The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-08-07
Two Lessons from the New
England Textile Strikes

strike last February proved this). The failure
to take this preparatory step enabled the COM
pany to play the workers of one mill against
the other. The weavers of the Shawsheen Mill
near LaWrance) were given important improve
ments The same for the magazine loom weaYers
in the Maynard mill. The loom fixers in the
National Providence (near the Weybosset were
given promises" for the future.
"a. There was insufficient preparatory agi-
tation with leaflets, the press, etc. In many
cases We tended to be at the tail end of the
masses in our agitation, backing down when the
red issue was raised by workers still suffer-
ing from capitalist theology wrong attitude to-
wards Daily Worker, the Soviet Union. etc..
The effort to correct this swung to the other
extreme (artificially raising political issues,
revolutionary phrasemongering, etc..
(S Immediate organization work was ham
pered in the strike by the fact that no efforts
we're made to collect strike fund before the
strikes were called.
have emphasized the shortcomings in the
preparatory work, SO that they be corrected
in other strikes. At the same time we must
recognize the many good features in this prep
aratory work building up of the N. T. w. q.
and its mill locals weeks before the strikes COM
menced, leading up to the present strikes
through departmental struggles which
many important demands, etc.. In Putnam,
for example about 80 per cent Of the Salzberg
and Bloom Mill workers joined the N. T. w. u.
before the strikes.
1t is clear that am dealing here with strikes
called by us and not spontaneous strikes.
We must also remember that significant
feature of the strikes is the fact that we were
able to defeat most of the classical strike break
ing moves Of the company and the government
Paterson will go through similar moves Citizens
committees fake votes, terror, etc..
(2) On Calling the Strike.
1 The Strassburg resolution of the r. I. L. U. on
Strike strategy declares: "The task Is not TO
declare strike, one would pronounce de-
gree, without serious preliminary preparation of
the masses for struggle" The readers will re-
fmember that this was the decisive mistake COM
nitted in the unanswered strike call on the
Philadelphia waterfront. The decisive point Is
prepare the strike, properly gauge the mood Of
i the masses in the mill for the strike action,
judge the proper moment for calling the strike,
etc.
The following is the basic procedure in calling
the strikes. When the preparatory work is well
under way the workers are ready and the strike
moment is here, we send a representative COM
mittee of the mill workers in to present the de-
mdnOS 10 Cne employer (tne mill or SCrlKe COM
mittee). Immediately after the negotiations this
committee reports to mass meeting Of the
mill workers This meeting decides on the ques-
ton Of striking.
insufficient attention has been paid to the
proper organization Of this mass meeting 1t
can be held on lot or large enough hall in
the immediate vicinity Of the MILL or in a large
enough room in the mill ITSELF If the bosses
be kept out. Strike meeting halls and lots
should be secured well in advance of the strike
date They are decisive
The Royal strike (PawtuckeU was voted for
at mass meeting held right in the mill. The
meeting listened to the report of the commit
tee and the walkout then proceeded. This in
side meeting. however. should have been fol-
lowed immediately by an outside lot meeting,
so that the bulk Of the 1900 workers could par
ticipate.
The Weybosset strike (Providence) was called
right in the mill. The mill committee called
upon the workers to stop all the machinery
while the negotiations with the mill manager
were under wayA When the demands we're
turned down the committee went from depart
ment to department reporting this to the work.
ers and calling them on strike. The whole mill
responded.
The Salzberg mill strike putnam, Comm was
called by the N. r. w. U. mill local. union
member was fired without justification. The
attempt by the committee to adjust the matter