The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-06-21
PRE-CONVENTION DISCUSSION
The N.T.W.I.U. and the Young
Needle Trades Workers

In order to obscure their resistance to youth
work, the leadership (including the youth COM
rades) advances the idea that the shipping
clerks, the office workers, and assistant cut
ters make up the needle trades youth. Thus
they conclude that the needle trades young
workers are not a section of the needle trades
industry, of any great Importance.
After sharp struggle, a series of youth
demands was adopted at the previous conven-
ton, but youth demands on paper and real
determined struggles for them are two differ
ent things. One, although more difficult, leads
to the drawing in of youth into militant shop
locals, the other leads to opportunist isolation
and degeneration to the AT. of L. Unionism.
Our Union was in danger of taking the second
path so far Only very recently a change be-
gan to be made, it is enough to give a few
examples. There was a strike a few months
ago in shop employing one hundred workers.
A number of them went to continuation school.
The Youth Section advanced the demand for
pay for Continuation School. This demand was
accepted by the Union. 1t was even fought for,
and WON-for one year from the date of the
settlement. Is there any wonder than that
now the shop has been locked out; that we lost
the young workers. In strike after strike the
settlements left out the shipping clerks, and
many times the Negro workers and the other
low paid workers. Settlements were made for
the skilled. We lost these workers. Opportun-
ist policies can only lead to giving up of strug-
gle and to the defeat at the hands of the
facists.
One Speaker-10 Minutes
At the convention the good (?) attitude to
the youth was manifested by the fact that there
was one youth speaker who received ten min
utes time. Very few, if any delegates discussed
the problem of the young worker And why
should they? They were delegates mostly from
highly paid skilled workers who were with us
for years and whom we have not yet led to the
organization of the unskilled workers.
Many problems face the Needle Trade Work
ers Industrial Union. If it is to march forward
it must devote much more attention to the
organization of the young unorganized I'M
skilled workers, and particularly to the young
Negro workers.
Dues must be graded according to wages; in
itiation fees must be lowered new young forces
must be brought into leadership. The TU.UL.
school must train a number of young needle
trade workers for leadership. In each struggle,
these new forces must be advanced and de-
veloped.
Each shop employing over five young work
ers must have a youth section. Building sec
tons where shops are too small, must be organ
lied A system of youth delegates must be
developed, All of these must take up the
struggle for the special youth demands, and
direct the whole Union to the struggle for
them. Not by placing full time youth organ
izers will the Union organize the young work
ers, but only if thorough understanding pre-
walls throughout the membership that it is i'm
possible to build revolutionary unions if the
RI
The struggle for more attention on the part
of the union for the organization Of the young
workers is insoubly tied up with the struggle
against opportunism in the Needle Trades
Industrial Union as well as in all TU.UL.
unions. The Young workers can and must be
organized if the Revolutionary Trade Unions
are to fulfill their duty