The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-07-02
HE CHICAGO UNEMPLOYED
CONVENTION AND RLL.U.
By BILL DUNE

BY BILL dunno
DR. the revolutionary trade union movement
the struggle of the working class on a world
ale against naturalization, unemployment
imperialist war centers in the preparations
the Fifth Congress of the Red International
Labor Unions converting on August Is in
oscow.
Since the Fourth Congress-, the theory of
american exceptionalism" has been shattered
such manner as to focus the attention of
e worlds working class and the colonial peo-
es upon the United States. The crash in
all Street has been heard around the world
dramatized for millions who had been dazed
Y what appeared to be permanent prosper
y" in the United States, the essentially shaky
haracter of prosperity" based on the increas
lg robbery of the working class.
The Wall Street crash-whlch has been fol
)wed by whole series of sharp declines-re-
Iected the danger to capitalist stability in the
rowing gap between production and markets.
was preceded by gradual decline Of produc-
ion in number of industries, and has been
ollowed by rapid declines in practically all
Industries
The drive against the working class has been
sharpered recently. Mass layoffs and open
ge cuts are taking place-especially in min
an steel and metal industries. Mass
lployment reaching total of from 100000
10 100000 is increased daily.
/ The workers still employed are driven Up to
hnd beyond the limit Of human endurance.
Entire working-ciass communities are living
I beo wthe Subsistence level. Not one single
measure ior immediate relief of the jobless
millions has been taken by the capitalists and
4 their government.
Crisis Sharpens; 5000 Militants Jailed
On the contrary, more than 5000 workers
81 Ill
in Strikes ard demonstrations. The imperial.
list policy of suppression is brought into clear
relief by the Imprisonment of Comrades Foster,
Amler Minor and Raymond in New York. where
leading a mass demonstration of unemployed
workers. becomes "inciting to riot" and by the
falling Of Comrades Powers, Carr, Lewis, Bur-
lax, Dalton etc., in the South where the ,rgan-
liza ion Of militant unions, the establishment of
the united front of white and black workers
and the holding of unemployment demonstra-
tions become "inciting to armed instruction"
Itis on the basis of these developments which
represent a decided sharpening of the class
struggle in all sectors, accompanied by one out
standing feature, i. e. series of strikes against
sage cuts the speed-up and other forms of ra-
tlnalization occurring in the face of mass I'M
Employment, show clearly the will of workers
to fight back, and that our preparations for the
!
1t must be said that we have so far failed
Ito give more than formal attention to this i'm
portant phase of our work
j 1t is all the more necessary to criticize and
correct this error since the American working
4class, and even sections of the class-struggle
lnons of the TIL H., has strong isolatonist
endencies. That is tendency to neglect or
underestimate the necessity of the closest con-
fection of all struggles in America with the
ruggles of the workers in the other imperial
It countries, including those of the workers
nd peasants of the colonial countries under the
adership of the Communist International and
he R.LL.U.
Workers Must Be Won to Revolutionary
Program
The main line in the preparations for the
fth Congress, as in all our other work, is
at of winning the majority of the working
SIS to our revolutionary program, for organ
ny our class for militant struggle on the
sis of elemental economic demands, for build
the revolutionary unions as the weapons
orr class, entrenching our shop and factory
nmittees firmly in the decisive industries,
abishing the mass foundation without which
struggle of the working class for power is
possible.
That we have not yet learned how to apply
practice the mass forms and methods of
,ap,2ation and struggle which place US in
center of the masses, that we have not yet
rned how to apply the strategical and tao
al line Of the resolutions and decisions of the
rassburg Congress on Strike Strategy, is evil
Mt from the weaknesses in our mass work
tn as to mass content and methods.
Must Strengthen Organization Work
In he important field of the fight against
employment organzational work has
zen so weak that for weeks following the
lge demonstrations March 6 we prac-
ally allowed our influence to be frittered
gay in silly self-congratulation. Perhaps the
ost outstanding instance of this occurred in
ittshurgh. where. after between 10000 and
900 workers responded to our slogans on
arch 6, rot single Unemployed Council was
jrmed Resistance developed to the line of the
,arty in the fight against unemployment and
rotest meetings in regard to the failing Of the