The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-11-27
After the Marine "Strike" in
Philadelphia

pier new machinery has been introduced that
displaces "a workers. The amount of men used
to work ship has been cut down from 1874 to
100.
Along the waterfront their has been a general
Worsening Of conditions introductions of speed
up-and indirect wage cuts during the past
month. And much of this worsening of condi-
lions has been done by companies which for
merly we're considered good conlpanies" nv the
Iongshoremen. These good companies have had
to use 5O-cent men in order to compete with the
bad companies" which have been using 5o-cent
men for months
immediately after the strike, the longshore-
men we're very much intimidated. To speak to
them was to victirlze them They feared To
enter the hall on account of stool pigeons. Fut
Vlere was not reaction e~ainst the Union.
The rank and file did no unite to drive tho
MW1U. off the waterfront They we're massive
ana the fact that they did not respond tn the
SVrlKe call proves that they did not understand
our program and we had failed to involve them
buC the facts OF the past month have proven
10 them that our exposure of the lila was COR
rect and that our policy Of strike against wage
cuts and against the renewal of the agreernertn
was correct, although the Union did not have
the organizational basis for calling the strike
AS one of them remarked when the lila
gangsters threw bricks at you, they also were
throwing 5O-cent pieces at us, because the bosses
are using more 50-cent men ever yday."
With the Increased worsening of conditions
the longshoremen are losing their intimidation
and fear. They do not come to the hall but
they do stop the organizers and inform them of
what is happening. They are taking more in
terest in the M.W.IU. and its progress because
they are beginning to feel that the Union is
fighting for their interests
Every day the objective conditions are be-
coming more favorable for establishing the NV.
III. on the waterfronts. The Union must take
advantage of these favorable conditions for or
ganlzational work and for developing struggle
by the correct application of the TU.UL. and
RIL.U. policies. Most of the mistakes we have
made in the past have been due to the fact that
we did not carry out the correct line as laid
down by the T.U.UL.
Immediately after the strike many Of the Or
ganizers, many Of whom were ex-IW.wl's,
doubted that there would be an immediate often
Sive by the bosses against the workers conditions,
and that even if this happened the workers
would have no confidence and would not respond
to the MW1.U. Many of the mistakes of the
Union have been due to the fact that the lead
ersh1p has been composed mostly of former |
I.W.W's. These men were drawn into the |
primarily because the Union was max
Ing progress and they saw possibilities of action
They brought with them their former theology
and have always resisted the program of the |
TU.UL because they felt that their past ex-
perience had taught the correct methods of
organization and of conducting strikes
But the mistakes of the past have proven to
this element the correctness of the T.UUL's |
program, and expensive as the lessons were the
MWLU. now has leadership that understands,
believes in and is willing to apply correctly the
program of the T.U.UL. and the MWIU.
The leadership of the Union must be strength
ened by constant self criticism and ANALYSIS of |
past experiences. This has not been done in the |
past. There really has been no development of
the leadership by reviewing the progress and
mistakes of the Union. This is proven by the |
fact that there never has been any discussion in
the National Buro of the strike conducted in
New Orleans by the MWLU
And although a Buro meeting was held re-
Gently, the strike in Philadelphia, why it was
called, why the workers failed to respond and
what were the effects, we're not even mentioned.
How is the Union to progress if it does not ad-
init its mistakes, analyze and thoroughly expose
them?
At the future Buro meetings this must change
And at the forthcoming National Committee
meeting relentless survey of the activities of
the Union for the past six months must be made
and upon the basis of the past activities of the
Union and their results, a concrete program of
action must be formulated that will enable the
Union to consciously and successfully entrench
itself amongst the exploited seamen and long
shoremen and lead them in struggle against the
bosses.