The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-03-26
the Marine
Workers Industrial
Union
Resolution of POIitburo, Central Committee
C. p. U. S. A.

Resolution Of PoIitburO, Central Committee
C. p. U. S. A.
THE building of the Marine Workers Tndustriag
Union and the development OF its struggles
among the seamen, longshoremen and harbop
workers is one of the most basic tasks of the
Party. This task becomes doubly important with
the sharpening of the war danger. The pubs
hshed resolution of the Marine Workers Induso
trial Union should be studied carefully by the
Party membership, especially in all sea and lake
ports and the entire Party force devoted to the
realization of this resolution
One of the main tasks of the Marine Workers
Industrial Union in the developing war situas
ton is to prevent the shipment Of munition
that are now being sent to the Far East. To
do this requires the developing of minoritieS
within the A. F. of L. unions, and the building
OF united front movements with the A. F. OF l..
and unorganized workers. But the responsibility
for this important political task must not rest
solely with the M.WLU. Fully responsible also
are the Party districts in which there are ship
ping ports.
We must recognize and sharply emphasize the
fact that the Party has not given sufficient at
tention to the building of the Marine Workers
Industrial Union. Notable instances of this ne
glect being in the Philadelphia, Boston and New
Orleans longshoremen's strikes, in which the
Party made poor mobilization of it's forces in
addition to making a number of serious errors
in policy. This weak mobilization must be over
come and a full realization developed on the
part of the membership that this task is basic
to the work of the Party as whole. The re.
solution of the Marine Workers Industrial Union
points out the fundamental necessity of the
union developing struggles around the imme<
dlate economic demands of the workers, for an
aggressive recruiting campaign with greatly add
ed emphasis upon the organization of the long,
shoremen, for the organization of the unemploy.
ed workers and the linking up of their strue~
giles with the unemployed generally, for inten-
styling the work in the reformlst unions, for
the development Of program of demands for
the Negro workers, for stabilizing the organiza-
ton structure and financial system OF the I'M
ion These points touch the basic weaknesses
Of the Marine Workers Industrial Union and our
efforts must be directed towards correcting them
along the lines indicated in the union resolu-
ton.
In the work on the waterfront special atten-
ton must be given to combating syndicalist
tendencies amongst the seamen Such tenden-
cles are strengthened by the nature Of the sea-
mems occupation and background that is the
migratory character of their work, their lack of
home life and social contact with the rest of
the community their Acknowledgement polite
ally and the usual lack of participation in the
general political activities of the working class
their consciousness of strong economic power in
contrast with their political disfranchisement
and isolation, etc. The syndicalist tendencies
manifest themselves chiefly by an underestima-
ton OF the Importance OF political action, which
anti-Party elements undertake TO develop into
direct opposition to our Party. 1t is necessary,
therefore, to carry on an theological Campaign
to liquidate such syndicalis illusions and to paw
special attention to drawing the marine workers
INTO the general struggles of the working class
ana TO connect them up with the political and
social life of the workers. Mass organization of
the longshoremen will facilitate this linking of
the seamen with the struggles Of the body of
the working class as well as lending organiza-
tlonal stability to the union because of the more
steady residence of these workers
It is necessary for the Party to break down
the present tendencies towards isolating the
marine work from the general work of the PARTY
One OF the means to this end is to draw the
leading Party members in the marine industry
into the leading committees OF the PARTY Dis
tricts and also for the local PARTY leaders IN
participate actively in the work of the fraction
and to report regularly upon it to the District
Buros.
The question Of the organization OF the Marine
Workers Industrial Union should be kept promi-
nenty to the front in the local TU.ULs and
every effort made to mobilize the TUUL. unions
locally for this work. Each Party district shall
work out a program of building a special water
'front.' Party section, where possible In line with
the program adopted by District Two
Fundamental to the solution of the problem
OF strengthening the Party work on the water
front and for the Marine Workers Industrial
Union to connect up the struggle of the marine
workers with the rest of the working class is the
initiation Of vigorous and persistent PARTY
recruiting campaign among these workers This
is particularly necessary at this time in con.
nection with the war danger.
Each coastal District and section shall work
out complete plan of action in line with the
resolution OF the union and of the PolitblIro
Steps shall be taken at once to put this into ef-
feet. At the next Plenunls of the District conn
mittees in the coastal districts, the question of
the building of the Marine Workers Industrial
Union shall be on the agenda as a special order
OF business. The Politburo shall send repre-.
sentatves of the Org. Department of the Cen.
trail Committee to the coastal districts to take
up concretely this whole work. but in the mean-
time the work shall be begun by the Districts
ta1v II, linz unity Dc