The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-03-10
Nv John sTEUBEN

participated In the conference of the
Trade Union Unity League on Feb
ruary 2T-2S. The delegates came from
local unions, leagues, factories and
minority groups inside the reformist
unions. It was the strongest--politi-
cally and rganlzationally-T.U.UL.
conference ever held, even though
the political preparations for the con-
ference we're weak.
The keynote OF the whole confer
ence was: "How to become better or
ganizers among the masses" which
means above all. how to strengthen
ourselves in the decisive sections of
the industry"
Because of the serious war situa-
ton on the one hand, and our fall
Ire to put into effect the decisions of
the Red International Of Labor
Unions to develop base in the war
industries. the conference was forced,
by the nature of circumstances, to
seriously take up for the first time
plish it. This explains why the con-
ference devoted considerable time to
the problem of building the Marine
Workers Union, the Metal Workers
League, and on how to make an in
road into the large metal and chemi-
cal plants in New Jersey and up
state.
Toward Basic Industries.
The most outstanding feature of
this conference, however. was not the
fact that the problem Of shifting all
our work towards the basic indus
tries was taken up, but that this most
important work was taken up in q
very concrete fashion. The type Of
factories each union shall concen-
trate on; how to make concentrated
activity In important factories not
point for resolutions or discussion,
but the major part Of the every day
work Of each union and league and
its leadership; how to organize the
apparatus of the unions and of the
TUUC in such manner that will fit
in with the policy of the union to
make shop work the main work; how
to shift our opposition work on
shop, ..,b and factory basis; how to
create united front movements on a
factory basis; how to broaden out the
Union leadership on the basis Of
Frawing the most active shop work.
crs in; how our shop groups shall
prepare for strike struggles; the kind
Of leadership the union must give its
chop organizations; how to develop
shop politics; the various stages in
our shop work, etc.-these in brief
we're the major questions raised in
The reports and discussion through
out the conference
Negro Work.
A very outstanding point in the dis
cussion was our position among the
Negro workers. On this question the
conference recorded that practically
no Roadway was made for the past
year. This is due mainly to the fact
that the TUUL unions in practice do
not conduct as yet their activities
among the most exploited and OPP
pressed sections of the working class.
To this we must also add the lack OF
understanding Of the specific Negro
problems that exist and therefore re-
quire special approach and special
demands for the Negro workers, be-
cause they are being exploited both as
workers and as an oppressed National
minority. Lack of decisive struggle
against white ohauvinism in the
ranks of the unions is also responsible
for the reason that we have so few
Negro workers in our ranks. The task
of drawing in Negro workers into our
ranks Is mainly task for the white
workers. This has not yet been clearly
understood by us. Even in the draft
resolution of the Bureau of the TUUC
the tendency of shifting responsibility
of drawing in Negro workers into the
vnions upon the shoulders Of the Me-
gro comrades themselves was ex-
pressed, which was an impermisSible
error and was sharply criticized by
the delegates.
The conference also took up at great
length the functioning of the Trade
Union Unity Council. 1t was pointed
out that the TUUC, while helping the
unions politically to develop programs,
to solve problems in connection with
strike strategy and opposition work,
did not, however, sufficiently direct
the unions organizationally, checking
up to what degree these programs
we're put into effect. The conference
also recorded that the leadership of
the council was narrow, consisting
only Of the office staff and that the
rest of the Council members were not
drawn into the daily work of the
TUUC.
Unemployment.
The weakest link In the conference as
well as in our work UP to the confer
ence, was unemployment. The unions
as well as the TUUC adopted the po-
sition in practice, that the work
among the unemployed is the task of
the Unemployed Council. With the
exception of few unions, the bulk of
the TUUL organizations have COM
pletely wiped their hands Of the I'M
employed. Unfortunately the confer