The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-10-06
On the Carrying Out of the
18th Plenum Decisions
LESSONS OF THE MINERS STRIKE AND TASKS OF THE
N.M.U. AMONG NEGRO MIN ERS

idarity. From the outset the basic demand of
, the Negro miners, Equal rights including wages,
ETC., no discrimination in work assignments was
placed forward as a main strike demand, and a
constant agitation for solidarity was carried out
by the union among the masses of miners.
It would be incorrect however, to fail to re-
cognize that this unity was to considerable
extent spontaneous; that the objective condi-
tions in the coal fields we're particularly favor
able for the development of working class SOL
idarity among the miners. The increasing star
walton and slavery among miners prior to the
strike has brought masses of them, both Ne
gro and white, to regard unity in the struggle
against the operators as an economic necessity.
Hence their broad acceptance of our program
in this respect.
The chief shortconing of our Party and Union
however, consists in the fact that we allowed
the question of unity of Negro and white work
ers to remain too long at the elementary stage
Of unity in the struggle for equal rights on the
job, unity as an economic necessity. In other
words, we did not sufficiently politicalize the
strike in the direction of the struggle against
Negro oppression. Concretely, Jim Crowism is
rampant in many mining towns throughout the
strike area. Not only are Negroes segregated
in regards to residence in the company patches,
and in mining towns, but they are also dis
eliminated against in public places and in
stitutions-restaurants theatres swimming pools,
etc.
1t is obvious that by involving the miners in
actions for the smashing of Jim Crow laws and
practices in the mining committees, our union
could have succeeded in breaking through much
of this Jim Crowism and in this manner would
have found way to still broader strata of the
Negro miners. Such actions could have taken
ST 0f Yo1oo
ing against Negroes, the establishment of mass
picketing before these places with placards con-
tanning slogans, the sending of delegations of
Negro and white miners elected at protest mass
meetings to local authorities demanding the ces-
sation of these Jim Crow practices, etc, etc.
The most opportune time for such actions was,
when the mass movement was in full swing.
Moreover the drawing of masses of white
workers into active struggle against jim Crow
ism (Which is chauvinism in practice) is part
and parcel of the struggle against chauvnistic
tendencies among them On the whole the or
ganization of mass actions against local JIM
Crowism would have resulted in the raising Of
the whole movement to higher political plane,
and would have placed the unity of Negro and
white workers on more lasting basis. Our
failure to organize such struggles resulted in
the loss of great opportunity by the Party and
union OF CIle SCrlKe IN regard
to the Negro question. Therefore this failure
must be regarded as a major political short
coming of the strike as whole
The Scottsboro and Camp Hill affairs also
provided excellent issues for the politcalization
of the strike in regards to the struggle for Ne
gro rights. Wherever She question was brought
forth sharply favorable results were registered
by our Union, both organizationally and in in
creased influence. For example Negro miner
is reported to have said that he supported our
Union, not because it put forth the demand OF
equality for the Negro miners pointing out that
the strike breaking U.M.W.A. also included in
its constitution clause on equality, "but be-
cause the NMU. fought for the release of the
Scottsboro lads" Our shortening in this re-
gard lies in the fact that we did not systematical-
ly organize the participation of union in this
campaign. Our activities were mostly confined
to adoption of resolutions and sending of tele-
grams, True special meetings were called by
the LID. but these meetings were badly or
ganized and the participation of our Union was
weak TO be concluded tomorrow