The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-09-06
Strike Strategy

Sidney Hillman, president of the company
unionized Amalgamated Clothing Workers is
an adept at these practices and has been
able many times to demoralize the revolution
airy minorites, allowing even members OF the
TU.U.L. to hold official positions in the union.
Local 81 Of New York City is an outstanding
example of this wrong policy, where some OF
the officers of the union, although members
of the T.U.UL. and Communist Party, are not
fought by the Hillman machine because they
adhere strictly to the constitution, as if it was
this piece Of paper that ruled the union and
not the employers and their fascist agents.
These comrades are holding office by suf-
ferance of Himan who arbitrarily removes
candidates from the ballot, expells them from
the company union and the shop the moment
they bring forward class struggle program.
Constitutionalsm within our own ranks
must be rooted out. 1t expresses an underes-
tmation of the power of the workers to strug-
gle and an overestimation of the strength of
the fascist company union apparatus, and
shows fear of the workers conducting and
leading independent strike struggles which re-
suits in sporadic unofficial unprepared strikes,
or sensing the discomfort of the workers and
with the consent of the employers fake strikes
are called by the fascist leaders who hold bu-
reaucratic control of the strike, keep the work
ers from picketing, eventually settling the
strike upon prearranged wage cut.
This dangerous method adopted by employ
ers and their agents, especially in the clothing
industry has been quite successful for the en-
ployers, but only because our revolutionary
union had no organized contacts with the rank
and file of the company unions, and until re-
Gently the policy followed by our comrades was
wrong. With a correct policy the calling of
fake strikes will not be INDUCED in SO often,
because the instincts of the workers is to
fight and fake strike can be turned into
real strike under the leadership of a rank and
file strike committee.
Stay in the Struggle.
To leave the A. F. of L. company unions
is running away from the strugg'a. We must
stay whiting these company unions and carry
out the task of exposing the treachery of lead
ers, of pointing out to the workers in impos
sibilit of winning conditions through the COM
pany union apparatus and of the need OF
smashing the company union apparatus, not
through the constitution, or fighting for mere
constitutional changes, but by winning the
membership to the program of class struggle,
of the workers, taking the strikes into their
own hands, of setting up united shop COM
mittees drawing them under the influence and
ary unions.
Arouse Workers Initiative.
In strikes involving members of the COM
pany union, it is especially important to arouse
the initiative of the workers to bring wide
masses into action. Only in this manner can
we break through the united front of the fas-
cist leaders, the employers and the police.
In this period of high technical development
and rule Of finance capital, Of crisis, unem-
ployment and the rising mood of the workers
to struggle, the employers more and more will
depend on the fascist A. f. of l.. leaders to
break strikes As strikes develop, these agents
Of the employers will be called in to do their
strike breaking even in industries that have
heretofore refused So far to accept their prof
fered services. So while we must not over
estimate the strength of the company union ap-
paratus 70 fool and lead the workers. we must
not underestimate the strength and power of
the united front between the fascist leaders
and employers to smash strikes.
More and more the economic strike assumes
greater political significance for the whole
working class, therefore the question of broad
ening the strike becomes imperative.
Single shop strikes should be spread to other
shops. Department strikes into factory strikes.