The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-06
Montreal Workers
Repudiate the
Amalgamated
Canada or U. S. A., It's the Same Hillman Sell
Out Machine
Revolutionary Union and Party Learn Lessons
and Weaknesses in Situation

happened.
Wrong Theory
The result of this underestima-
ton of the growing radicalism and
willingness of the workers to
fight, this wrong approach and
series of errors, is that the revolt
became an organizational struggle
between the Amalgamated and the
A. G. G. L., based on the wrong
theory that the A1nalgamated bu-
reaucracy must be smashed before
the workers can strike against their
conditions. These errors carried
with them the equally erroneous
idea that such a struggle in the in
terest of the workers can be carried
out under the leadership of Cana
dian bureaucracy This was dema-
gogically sugar-coated with the ar
gunent that the A. G. c. L. bureau
cracy is not very strong, that they
have no influence among the tailors,
that under the trademark of the
A. G. c. L. we can carry on a class
struggle in theory and practice,
using it as a cloak for and bridge
to the revolutionary trade union
movement.
This wrong theory was accepted
by many workers and some of our
own comrades. This wrong theory,
which meant the liquidation and
not the strengthening of our union,
and an abandonment of the united
front tactic from below, led to no
criticism at all of the betrayals of
the A. G. G. L. and even went SO
far in Toronto, where the A. G. G.
L. had already discredited them
selves, to the discussion of a pro-
posal to set up a new independent
reformist union Many of the left
wing did not see that for the A.
G. c. L. to organizationally capture
the movement is step back again
to refornlism and not forward to
the revolutionary trade union move
nent; did not see that we cannot
successfully substitute class collab-
Grafton by class struggle, by
strengthening weak bureaucracy
so as to weaken a strong bureau
crazy in the hopes that both will
bee too weak to successfully inter-
fere.
Must Dissolve Confusion
While the errors are being over
come, great deal of confusion
exists. The left wing has not
Iearned how to smash the Anal
gamated apparatus, expose the class
collaboration policy of the A. G.
G. L., and strike against proposed
wage cuts as part of one struggle.
The openly announced strike-break
ing policy of Hillman in united
front with the employers, plus the
united front program of demands
and strike action proposed by the
N. T. L. u, the setting up OF
broad rank and file union shop and
strike committees, which will lead
the struggle against the wage cut,
can and will smash the ANAL
gamated bureaucracy, draw the
workers away from the influence
of the A. G. G. L. and into the revo-
Il, t,.ad
Must Defeat Hillman
1t would be a mistake to think
that because the majority of the
workers in Montreal have repu-
dated the Amalgamated that Hill
man is defeated. He is not. His
strength does not depend on the
support of the workers; his strength
depends on the support of the en-
ployers and all their resources will
be used to beat the workers back
into submission. 1t is not going to
be an easy or a short struggle.
However, with a correct program
and militant strike policy a decisive
struggle will begin that can build
the N. w. I. U. into mass organi-
cation which will be decisive fac
tor In the clothing industry of
Canada. The revolt is taking root
in Toronto and Hamilton. The
Needle Trades Workers Industrial
Union OF the United States can be
of real assistance by taking full
advantage of the repercussion that
the Montreal revolt is bound to have
among the rank and die of the
Amalgamated in the U. S. A. Keep
the Hillman apparatus SO busy over
there that they won't have any time
to spend over here, and the left
wing will be better able to defeat
the Made-in- Canada bureaucracy,
and lead the workers In successful
ystrike struggle.