The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-05-31

called Left Wing" against President
Sigman and the officials of the In
ternational is Of great Importance,
first. because the present dispute is
in reality a continuation of it, and
second, because for the first time in
the history of the international, the
membership was able to defeat the
expulsion and reorganization pol
icy.
The Left Wing Platform of Reform.
The demands of the Left Wing in
1925 included the following reforms:
Proportional representation in the
convention and in the New York Joint
Board; the abolition Of the policy of
expulsion of members for their po-
litical beliefs, election of Interna-
tional officers and General Executive
Board by direct vote of the member
ship, and amalgamation of all the
needle trades.
The question Of proportional repre-
sentation in the Joint Board was Of
particular interest to the three Left
Wing locals. Representation was
equal, each local, large or small. send
ing five delegates to the Joint Board,
&C that the three large locals, repre-
senting about 10000 out Of the So,
COO members, were always outvoted
by the delegates from the other ten
small locals The expenses of the
Joint Board are met by the locals in
proportion to their membership. Con-
sequently the three Left Wing locals
paid about sixty-five per cent OF all
the expenses of the Joint Board. In
spite Of this they were not allowed
o single member on the Financial
Committee which dispersed the funds.
When the Joint 0oard proposed to
increase the local dues Of all MEM
bers from thirty-five to fifty cents,
these locals protested that efficient
management had reduced their eX-
penses to q minimum, and could also
reduce the expenses Of the Joint
Board They also declared that they
were able to pay their pro rata for
the upkeep of the Joint Board with
out raising their dues. Nevertheless,
over the protests Of the members and
of the three locals, the dues We're
raised. Such incidents resulted in in
cteasing dissatisfaction against the
system of representation to the Joint
Board.
The representation to conventions
was also source of discomfort to the
membership. 1t grew increasingly
militant in its demand for reforms
which, if carried through, would GER
tainly seriously menace the tenure
in office Of the Administration.
The action of President Sigman in
presenting strike demands to a Com.
mission appointed by the Governor Of
New York in 1924 was the occasion
for another sharp clash between Left
Wing and Administration policies
Stree the agreement in the cloakmak-
crs' industry was about to expire
and the employers had given every
evidence Of unwillingness TO comply
with Union demands, the membership
had voted in referendum, to strike
for the demands. Instead of carry.
ing out the order to strike, President
Sigman submitted the demands to the
Governors Commission, and pledged
the Union to accept its findings, il
spite of the fact that the employer:
refused to make any such promise
This action was strongly opposed by
the Left Wing group, and indeed, af
ter two years Of waiting, the recon-
mendations Of the Commission were
such as could not be accepted by thI
Union, and the strike was called, al
though conditions were much less ia
vorsble to the Union in 1925 than il
! 1924.