The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-01-09

the mining polio. had been reached. A number
of local unions of the U. M. W. A. had already
voted to withdraw from the u. M. w. A. and
affiliate with the National Miners Union. The
issuing of an injunction by courts instructed
the coal operators to continue the check-off in
spite of the votes by the miners not to pay the
check-off. This brought the strike issue to the
fore; it meant either strike under the leader
ship of the National Miners Union to remedy
the burning grievances of the miners, or a re-
treat to a position of minority within the
U. M. w. A., and postponement of fight De-
spite this favorable situation, when masses of
miners were already beginning struggles, the
resolution submitted to and adopted by the
Belleville convention did not bring forward the
strike policy proposed by the Party. On the
contrary resolution submitted to the con-
vention containing the following clause: ma
tional Miners Union locals must mobilize their
membership and function as an organized mi
nority within the local unions of the U. M.
W. A" Again the draft resolution submitted to
the convention referred to local strikes as de-
fensive measures, while the final edited resolu-
ton sent to all locals of the National Miners
Union dropped reference to strikes as the pol
icy of the National Miners Union.
Following the Beeville convention, and in
line with the wrong decisions made by the
convention, no preparations were made for the
development of local strike movements, no local
strike policy was drawn up, no local strike
demands were formulated the unemployed pro-
gram abandoned, no real effort was made
to organize real representative delegation
for the tri-state conference held in Zeigler on
Dec. l and 2, with the consequent result that
a statewide strike was called with a complete
disregard to the Red International of Labor
Unions line for the revolutionary conduct of
strikes (the resolution was printed in full in
Labor Unity, April Is, 90 81, May 4, II, 49,.
The following extracts show the Importance
placed upon strike preparations and the neces-
sity of drawing the workers into strike leader
ship.
I'm case of favorable conditions for strike
and with a militant mood among the masses,
the creation of strike committees elected by
all the workers should be undertaken. Workers
of all kinds must participate in these elections,
the organized as we'll as the unorganized
ut is most dangerous in the economic strug-
gle, to call a strike, or improvise one under
the influence of temporary moods, and not
after cold calculations. The leaders are re-
quired to have full knowledge not only of the
condition of a given branch of industry, but
special knowledge of what is going on among
the masses The task lies in not being tardy, not
dangling in the rear, but in the ability to grasp
the readiness of the masses to fight But even
then the task is not to declare strike, as
though it were decree, without serious pre-
hminary preparation of the masses for the
struggle. %
"The strike committee has the task employ
ing all means, to carry on the struggle for the
realization of the workers demands. The sue
cessful termination of the struggle will depend
upon the extent to which the strike committee
is successful in eliminating the influence of the
reformist union from the factory and in taking
the leadership of the strike out of its hands,
The strike committee must carry on the
struggle enter into negotiations sign, if neces-
sary, the agreements declaring at the begin
ming of the strike that any agreements entered
into by the rcformist bureaucrats are not bind
ing upon the workers.
The basic task of the strike committee is
not only to concentrate the attention of the
masses on the slogans put forth in our strug-
gle, but what is especially important is to
supplement the original slogans in the course
of the struggle, with new slogans, including
political demands, depending upon the new
situation and the changing conditions, never
permitting the initiative to slip froE, its hands"
With the exception of Taylorville, the policy
of drawing the masses of the miners into
leadership of strikes mass strike committees,
picket lines, ETC., abandoned. The success
of Taylorville was due to the fact that they
followed correct organizatonal policy as far
as the strike was concerned The reason that
the miners did not respond as quickly in other
fields they did in Taylorville, was because
of failure to apply our correct strike strategy.
The fact that 10000 miners responded to the
s. Ike call, clearly shows the fighting mood of
the miners. That some of the struck mines
have been reopened is not sign that the
miners feel defeated, nor is it due to the terrific
state of terror, but is due to the incorrect
preparation, etc. The miners are in a fighting
mood, they will strike. The strike period has
not ended in reality is has just begun and
the Party policy and objective in the mining
industry remains the same, namely to broaden
these strikes as far as possible, to raise our
national demand, in the propaganda sense and
to bring them forward as parctical demands as
the strike broadens, to draw the unemployed
miner with the employed miner into joint
struggles.
The present strike must be spread by bring
ing forth concrete local demands and develop
ing local strikes on the basis of the situation
existing in the various mines. One of the
characteristic features of this period of war
preparations and growing rehabilitation of the
workers is the open alliance between the coal
operators, the city, county and State officials,
the officialdom of the U. M. W. A., the l. w. W.,
the Howatts, the Watttes, Lovestonites, Trot-
skyites, the swiftness of the terror and it's fas-
cist character. While this does not change the
policy and objective of the present strike, it
raises it to higher political level and neces-
states the issuing of new slogans and de-