disastrous effects
upon the union.
These destructive tactics of Sigman
received a blessing from Gompers
himself at the Portland convention of
the American Federation of Labor in
1923, where with the most elaborate
stage setting and in the fullest glare
of publicity, he expelled William F.
Dunno from the convention. Dunno
was a regular delegate from the
Silver Bow, Montana, Trades Council,
and the only charge against him was
that he was an avowed Communist
Dunnes expulsion was the signal in
the trade union movement generally
for the use of the weapon of expulsion
against the growing left wing, and
the reactionaries have not been slow
to take the hint. Since then, in
union after union, this policy, which is
contrary to the basic principles of la
Dor solidarity, has been applied.
Lewis in the miners union has
made drastic application of this mean.
He Immediately outlawed the Trade
Union Educational League as dual
union" and expelled Tom Myerscough
rand other miner leaders of it. He
Iefucifedsthe militants in the Canadian
HOlbIfiCIS- 81 II dIilA6lOn VI AAAlhOio lao
followed this up by the expulsion of
Thompson, Watt, and others. Through
out the whole organization reign Of
terror has been set up against the
left wing and every manifestation of
it has been driven underground upon
pain of expulsion.
Hutchinson of the carpenters, not
to be outdone by his crony Lewis, has
expelled two-thirds of his organiza-
ton in Detroit for sympathies with
the Trade Union Educational League.
In Los Angeles, with the cooperation
of the police, he got rid of more milit-
ants. And his latest maneuver has
been to bar Rosen as delegate from
the New York district council of the
carpenters because Rosen ran against
him on left wing ticket in the recent
national elections.
In the electrical workers number