The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-05-07
The National Board of the Trade Union Unity
League Reviews Its Work and Outlines Its Tasks

the question Of the work in the factories, the
methods of work, the methods OF penetration
into the factories, the reorganization of the
TUUL unions and revolutionary oppositions in
the old unions on the basis Of the factory. He
pointed to the resolution on Work in the Fac
tories adopted by the RILU plenum and stressed
the final warning given by the RIIU Executive
that turn must be made at once with regard
to the work in the factories and that those trade
union leaders who are incapable or unwilling to
make this arm will be exposed by the RILU
before the masses, and their places taken by
workers from the ranks who are willing and
able to carry through these tasks Why was this
final warning given to the leaders by the RILU2
Because it is impossible to carry through the
leadership of the struggles Of the masses, to
develop the united front from below to prepare
and lead strikes properly without entrenching
the revolutionary unions inside the factories.
Unless the work in the factories is seriously
undertaken all other good resolutions remain on
paper. Stachel brought forward numerous ex-
anples with regard to the preparation Of strikes,
the leadership of strikes to show how the failure
to work inside the factories to base the unions
on the factories made it impossible to develop
and lead the struggles Of the workers 1881 wage
cut in Steel the second Lawrence strike, East
Ohio miners strike, etc., and the loss Of influ-
to the refornists in the course Of the strike
as a result of this PATERSON. The TUUL lead
ership which has not yet made the turn to the
work inside the shops is now before a test The
RILU has spoken quite definitely and sharply.
We must now give the answer. Not any more in
resolutions. But in actual work of penetrating
the factories and in building our organizations
there. The leadership Of the TUUL and the
unions must make themselves responsible for
directly undertaking the leadership Of the work
in a definite factory learn through experience
how to conduct the work, how to overcome the
obstacles and make this experience available to
the entire revolutionary trade union movement.
At present our leaders have too much the ten
dency to blame their lack OF decisveness and ini-
tative in carrying through the turn to the fac
tories OH the paSsivity Of the rank and file
workers inside the shops. While here and there
we can find this passivity to exist this is not
the basic cause. We can not make the turn by
denying the problems and difficulties raised by
the rank and file comrades in the factories.
These problems do exist. Our task is to help the
workers to solve them. But to solve them we
must have the knowledge Of the conditions in
the factories and the various problem This can
not be acquired merely by reading resolutions
This must be acquired through practical leader
ship and work in the factories.
United Front.
The RILU pointed out that the united front
tactic is the best weapon to mobilize the masses
for the struggle. Very often fail to realize this
and look upon the united front tactic as merely
some maneuyer in the course of the struggle. We
fail to realize that unless we watch every move
of the reforrnist bureaucrats, counteracC it and
eXopse it they are able to blame us for diSunity
Recently the social fascists have taken more and
more to maneuvering They are applying the
most radical phrases in order to nlislead the
masses We in many instances allowed them to
get away with these maneuvers. We did not ex-
pose them. We have underestiinaCed their ability
to maneuVer because re already spoke of the
complete fascination Of the trade unions, But
what do we see in practicef While we assured
the workers that the refornist bureaucrats will
not undertake strikes they do undertake strikes.
Thus we appear before the masses as ridiculous.
Instead we should have warned the workers
that seeing the mood of the masses Tor struggle
the bureaucrats will not hesitate to use the most
radical phrases in order TO fool the workers will
not hesitate to call strikes in order TO defeat the
demands Of the workers, to stop the development
of the revolutionary trade union movement. In
recent months we have seen in the USA how
this has proven correct. In Paterson and Law
renee the A. f. Of L. and its Musteite wings have
carried through such strikes. Just recently
they have carried through such strikes in East
Ohio among lie miners, among the longshore-
men in New York City. In Illinois we could see
the extent of the maneuvers of the bureaucrats
when in answer to demand for so per cent
wage cut on the part of the operators they an
swered with demands for 20 per cent increase