The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-02
BY WIN. z. FOSTER.

Dor movement In real crisis, ideolog-
ically and organizationally. The vic
torious employers are on the offensive
on every front. They have shattered
5 the unions on the railroads, in the
mines, and in many other basic and
key industries. The retreat Of the
unions, begun during the great strug-
gle of 1923, still continues. The re-
dictionary trade union bureaucrats, in
tent only on protecting their own petty
group interests, have abandoned all
semblance Of fighting policy and are
seeking to subordinate the unions to
the employers by multiplying class col
Liberation schemes in every sphere,
such as new wage policies" B. & o.
plans, Monroe Doctrines of Labor,
Watson-Parker laws, trade union life
insurance, and the like. They are
company-unionizing the American la
Dor movement.
What the Convention Should Do.
TN the midst of this far-reaching
i crisis the A. F. of L. meets in con-
vention, ostensibly to take stock of
the situation and to adopt the meas
ures necessary to safeguard the work
ers' interests. Were the convention
actually Of mind to do this it would
have to revamp the policies and per
sonnet Of the organization from top to
bottom. The T. U. e. L., in its state
ment addressed to the convention, has
Indicated what must be done to really
put the American labor movement on
its feet as fighting organization.
First, the very basis of the policy
of the bureaucracy must be changed.
Instead of class collaboration there
must be class struggle Instead of a
policy of crawling to the employers
and giving up all resistance, there
must be developed a militant fight on
all fronts in defense Of the workers
standards of living and to make fresh
conquests from the employers.
In carrying thru this fundamental
change of policy a whole series of
measures are necessary. In the fore
front stands the gigantic task of or
ganizing the millions of unorganized
workers. This touches the very heart
Of the weakness of the trade unions.
So long, as at present, only a fraction
of the workers, are organized, and
these mostly skilled workers, the
unions cannot hope to be real factor
In the economic and political life of
the country. To bring in the masses
of unorganized workers, especially the
unskilled in the great basic industries,
is the major task now confronting the
labor movement. Upon its achieve
ment depends the development of all
real power and progress of organized
labor.
But there are many other problems
of burningly urgent character await
ing solution. The breaking of the
present alliance of the trade union
bureaucracy with the old capitalist
parties and the formation of a labor
party constitute task the importance
Of which can hardly be overestimated.
The alliance with the old parties poi
sons the trade unions with corruption
and class collaboration. It's dagger
in the heart of the labor movement.
The establishment Of labor party
win represent tremendous step for
ward by the American working class.
Besides initiating labor party and
launching widespread campaigns for
the organization of the unorganized,
the convention should carry thru a
whole series Of other measures and
movements, such as declaration in
favor of Matchmaking the railroads
and coal mines, the reputation Of
American imperialism root and
branch, war to the finish against
company unionism, active support OF
the British mine strike by money and
an embargo upon coal, real efforts
should be started to defeat the injunc-