The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-02-20
Party Recruiting Drive
January II March IS, 1882
THE PARTY IN THE DRESS STRIKE

discuss the directives for the strike with the
workers, but must also use the directives to
check up on the activities during the strike.
For only thus will we be able to control from
day to day whether the objective Is being
reached and the proper strike methods are being
applied.
One Of the most important detectives Of the
strike, in addition TO winning conditions for the
workers, is the building Of the union. This is
usually neglected and the workers finish the
strike without their organization being strength
ened. This must positively not happen in this
strike, and the union must come out OF the strike
vastly strengthened. This strengthening must
be not only In numbers, but In new forces that
will be trained into leadership for the union The
new elements in the union can and must be
trained for leadership. They come out Of this
period Of fight ready to struggle, not tainted
with any pessinism. They will provide new
blood for the union that will help to make it
a mass union
The core and life Of the union is the Com
munist fraction. The Communist fraction in the
the Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union is
our largest fraction-and yet 1t must be enlarged.
New blood must be brought into it out OF the
new elements in the present struggle. Out of
the new recruits that are brought into the union
the young Italian, Spanish Negro, American
and Jewish workers-must be won recruits for
the Party and YCL.
If the Party fraction performs these tasks
under the guidance Of the District, 1t will have
carried on real Communist work But this is not
all The Party sections and units have their
definite tasks. This is strike not of the dress
makers alone. 1t is strike for which the broad
est masses Of the workers must be rallied, for
this strike will be a rallying call for the other
trades Of the needle industry, for the building
and printing trades workers whose conditions
face sharp lowering under the attacks Of the
bosses. Therefore the Party must rally the mass
organizations. The Party fraction in the TUUL
must call to the support Of the dressmakers the
other revolutionary unions OF the TUUI, and
through the revolutionary oppositions in the
reactionary unions, also the rank and nle OF
these unions
But even here our task does not end. The
Party as such must plunge into the strike. Party
units and sections must assign forces for the
picket line and the other duties Of the strike,
SO that the workers will see that the Party is
not party of phrases but actually, as Party
gives militant support to the strike. Only in this
way will the workers gain faith in the Party
and join the Party. The Party and YCL mem
bers who are assigned for duty in the strike,
must be attached to the Party fraction and be
checked up not only in the fraction but also in
their units.
The District expelled charter member Of the
Party for refusal to go into the strike full time.
This Is setting the pace, and the District ex-
poets that the units and sections will check up
systematically and rigidly, 30 that intense Boil
shevik discipline will be established in and
through the strike The section committee and
unit buro members must set the example to the
other Party members. It Is not sufficient for a
section committee member to be able to explain
the demands and the character Of the strike,
and its significance at this period Of the crisis
1t is their duty, by example, to show the Party
members how to participate in the strike. Party
members failing to carry out their duty must be
mentioned by name. Only thus will individual
responsibility be established, and Party disci-
pline become fact.
This strike is Of extreme importance-and by
proper activity, check up and correction, many
Of the mistakes and shortcomings Of the past
strikes will be avoided-and the union and the
Party come out Of the strike immensely streng-
thened and inv1gorated In addition to winning
better conditions for the workers this will be the
best indication as to the success of the strike.