The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-28
Toward Unity in Shoe

A CONVENTION OF momentous Importance to the
shoe workers of the United States and to the entire
labor movement recently closed in Boston. Three
mass unions and number of smaller unions in the
shoe industry have combined to form the new United
Shoe and Leather Workers Union comprising nearly
10000 shoe workers in New England and New York.
For the first time in the history of the shoe work
ers it be said that the majority Of the shoe work.
ers in these two important shoe centers united
into one trade union. The new United Shoe and
Leather Workers Union should become q powerful
weapon against the shoe bosses and the government
in the coming battles of the shoe workers for the
Improvement OF their working conditions
The achievement of the amalgamation convention
can be credited only to the initiative and stubborn
will and determination of the rank and file shoe
workers 1t must be remembered that the two indie
pendent shoe unions which participated in the ANAL
garnaton the National Shoe Workers Union and the
Shoe Workers Protective Union were themselves born
in revolt against the A Of L.
AInalgamation would not have been possible if the
workers Of these unions not convinced that they
must break the chains forged by q set Of
bureaucrats and build rank and file controlled
gazaton for struggle and against the class colabora
ton policies of Cancellation and arbitration practices
by the Nolan-Mahan leadership which has meant
wage cuts and miserable conditions for the shoe work.
ers The rank and file wanted unity of all the shoe
workers hitherto separated from each other on craft
and sectional lines
FROM the outset of the amalgamation movement
the leadership of the Shoe and Leather Workers
Industrial Union supported the arnalgamaton move
nent
The convention succeeded in bringing about ANAL
gamation. The task OF building a new powerful trade
union capable of meeting the test OF the coming
struggles with the bosses in the best interests Of the
shoe workers lies ahead
Although the convention did not on all questions
lay down clear class struggle line nor decide for
the policies of industrial unionism for all centers
(although allowing the New York organization to
maintain its present individual form, it has accom-
pished important forward steps in laying the
foundation for militant union The rank and file
delegates who rallied TO the Industrial Union delega-
tons program succeeded in tearing down many of
the barriers which lay in its way They were able to
defeat many of the willy and sinister plans of the
Zimmerman Goyestoneite). Nolan, Mahan alliance
They voted against utilization with the A. F. of L.
(Which the Lovestoneites were maneuyering to put
over after the convention) and against compulsory
arbitration. They condemned the N r. A. and re-
fused to be party to any Of It's strike breaking &C
tions. They fought for constitution which would
protect the rank and file against national Executive
Board in whose hands all the power would be con-
centrated They adopted program Of immediate
struggle to better The conditions Of the workers in
the shops and to protect the interests of the Inen
ployed shoe workers.
must now be the task OF the workers to spread
their organization into every unorganzed shoe CEN
lev in the country and forge a real class struggle
union on national scale with shop form Of Or
sanizaton ana real rank and file control The rank
and Tile must never relax its vigilance against those
Who wiz attempt to defeat these detectives and who
wl again seek to turn the new union into an instr-
msat to aid the bosses in wage cutting and imposing
aew blows On Tic workers conditions
Although the convention has decided that the ner,
aIscn remain independent, the Trade Union UNITY
League viii extend its support solidarity and guidance