The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-05-07

THE National Executive Board of the Trade
Union Unity League met in New York City
on April 20 and 81. In addition to the regular
members OF the NEB there were present a num-
Der of comrades from the factories, the organ
izers Of the most important districts Of the TUUL
and other active workers in the revolutionary
trade union movement, among them comrades
active in developing the opposition work in the
old unions, railroad workers. building trades work.
ers printers and others. Comrade Minerch of
the National Miners Union was elected chairman
for the first day and Bill Sroka of the National
Textile Workers Union, recently released from
jail, having served a six months sentence in
connection with a textile strike in Putnam,
Conn, was elected chairman for the second day.
The agenda was the report on the work and
decisions of the 9th session of the RILU Cen
trail Council by Conrade Stachel followed by
reports OF the secretaries of the National Miners
Union (Borich), of the Metal Workers (deldon),
the Marine Workers (Hudson), the Textile
Workers (Burlak), the Railroad Workers League
(Wangerin), and report on the New York Dress
Strike (Wortis) as the first point followed by
report on the tasks of the TUUL unions in the
work among the unemployed OF particular i'm
portance was the report of Comrade Foster on
the work In the reformst unions In addition to
these main points there we're reports on Labor
Unity, the campaign against deportationS, with
special resolutions against lynching for the re-
lease of the nine Scottsboro boys protest against
the decision on Mooney, Defense of Soviet Union,
etc.
Significance of RILU Plenum
Conrade stachel in outlining the work OF the
RILU plenum emphasized that the plenum was
especially significant for two reasons. First be-
cause it met already at the time when the jap
anese iInperalists having invaded Manchuria
were threatening at the borders OF the Soviet
Union. Secondly, while the plenum Of the RILU
did not have the same Importance as the 4th
Congress when the basic line of independent
leadership was laid down or the 18th Congress
which elaborated on the basic line and laid down
basic organizational principles it the first
plenum of the RILU in which it was possible to
review the lessons OF the struggles carried on by
the RILU sections in the various counties under
their own leadership since the period between
the 5th Congress (July 1890 and TIE 9th ses-
sion December 1881 was the period during
which whole number of the -RILU sections led
important strikes and unemployed struggles.
Preparation of Struggles.
In reviewing the work of the plenum Conlrade
Stachel emphasized the main points first, the
preparation for strikes, concretely pointing out
the mistakes made by the TUUL unions in the
failure to properly prepare the strikes penn
miners strike kentucky, textile strikes, Of Law
renee and Paterson, etc.. Secondly, the posi-
bility OF the development Of other forms Of eco
nonic struggle than mass strikes Exposure Of
conditions, stoppages, protests, slowing down on
the Job department strikes local strike, etc.,
not as an end in themselves but as part Of the
development Of the day to work of the unions
development Of the day to day work of the
unions and in preparation for mass Struggles.
Already it was possible to give number of illus
trations in the work of the Metal League INC
Keesport, Mansfeld), OF the Shoe Workers In
dustrial Union, to prove how effective these
other forms Of struggle can be. He emphasized
that at the present time our unions, though no
longer purely in the agitatonal stage, still suffer
considerably from this. They confine their work
to agitation and propaganda and this activity
is punctuated by strikes from time to time de-
pending mainly on the spontanety Of the mass
es Lawrence, mining, etc., thus the unions in
between strikes carry on no day to day strug
giles Under such conditions they can not prop
erly prepare strikes. He further emphasized that
the question can not be put as some perhaps
have tendency to do: preparations or strikes,
partial struggles or mass strikes, but that the
question must be putt preparations for strikes and
the others forms Of economic struggle, the day to
day work. part OF the preparations for mass
struggles.
Work In the Factories
The two main questions dealt with at the
RILU Plenum were the questions of work in
the factories and the tactic Of the united front.
Tto,,,rada gfanhaI gave the ma tnr attention to