The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-08-30
Organization
of Workers
in Offices
By ]. L. PERILLA.

The organization of the office
workers becomes major task when
we consider the fact that close to
one half million are employed in
the city of New York and the ma
jority of them are young workers.
An organization campaign to or
ganize the unorganized young work.
ers in the city of New York must of
necessity take into consideration the
office workers. This preponderance
of office workers is clear when we
consider the fact that New York is
the largest trading center in the
world and the center of Finance
Capital. AS class the office work.
ers are the most difficult to deal
with due to their petty bourgeois il
lusions as to the possibilities of ris-
ing out of their class. Rationaliza-
ton has had even it's rehabilitation
effects on office workers. Machine
production, simplification of account
ing and office methods and the gen
eral growth of industry which en-
tails an increase in the size of staffs
has convinced large sections of Of
flee workers that their problems are
not separate and apart from the
problems of the general working
class. Piece-work is a new practice
that has been introduced into office
work. In many of the large offices
and department stores, employees
are paid so much per posting and
penalized Q greater amount for every
error made.
Many Unorganized.
The official labor movement has
done nothing to crystalize this
growing possibility for organiza-
ton. The Bookkeepers, Steno-
graphers and Accountants Union
has been a stumbling block in the
way of organization. They have
satisfied themselves with organizing
a few union offices where the con-
ditions on the whole are far better
than in capitalist offices.
Even on the question of organiza-
ton of union offices they have failed
miserably-the great majority still
remain unorganized. No attempt
has been made by this decrepit and
fossilized organization that labels
itself as trade union to involve
the New York Labor Movement in
a campaign for organization. They
make no pretenses at organization
their purpose is to hinder organi-
cation. Every militant that ever at
tempted to criticize the policies of
Lies Majesty" has found himself or
herself outside of the organization.
In considering steps towards organi-
cation of these thousands of office
workers-the B. S. & A. U. must
be rejected as negative factor.
The Office Workers Union, an or
ganization that has the will and de-
termination to organize the office
workers, will be the organization on
whose shoulders will rest the task of
organizing the unorganized office
workers. Although only a few
months ole. it has already surpassed
in size the B. S. and A. u. The at
tendance at meeting is at least twice
as big as the latter organization.
The program and the constitution of
the Office Workers Union shows
that they are aware of the tasks and
problems before them. The office
Workers Union demands and should
get the entire support of the left
wing and progressive labor. move
ment of the city of New York.
On September rs and 26 the New
York Working Youth Conference
will be held at Labor Temple, New
York City. The purpose of this
conference is to find ways mad means
and take actual steps to organize the
young workers in the City of New
York. The Office Workers Union,
one of the original signators of this
conference, will do everything pos
sible to make this conference sue
cess. The Office Workers Union
calls on all office workers to organ
ize themselves into office commit
tees and send delegates to the Work.
ing Youth Conference. The improve
ment of the conditions of the office
workers can only be gotten by strug-
gle. They are no longer privileged
class that have to be bribed.