The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-11-25
BY NAT KAPLAN.

From Los Angeles we have received
the news that the Bricklayers' Local
Union, No. q has organized about 65
young boys working as bricklayers'
apprentices into a special youth Sec
ton of the union known as the Asso-
ciated Apprentice Bricklayers. The
president Of the apprentices organiza-
ton, Jack Quinen announced, that
they "have launched an Innovation that
in a short time will be a movement of
national scope"
In Philadelphia there is an attempt
to sponsor the indiscriminate organiza-
ton of youth clubs for certain indus
tries which does not realistically take
into account whether the union of the
industry can be won over to organize
this youth. Other examples of a
similar nature can be mentioned. To
certain extent there is tendency
both inside and outside the Commun-
lst Youth Movement to organize the
youth economically thru special youth
sections Of the trade unions. We must
ask ourselves are these forms in the
best interest of the working class
movement?
Reject Youth Section.
The 4th congress of the Young Com
munist International stated: 1.-THE
formation of youth sections in the
trade unions is to be particularly re-
iected because the division between
the young and adult workers, is in
creased thereby" When the French
league pointed out at the time that
they can use the youth sections to
fight the syndicalist youth, the con-
gress answered that even from this
tactical point of view the creation OF
youth sections serves no useful pur-
pose.
Youth sections are not in the best
interests of our movement. or of the
working class. The relative backward
ness of the American working class is
one argument why youth sections
shall not be organized Glass divisions
are becoming sharper in America and
homogeneous working class is in
the making. This process must be
pushed forward. That is why the tao
tic of the united front which forces
the working class into unified action is
the paramount tactic of the hour. The
party'issues slogans to unity the work
ing class: Organize the unorganized,
a labor party in 1928, etc. On the
other hand the capitalists consciously
strive to separate the working class
i They bride sections of the aristocracy
| If labor with better conditions. They
play up national, racial and religious
| prejudices, etc.
Unity of Young and Adult Workers
(, The struggles for the special inter
ests of the youth are not separate and
apart from struggles of the adult
workers-from the general class strug-
gle. The working youth will only
then be emancipated from wage
slavery when they unite their efforts
with the adult workers in a general
struggle against the capitalist order
That is why the league is politically
subordinate to the party. That is why
We must use judgement in adopting
youth organizational forms in the
mass movements of the working class
Youth sections are to be rejected
because they are not in line with the
idea Of unified working class. They
will separate the youth from adult
workers. They divide the trade unions
into youth and adult sections in face
of the united opposition of the bosses
and its instrument, the government
Under this form youth issues will moi
readily become the issues Of the en-
tire union but only of its youth sec
ton and hence will be still born.
The bosses and their agents in the
labor movement-the trade union
bureaucracy-can be won over to the
idea of youth sections mote the Los
Angeles Bricklayers, etc. They will
jump at any pretext to keep the youth
out of the bona fde unions.