The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-06-20
Building Revolutionary Trade
Unions
By ANDREW ovERGAARD.

IN this article for the Party discussion want
primarily to deal with two questions: one
concerning the struggle against the right
wing, and the other, the organization of the
new revolutionary unions.
believe that there exists certain tendency
to think that with the expulsion of the Love-
stonites from the Party the struggle against
the right danger would be ended. But on the
contrary, the struggle against the right danger
must be intensified; especially against those
elements in the Party that act as brake
on the rapid development of the revolutionary
movement at this time.
One of the most serious of the right wing
tendencies is that of passivity at the present
time, when workers are demanding more guild
ance and more sacrifice from the members
and leaders of the revolutionary party, the
Communist Party. Some of the most glazing
examples of the right wing danger were seen
in the Pittsburgh District, where former lead
ers of the movement, like Otis and SCHNEIDER,
bluffed the Party for years. They were fine
verbal Communists, but whep the Party be-
gan to call them to responsibility they attempt
ed to shift the burden to the District Bureau
and the Central Committee.
Otis stated that he willing to admit
nat he was inactive, but he would not admit
TO any right wing errors. Otis and SCHNEIDER
who for years were leaders of the Westing-
house shop nucleus failed to bring a single
member into the Party during the recruiting
drive, xpd moreover, failed to develop a strong
shop committee of the Metal Workers Indus
trial League despite the fact that they were
given full charge of this work and most
favorable situation for real struggle existed
in the Westinghouse plant. Otis did actually
propose that we set strike date, regardless
of organization. BU this only reveals dan
h. nAi%, of tbe
masses.
Failed or Unemployment.
The same comrades failed TO carry on any
organizational work in connection with unem-
ployment On May the same comrades who
proposed the setting of a strike date without
organizational preparations, issued a leaflet
for the Westinghouse workers setting aside the
Party policy by calling for a demonstration
instead of Down Tools They also called on the
Westinghouse workers to boycott the prim
aries and join the Metal Workers League"
When these comrades were called upon to
correct their mistakes and help the District
Committee to carry on the struggle against
the right wing, they answered by organizing
a bitter factional fight against the Party. The
District Committee and the Control Commits
sion correctly expelled them from the Party
when they refused to change their course.
Now has the struggle against the right wing
ended here? No. Not by any means. In the
Pittsburgh District, in the heart of the steel
and coal industries, and the home of the West
inghouse shop, there are the greatest POSSIBLE
tiles for the building of the Party. But here
we again confront passivity and non-activity
on the part of great number of the old men,
bers who seem to believe that it is sufficient
to drift along as they have in the past: pay
their dues and come to meetings only when the
mood strikes them.
Passivity Must Be Rooted Out -
When new members come to the Party they
come full of enthusiasm and anxious to do
something. But when they see that the old
members refuse even to distribute leaflets and
leave this to the Party office, they soon be-
come demoralized and sink into the same
spirit.
In connection with the building of the new
revolutionary unions, there is not only passiv-
ity but actual resistance. The comrades, and
this applies to some members of the District
Committee, yes, and even to some of the dis
trict organizers, have not yet taken seriously
the Central Committees theses on the tasks
of the Party in building revolutionary unions.
Every member of the Party, from the rank
and file members to the C. E. C. members, are
in favor of building the Trade Union Unity
League, but when it comes to the actual build
ing of these unions and establishing them as
the independent leaders of the economic strug
giles of the workers. then I am afraid that the
Party is still tagging behind and that there
is very dangerous tendency to regard the
new unions of the T.U.U.L. as another flag
which we can occasionally wave to the masses.
I must here criticize almost all the districts,
as we'll as the &C. for not paying sufficient
attention to the most basic industries in the
United States-steel and metal.
We have a correct policy we agree that we
must concentrate on heavy industry, but when
it comes to release some of our experienced
comrades for the campaign in connection with
the Youngstown conference, we say we have
none; they can't be spared, etc. The Daily
Worker, the central organ of the Party, has to
be reminded by wires that need publicity
for the conference and the language press
carries little or no publicity.
Cadres Must Be Developed.
Of course / am thoroughly aware of the
weaknesses in forces everywhere, and it is up
to those of US. who are entrusted with the
leadership of the various unions to help de-
velop new cadres for the revolutionary unions
and for the Party. In this connection the
problems Of organization come to the fore and
must be thoroughly considered in the coming
convention. We must especially develop and
strengthen the organZational apparatus of
the Party because when the Party is weak
ganizationally the unions and all other organ
zations under control of the Party are weak.
~~I1~.