The daily worker., 1933-11-16
Strike Wave Continues

THE huge strike which swept the coal and steel
fields though beaten back by the bitSerest armed
attacks and betrayas Of the A r. Of I. ofsciaidona
has given the greatest vitality TO the present strike
movement.
Uneven in It's intensity, aus to the tremendous
forces OF the government and the skebresking Green
Lewis bureaucracy srrayed against H. the strike wave
has entered fields
i No sooner is Lewis and the MIRA. successful IN
enaing the btumnous coal strike when the rank and
file force the anthracite nisleaders to call strike
no sooner do Cappelint and Msloney, sping Lewis
break the anthracite coal strike in one district when
thousands walk out in another. In every one Of the
strikes under the leadership Of reactionary trade union
ocals, there is sharpening and growing evidence Of
struggle OF the rank and file against their leaders
The greatest shortcomng Of this rank and file op-
position especially in anthracite and bituninous as
well In hundreds Of smaller strikes is the lack
OF an organized conscious group particularly led by
the Communist vanguard moding the fight and giving
it direction, strength and perspective
FROM the heavier industries, the strike wave hss
spread to lighter industries
For instance, in Pittsburgh the center Of big coal
and steel struggles, the Packing House Workers In
dustrtal Union has succeeded In calling a general
strike involving 1000 workers With every possibility
Of victory.
The strike in Pittsburgh has its echo in Los An
eees and Austin, Minnesota, meat packing plants
~ acSt Outstanding, or course is the strike in the
Normel Packing Co. plant at Austin Minnesota
Though members of independent union the In
dependent Union Of All Workers here too the rank
and file had to force their leaders to call strike of
$500. When the strike began the rank and file took
the initiative They entered and occupied the fac
tory, drove out the guards and officials; and forced
negotiations So serious was the situation so far az
the bosses were concerned that they had to call in
their old standby, the mer-Iabore Governor OIL
son. The Governor came not alone with his weasel
words Of denagogy but with the armed force of the
state, comprising ve company of the National Guard
He was able due to lack Of organized opposition 10
huiidoze the workers back with promises
FROM all these strikes two main lessons must be ham
mered home One is: Correct, panstaking day TO
day organizstiona work build the militant trade
unoins and lead strikes to victory, the packing
house strike In Pittsburgh Is excelIently showing
The other Is that the whole Party must set itself
the task OF penetrating the reforst unions especially
where struggles are going are imminent The
Communists must give leadership to the rank and rle
in these unions not from the outside not at an In
spired moment or in the heat Of struggle but con-
tinuously, In an organized way winning over these
workers and oustng their strikebreaking leadership
The Austin strike with its independent union and
the unexampled herosm and militancy OF its MEM
bers, shows the important task OF working II, the.e
Independent unions one Of the outstanding features
Of the present strike wave. All too little has been
done in this respect.
In its uneveness, nevertheless see the contn,,s-
ton and vgor Of the strike wavs. We must now work
harder than 10 lead II in liz next great sids,
sweep.