The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-06-20
PRE-CONVENTION DISCUSSION
Trade Union WOrk---Task of Party
Convention
Bv SOPHIE MELVIN.

all that of a unified Party - analyzing its
weaknesses and achievements in the light of
the tasks ahead of in real Communist
fashion. No longer will serious errors be given
the fractional group protection, but will ruth
lessly be exposed in a spirit of bolshevik self
criticism.
1t is therefore important that the pre-con-
vention discussion tackle those vital problems
which touch directly the life and development
of our Party The transformation of our Party
by the best possible methods, ard at the fast
est tempo-based on the correct Communist
line into a mass bolshevik party rooted
among the industrial proletariat.
1t is significant that trade union work has
almost been completely absent from the pre-
convention discussion columns. Yet it is ad-
1litted by all Party comrades, and in all OF
our documents, that trade union work, the
building of the T.U.U.L., is a major task OF
the Party. Not only major task of the Party,
but the phase of work which will build the
siren rest link between the masses of workers
and he Communist Party.
is almost a year that the revolutionary
trad, union center, the T.U.U.L., came into
exis cnce. With it came the birth of several
industrial unions. We find, however, that most
OF these unions are weak organlzatlonally,
Though extending their influence over much
3ed unions we can say that they came into
IL, nee as a result of militant and courage
ous struggles against the bosses and the A.
T. CT L. officialdon1, like, for instance, the
Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union, the
Miners. Textile, Shoe, etc.
Are these Unions the instrument Of struggle
for the workers in the respective industries?
Potentially, yes. But at present to very small
extent I'd like to deal with the Textile Union
particularly because know it best.
The N.T.W.U. in the South.
The outstanding achievement of the Textile
Union and of the revolutionary movement as
whole is the entrance and struggle in the
South For the first time a revolutionary
union, with a program of economic, political
and social equality for the black workers, en-
tered the South. And through its'courageous
leadership in the Gastonia struggle it has raj
lied thousands and thousands of native Amer
lean workers.
Our comrades entered the South without any
understanding of the peculiar conditions there
and with opportunist conceptions (Loverstone-
South reservoir of reaction) as to the pos
sibilties of developing struggles. The work
ers were many jumps ahead Of us. We were
overwhelmed with their response and milit-
ancy. But the Party was busy: there was
factional fight, and Weisbord at the time the
Gee. representative in textile, was out for
the highest bid General Secretary Of the Com
munist Party-Why not?). The comrades in
the field were clamoring for a program of
work, for policies.
The difficulties were great and Weisbord's
confusionist policies accentuated these diff
culties His policy of the rolling wave" sort
of cat-and-mouse game, catch every little
strike, once caught kill it and leave it (crudely
speaking it meant exactly that, prevented the
building of mill committees, and the planned
preparations for struggle. Organizers were
continually on the go. The fundamental Lenin-
ist teachings of building organizations rather
than depending on the spontaneity OF the mas
ses was absolutely discarded And only after
six months of work-at the October 18th and
18th conference in Charlotte-did our Union
put forward clear cut program of organiza-
ton to the many delegates present.
But with the removal Of Weisbord the Party
did not completely eradicate his policies. Our
work in the South continued in most dis
organized manner. Organizers being sent in
and withdrawn. The South became the talk
at plenums, conferences, and special meetings,
but as something obscure and mysterious,
rather then field of work that demands care
full guidance best forces, planned, systematic
and continuous work.
Our Union has failed miserably to build
basic units of struggle-mill committees. An
other method of work, and very important
one, that has been neglected by the Union, is
the building of rank and file committees of
action, composed of U.T.W. members, nom
union members, and our members.
Particularly is that true of Danville and
Greenville where the U.T.W. eyerts some in
5sfluenee and has some strength.
Since the plenum of the rarity, despite the
Il 4L, thara hoc
been little progress in our work. The Party
has made sudden switch, from textile to the
so-caled heavy industry. Birmingham and
Chattanooga became the points for concen-
tration at the expense of neglecting the work
a in our Historical points, Gastonia, Charlotte,
Bessemer City.
The work in the South must become, in real
ity, the major field of activity for the Party.
There we reach the real native American who
lis most exploited and most susceptible to re-
evolutionary propaganda and organization.
The South demands the best organizers and
such must be given if the work is to be car
red on in earnestness.
New Bedford:
New Bedford is the historical birthplace of
our Union. Here too the remnants of the op
b. portunist leadership of Wesbord, Keller, and
Dawson are still manifested in the daily work
of the Union. For instance, the continual re-
sistance, now .act, at one time active (headed
by Keller against the building of mill locals
Capitulatons to the many difficulties and OBJ
stacles in the building of these committees, to
legalsm 1.-THE question of mill gate meetings
with or without permission) Tive months ago