The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-14
The Lessons of
Shop Strikes
Led byNTWUI
MARTHA STONE

'k1lGl NdblOlld4 16ALu6 workers
4 Union has conducted eleven
shop strikes in Paterson, N. j.. in
the past few weeks. The lessons
of these shop strikes are important
for the whole textile industry
The strikes in most cases took
place after some preparation on
the part of the union. Union mem
bers reported to the office that
conditions were bad, the workers
wanted to struggle and that we
should do something about it."
Meetings of the day and night
shifts we're held where strike &C
ton was decided upon This is
quite significant, as the union Or
gani5ation is still too loose, strikes
taking place, members of the
union involved and in many
cases the union does not find out
until it is all over.
UNION WORK IMPROVED
Examination of these eleven shop
strikes shows decided improvement
in the character of the work of the
union. In one shop four workers
who belonged to the Associated
were won over to the National
Textile Workers Union. This was
accomplished because the approach
to these workers was that they
we're our workers. We convinced
them that we had one thing main
ly in mind and that is the winning
of the strike. After taking friend
ly attitude we we're able to win
over few to our union. In another
shop there were two weavers who
belonged to the Associated of
whom one was also member of
the SIP. AS q result of the shop
strike, this worker became d men,
Der of the Labor Sports Union, as
he was mostly interested in sports,
and not fully ready to become a
member Of the revolutionary union.
We found that in these shop
strikes, where we do not take
hostile attitude to the workers who
are unorganized, or members of
the Associated Silk Workers Union,
that we were able to netltralize
some elements and win others
over. Above all, there was no fric-
ton between our members and
those in the ALL.
THE result of all these shop
strikes, and the winning of the
majority of strikes did not bring
many new members into our union.
The reason for this must be care
fully examined. Firstly, the mem
bers of the union and in some in
stances, the organizers of the
Union heSitated in raising this
question before the workers in the
shop. In the Cohen shop, through
the proper work of union MEM
Der the shop was almost 100 per
cent organized in the union, and
organization with dues payments
in the shop exists to this day. This
was accomplished because it came
from inside the shop, and the
workers did not look at it as some
outsider, who came to build the
union. One woman told me, 81
always wanted to be in your union,
but did not know how to go about
it. Only when Mr.. L. passed the
application card to my loom, did
know that now I could be in your
union" There are hundreds of
such workers in the city.
Finally, one Of the obstacles that
the union still has to face in its
recruiting is the doubt and hest
fancy that still exists amongst
large numbers of workers. In some
of these shops, even after the
workers through our leadership
won the strike, the workers were
still skeptical, critical of us, and
wanted to see what the rest of the
workers in the city would do.
This hesitancy and doubt in the
minds of many workers can only
be overcome when the union will
ruthlessly correct its mistake made
during the last strike, and show
that it has gained from those eX-
periences and will not repeat the
same mistakes. The union must
prove that it is developing an in
ner and independent trade union
life, establishment of trade union
democracy, paying special atten-
ton to the development of local.
forces.
WHAT STRIKES TAUGHT
The work around the shops
taught the union a few lessons in
the winning of demands without a
strike. In one shop the workers in
the night shift were working 10
hours. The workers gathered in
front of the shop one day and de-
cided that the next night they
would quit after eight hours work.
They did this, leaving the boss
dumbfounded as he did not know
just what their plans were. The
workers maintained the eight
hours In another shop the work
ers used to come in to work at
$50 in the morning. They decided
TO start at Z am. instead. The
same procedure was followed and
the boss had to give in. Methods of
work, new methods of struggle can
be gotten right from the ranks of
the workers. Every worker in Pat
erson has experience in struggle.
Only through close personal con-
tact can we profit by the expert
ence OF these workers and apply
many new methods in our work.
At the present time, the N.T.W.U.
Is faced with growing struggles.
The eleven shop strikes reflect
the sentiment for struggle, and the
possibility to win demands today.
The need of the hour is rnity. The
workers must be united and upon
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