The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-07-22
By JACK STACHEL.

THE strike of 5000 workers in the Fisher
Body Plant in Flint an auxiliary of the
powerful General Motors Corporation lasted
about two weeks. While it did not end in
victory for the workers it has nevertheless at
least for the time being checked the wage
cutting campaign of the bosses in Flint and
in many other important plants of the General
Motors and others. This strike-the largest
single strike in the industry since 1921, one
of the largest strikes of unorganized workers
in the past period and lasting for two weeks,
excelled in only one or two cases during the
same period as to the duration of the strike
must not be looked upon as ordinary" de-
partment strike. Nor must this strike be
viewed as the lend" of a period. On the
contrary it is the beginning not only in the
auto and metal industry but throughout the
basic industries, of wave of strikes and
struggles against wage cuts and unemploy-
ment. 1t is because of this that the lessons of
this strike of which there are many, the mis-
takes, the shortcomings, as we'll the achieve
ments, must be studied by the Party and the
revolutionary unions. Particularly must we
study the new features under which the strike
took place, and the new characteristics of the
struggle.
Spontaneous Revolt.
This strike was a spontaneous revolt of the
workers against wage cuts and speed-up. The
fact that the Auto Workers Union was on
the scene a few hours before the strike, and
issued and distributed the leaflet that actually
brought the workers out on strike the fact
that the Auto Workers Union was able to
spread the strike to the entire plant, does not
alter this fact. The strike took place without
any previous organization. This weakness of
the strike left its imprint on the entire course
of the further development of the strike. 1t
g Zoo |E,,4 h. Fo,-
alarm to the Party and the T.U.U.L. in the
light of the perspective of the developing
strikes and struggles in the basic industries.
If we to organize to defeat the attempts
of the bosses to solve the present crisis at the
expense of the workers we must take the most
drastic steps to overcome this weakness
vealed in the strike, which exposes the basic
weakness of our Party organization in the
factories-the absence of live factory nuclei
and shop committees.
Strike Despite Mass Unemployment
This strike took place at the time of the
most severe and growing unemployment. This
important fact not only gives the lie to all OPP
portunist elements who cry about the impos-
sbiity of strikes during the period of unem-
ploynent not only exposes the ripeness of
the developing struggles against the bosses
offensive, but calls for the skillfu and ener-
getic application of the line of the Party in
establishing the unity of the employed and
unemployed. 1t calls for the development of
the new methods of struggle on the part of
the employed and unemployed in the struggle
against wage cuts, speed-up, and unemploy-
ment. This new form was clearly revealed
when on the second day of the strike of the
entire plant when at the factory gate over
1000 strikers engaged in mass picketng, a
few hours later the strikers, their families,
joined by large numbers of unemployed par
AIDED through the main street. of Flint, thus
raising the struggle to a higher plane. fight
ing for the interests of the employed and
unemployed.
Growth of Observation-Disclosures Offensive
of the Workers.
Another important feature of the Flint
strike the fact that the workers struck
despite the promises of the bosses that their