The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-09-26
For a Decisive Turn in Our Revo-
Iutionary Trade Union Movement

Onions again underlined the Importance and
necessity of work in the reactionary trade
unions we must recognize and declare that our
to organize the unorganized, to wrest the toiling
masses from the influence and leadership Of the
reactionary trade unions.
work in the reactionary unions with few In
significant exceptions is extremely weak. Only
in the recent period has there been some slight
attempts and in many instances systematic work
by the supporters Of the revolutionary trade
unions in the reactionary unions has disap-
peared
Everywhere the existing opposition groups in
the reactionary unions do not manifest the nee
essary activity in their work They do not uti1-
ize the very favorable circumstances for a de-
cisive struggle with the strikebreaking trade
union bureaucracy, for the mobilization of the
masses and the development of militant strikes
against the will and the resistance of the strike
breaking apparatus to carry through in prac-
tice the line of independent leadership in eco
nonic struggles.
The leadership of the work of the opposition
groups is very bad and very often these groups
are left entirely to themselves. This contempt
for the work in the reactionary trade unions
has resulted in the fact that such den1agogues
as Edmundson and Keeney, etc, very skillfully
utilize some of our slogans and often are quite
successful in utilizing the weakness and short
comings in our work.
At the same time, we cannot overlook the
fact that the A. F. L. is still in control of al
most three million members, that its official
machine is an instrument in the suppression of
strikes, that the Strengthening Of work in the
reactionary unions and the winning to our side
the broad masses of workers who still remain
under the influence and leadership of the reac-
tionary leaders is one of the most important pre-
requisites of the successful organization and
leadership of militant mass struggles Of the
working class.
There is no doubt that the active work in the
reactionary trade unions is becoming more and
more difficult. 1t is true that the trade union
bureaucrats do not stop at the mere expulsion
from the unions but they actually remove the
workers from the job. 1t is also true that the
reactionary trade union leaders resort oftener
and oftener to the use of gangsters in the strug-
gle with the active revolutionary workers, but
nevertheless this cannot serve as an excuse for
our passivity, this cannot under any circum-
stances serve as basis for the weakening of our
activity.
Revolutionary trade unions will become really
mass organizations only then when they will be
able to lead militant strikes to the end, and
paralyze the betrayals of the strikebreakng
trade union apparatus, if they will develop sys-
tematic and intensive work among the member
ship of the reactionary unions, if they will sue
coed in carrying on stubborn, patient work
among the members Of the reactionary unions
directly in the shops and factories, If they will
succeed in driving wedge between the masses
and the strikebreaking trade union apparatus, to
wrest the masses from the leadership of the
reactionary leaders, to lend them in time to
strikes and then organizationally strengthen our
theological influence.
If we will not develop with all energy and
perseverance our work In the reactionary unions,
IL will not be very difficult for the reactionary
unions to break strikes that are under our Lead