The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-09-03
Strike Strategy

airy leadership must show special attitude
OF understanding the masses, of leading with
out commanding or demanding service, but by
drawing the workers into the very heart of
the struggle where they lost their individual
aloofness where they lose the feeling that
the union Something outside of themselves) is
doing it, and where they become an integral
part of the mass struggles forging to the
front as mass leaders. Only by these means
will we be able to develop broad cadre OF
much needed new leaders.
The organization of broad rank and file
strike committees is a prerequisite for the de-
velopment of new leadership, as well as for the
successful conduct of the strike. These strike
committees cannot be considered merely as
subcommittee of the union even of our revolu-
tionary unions. The strike committee elected
by the workers will draw in workers who may
be members of the A. F. of l.. company unions,
in politics, ay be republican, democratic So
cialist, or members of our Party. The task of
the Party and the T.U.U.L. in this situation is
to bring forward the best and most energetic
members into the committee through the chan
nels of democratic elections, and by example,
by deeds, by the following of consistent class
program, by winning the confidence of the
masses who e.octed them. DOMINATING and lead
ing the strike committee and the strikers bring
ing them, irrespective of their political
ligious beliefs, into the revolutionary unions.
The old, not so very old, method of electinp
strike committee by the union, composed of
union members only, must give way to the
revolutionary strike strategy of rank and
file strike committee elected by the workers,
irrespective of the fact of whether they belong
to the T.U.U.L. or not.
Sometimes A Minority.
In some cases the adherents of the TUUL
may find themselves in minority of the
strike committee in the preliminary stages of
the strike. The recent strike of the Boston
Shoe Workers involving some thousands of
workers, found US in this position and so poorly
prepared were we for it, that although
revolutionary minority forced the election of
strike committee and won the leadership, we
lost it again and the strike was sold out by the
fascist leadership of Mead & Company This
was due y to lack of preparation for the
strike; q an opportunist position taken by the
leaders of the Independent Shoe Workers Union,
namely, that the strike was bound to be lost
because it was under the control of the fas-
csts, therefore, nothing could be done and we
should not get into a lost strike situation; 81
failure to expose the treachery of the fascist
leader, Meade 4) when a correct policy was
finally worked out, it was too late to carry it
thru successfully.
In situations Such as we 1ace1 IN the boston
shoe strike, the revolutionary workers must
press forward their program for the strike.
However, without retreating retiring from
the struggle, we must manifest patience and
develop the ability to convince the strikers and
the majority of the strike committee of the
need for revolutionary strike strategy. Where
the strike committee is composed of reformists
an is obviously betraying the strike, the
revolutionary minority must not hesitate to
expose them before the strikers even to the
extent of withdrawing from the strike COM
mittee.
Report Every Day.
The strike committee must have the ability
to keep in constant touch with the strikers,
reporting every day. They must learn to I'M
derstand their mood and keep the workers at
a fighting pitch, continually strengthening it.
self by drawing in new life elements from the
strikers who have shown initiative. The work
ers, at ali times, must have complete control
of the strike committee, and not allow the
committee to arbitrarily decide important
questions, to secretly negotiate with the en-
ployers, to accent, or reject conditions offered
by the employers or to call off the strike. All