The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-21
By EARL BROWDER.

tCONtlNueuJ
YESTERDAY we described how the new trade
union policy of the left wing arose out Of
our experiences combined with those of the
international movement. Since 1928, we have
accumulated two years experience with the
new line. Has it justified itself in practice?
The answer music be an emphatic yes. 1t
is impossible to conceive that should have
been able to lead any such struggles, to or
ganize many workers and bring them to
class consciousness, and to extend our influence
into new territories and industries, as we have
done, without the weapon of the new revolu-
tonary unions and the policy of independent
leadership. Comrade Stahl, however, does not
see this at all In fact, he sees nothing except
the A. F. of L. and the defects of our work
therein On the basis of these defects he
charges the Party with an "anti-trade union
attitude"
Defects in Our Trade Union Work.
Of course, there are great defects and weak
nesses in our trade union work. Where are
these demonstrated most glaringly? Precisely
in the building of the new unions! This, our
most important task, is only in its first stages
and reveals weaknesses of the most serious
kind. Is the Party refusing to face these weak
nesses? Not at all. The special resolution
on trade union work, prepared for the conven-
ton, brings them sharply to the fore and makes
them the center of attention. There is not the
slightest attempt to hide them or gloss them
over. We reveal our weaknesses in order that
we may overcome them. And it is precisely
this that Comrade Stahl objects to; he would
have us forget about the tremendous problems
of building the revolutionary unions, and turn
our attention entirely to doing real enlight-
ening work in the reactionary unions" In eff
oo+ ho SC fnr hon of fho
revolutionary unions, and return to to the A.
F. of L. as "the main stream" of the labor
movement,
We must emphaticaly inform Comrade Stahl
that the Party cannot accept his point of view.
Our convention must and will decisively ap-
prove the policy of building the revolutionary
unions in the T.U.U.L., which at the same time
organizes revolutionary minorities in the
dictionary unions. We will forget neither the
one nor the other, but we will put the main
emphasis upon the new unions. Our Thesis
says: decided efforts must be made to in
crease manifold the activities of the Commu-
mist fractions in the reactionary trade unions"
(par. 25). That must stand, and it must not
be overlooked But there not be allowed
to develop any tendency to shift the center of
our work away from building the revolutionary
unions.
Comrade Stahl writes two articles about de-
fects in our trade union work. But he has not
a word about any shortcomings in the new
unions! If faulty organization and poor work
is the question at issue, can find plenty of
that even without examining the fractions in
the reactionary unions We invite Comrade
Stahl to study the weaknesses of the new
unions, as revealed in the Convention resolu-
ton and thesis and help the Party to solve
these problems. They are tremendously big
ones, far bigger than the ones upon which he
has fastened his vision. But the Party will
meet and solve them with the active help of the
non-Party workers who are coming by thou
sands into the new unions, if Comrade
Stahl refuses to help.
In the entrance of our Party into the South