The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-03-10

elementary OTBdulHdtlOHS Oh TIC
worker. On the contrary, we must
vigorously and relentlessly combat
most mercilessly the bourgeois infiu-
ence in them, expose the agents of i'm
perialism, Undue them with the spirit
of militancy and make out of them
true organs for defending the work
ers' interests.
Toward that aim, the party has
already initiated a campaign to get
all members of the party who are
eligible into trade unions. This cam
paign is now in full swing.
This, however, is only one phase Of
the program to intensity the trade
union work. The big problem of the
party is to develop our trade union
work so that it will bring the maxi
mum of results. A necessary condi-
ton to this is the training of the
party membership to an understand
ing Of the role of the party and the
task of the Communists in the trade
unions.
Faced with great difficulties and OBJ
stacles, beset by enemies on all sides,
our work in the trade unions can only
be effective if we act as unity, thru
solidly organized and closely knit to-
gether party fractions. In this way we
can exercise a tremendous influence
on the masses around us, much
greater than our numerical strength
would indicate, and set them into mo-
ton for definite detectives.
! 1--WE, the revolutionists," said Len
in, ARE handful of people who
cliff, grasping firmly each others
hands. We are surrounded by enc
mics on all sides, and nearly all the
time we'have to march under the en-
emy's fire. We have formed a volun-
tary union for the very purpose OF
fighting our enemies, not for retreat
ing to the nearest swamp"
This passage of Lenin's applies
: especially well to our trade union
work To achieve any success, we
must have our party fractions. LEFT
wing blocs are mighty instruments fol
carrying on the fight in the trade
S unions, but without party fractions tC
e direct the work. no decisive headway
!, can be made.
0 1t is a we'll established fact that oul
s work in the trade unions rests on sol
e i'd grounds only when it is based first
n on the immediate economic interests
of the workers, when we show our
!. selves capable of leading the workers
Q in the fight for higher wages, shortei
e hours, better working conditions, etc
: But it would be most erroneous if We
limited ourselves only to those tasks
n That would certainly be a very mar
v row conception of our role in tn,
r trade union movement. without min
S imizing or letting up in any way OF
q this phase of the work, we must ais
introduce political questions of majo
4 Importance, affecting the interests o
Il the workers. This is necessary t
raise the class consciousness of tn
II workers. broaden their political hor
zon and direct the struggles towar
Il our main against the car
i italist system as a whole.
1t is true that in introducing polit
Il cal questions into trade unions, W
II quite often meet serious resistance, no
only on the part of the reactionary bU
reaucrats, but we also run up agains
the narrow craft, and sometimes eve
race prejudices of the unconsciou
mass. This, however, cannot an
II must not deter us from our tasks. i
fighting, for instance, for admittin
Negro workers into the trade union
and for complete social equality of tn
Negroes, we undoubtedly run counte
to the prejudices of some sections {
the white workers, who are still con
pletely dominated by the bourgeoi
ideology 1t would be most enron,
= GUS and non-Communist to accede
this prejudice in order to gain SON
D small point, sacrificing thereby II
broader interest of the working elias
as a whole. The broader aspects
IS the class struggle, having the revol
81 ton as the final aim, must be OF
IA continuous guidance in all our actiN
IM ties, especially the trade union wor
% HE is no revolutionist," says Leni