The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-09-01
r. JACK TOMBSTONE.
Article No. ,.

THE plan outlined by the T.U.U.L, for the
creation of a 100000 strike struggle fund
by November /, 1880, is an important step
forward in the preparation Of strikes against
wage cuts ond for the 7-hour day, etc To The
extent that the revolutionary unions and
leagues carry out this task, to that extent will
we be able to judge our ability to carry out
planned activity, to judge our ability to carry
out the other and even more important work
in preparing for strike struggle.
The whole period of preparatory work for
strike struggles must be fIlly devoted to pac-
ing before the workers the need for planned,
organized preparation for strikes. This is not,
however, orly ar theological preparation. but
must be nystazed organizatiCnally. The
setting up of shop organization committees
composed of those workers willing to carry on
the campaign within the Shop until suffi-
cient number of workers have been won over
and shop committee elected by the workers.
Too Slow.
Dangling in the rear of the masses has
been our favorite past-tme, which generally re-
suits in hastily-caled and ill-prepared strike,
or else, we enter the strike after it has al
ready taken place. The strike of the Illinois
miners last February is a glazing example of
weird strike strategy where the leaders of the
National Miners Union had not organized a
single mine committee, had not organized a
single rank and file strike committee, but de-
pended solely upon the miners responding to
the strike call The fact that 10000 miners
carried on splendid strike for many weeks
against the combined forces of the mine own
ers the fascist U.M.W.A. and I.W.W., and the
state government, showed the real fighting
mood of the miners, the depth of which had
not been plumbed by the leadership of our
revolutionary miners union.
The forms that strike struggle committees
assume, depends solely on the understanding
of the functions of these committees, the pur-
poses ard detectives of the strike In the
event of an approaching lockout, or strike, we
must Immediately popularize the election of
broad rank and file committees of struggle
against the lockout of strike committees which
must take the leadership of the struggle upon
themselves. If the strike lockout is de-
clared unexpectedly, the first organizational
stepFis the election of strike or locked out COM
mittees by the workers involved, and should
take place Immediately and before the work
ers have left for their homes.
Large Strike Committee.
The strike committee should be large and
broad in scope, representing all categories of
workers, especially the most exploited section,
the unSkllled. me size OF the commute ma
turally, depends on the scope of the strike. If
it involves number of shops or factories then
there will be number of strike committees,
with an elected central strike committee ex-
ecutive.
The strike committee has the task of carry
ing the struggle to a successful conclusion,
keeping a constant registration of the strikers,
pushing forward plans to still further broaden
the strike, organizes and leads the picket lines,
enters into negotiations, if necessary, signs
agreements, but only after the agreement has
been accepted by the rank and file. This does
not mean, by any means, the pushing to the
one side of the election leadership of the revo-
lutionary unions. on the contrary, it develops
the prestige of that leadership which should
become the leading center of the strikes
However, the strike committee must keep
constant watch over the A. F. of L. fascist
bureaucracy who will always be ready to step
in with fake settlements, modifying the work
ers to demonstrate before Y company union
building, against the fascist leaders, declaring
that no agreement entered into by the bureau
Gratis will be binding upon the workers. These
strike committees must become powerful in
struments in the hands of the revolutionary
unions for driving the agents of the bosses,