The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-20
P A r TY LIFE
Resolution of the District Buro Dist 5 on the New Haven
Shirt Strike at Lesnow Bros.

tually took the initiative in rejecting the offer
of the priest go The introduction of lighter
features into the strike meetings helped to main
tain their morale. 90 The mass sentiment in
sympathy with the strike, particularly in the
Italian section OF the CITY, was successfully capt.
talized, and we succeeded in getting the active
participation of workers from Italian clubs re-
ligious societies and even fascist organizations lin
raising funds and in circulating protest petitions
against the brutality of the police and the ar
rests. We have for the first time penetrated the
largest and most important foreign-born group
IN New Haven, the italian workers
The strike revealed a number of serious short
comings ON the part of the Party, the Y c. L.
and the T. U. u L.;
l. Although number of Party and League
members took active part in the conduct of the
strike on the whole the Party membership was
not modified and almost completely failed to
participate in an organized fashion in any phase
of activity
2. With few exceptions. we failed to mobilize
the non-Party sympathetic organizations and
their membership to support the strike.
3. The T. U. U. L., as SUCH was almost COM
pletey out of the picture, and its role was not
sufficiently brought forward in the strike; the
strike sharply brought forward the immediate
necessity OF removing Comrade Heder as T. u
u L. organizer and from active participation in
the strike leadership, due to his gross incom-
potency and the necessity OF demanding that
there be no further delay in sending us a capable
t. U. L. organizer Immediately. The Party
apparatus was seriously crippled for the duration
OF the strike, because leading Party function
aries had to drop all their duties to take over
the leadership and conduct of the strike
a. Although on the whole the Y. C. League
membership took part, they were slow in mob
ilizing their full forces, and they failed to take
a sufficiently leading role They failed in par
cular to utilize to the fullest extent the splen-
did opportunities for youth contacts and for build
ing the youth club and the union; on a number
OF occasions some of the Y. c. L. members
showed irresponsibility in carrying out instruc-
lions for picketing, visiting and other routine
duties in connection with the strike
5. The I. L. D. was not sufficiently modified
to develop defense campaign around the ar
rests and was too slow in getting started.
In the, conduct of the strike itself the chief
weaknesses were: ID The failure to involve
enough Of the strikers in active duties such as
picleting, etc. CO the failure to give out relief
which was one of the decisive factors: G, in
sufficient attempts to prevent scabs from work
ing: "a insufficient visiting OF all the strikers
at their homes: t5, lack of systematic recruiting
of members into union and foiure to fully
utilize the favorable opportunity directly after
the first group Joined the union in body; (6
slovness in attempting to involve other shops in
the strike and prepare them to fight the an
nounced wage-cuts; CD failure to prepare in adj
vance for an organized retreat when it became
evident that the Chamber Of Commerce would
refuse to permit the Lesnow bosses to negotiate
with the Strike Committee 90 slowness in fol-
lowing up the strike with energetic campaign to
build the union and reach the other shops.
The ending OF the strike, although it failed in
its immediate objective of withdrawing the wage
cut cannot be termed defeat in that the work.
ers learned the value Of organization. and went
back to work with sutrtantial part Of them
as members Of the union. A number of the strik-
ers having found jobs in other shops, giving us
a foothold with which to build the Needle Trades
Workers Industrial Union in those shops as we'll.
The strike has placed bef7~e us the following
immediate tasks, for which we must mobilize the
membership of the units:
l. An immediate organization campaign in
the shirt and dress shops in New Haven. to build
the union and to prepare for strike in the com
ing season. to organize immediate strikes in those
shops were wage-cuts are occurring If the stua-
ton appears favorable as to amount Of work in
the shop, and other factors. capable conlrade
must Immediately be sent In by the union as a
permanent organizer.
2 Follow up ths favorable sentiment, par