The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-02-01
By L. J. BPAVERMAN
Educational Director, Alteration
Painters UniOnl


Painters Union)
NEW YORK-The membership OF
the Alteration Painters Union has on
several occasions voiced its demands
for affiliation with the T.U.UL. This
demand increased and came to q eli
max at the general membership
meeting held on Dec. 10, at which
over 500 members were present, when
a motion was made and carried
unanimously for affiliation.
The leadership of the Alteration
Painters Union acted correctly and in
line with class struggle union poll
cies. They pointed out that while
they are not opposed to the affilia-
ton, nevertheless, before such action
is taken, and in order to avoid me-
chanical affiliation, it is necessary
to develop a very serious discussion
on the role and policies Of the TU.
UL., in order to convince every one
of the members of our union of the
important step that our union Is
taking through the affiliation.
SuL 4lCN W bAAC
trade union movement. Most OF them
had their first trade union expert
ence when they joined Our union and
it is for this reason, because of the
lack of training on the part Of our
membership, that the relations be-
tween the leaders and the member
ship must be very clear one and
the workers must be informed
very clearly to every move the union
makes in order to avoid any mis-
understanding that may arise dur
ing the process of struggle in the lie
of the union. 1t thus follows that
this question of utilization must be
brought home to our membership not
Just as a matter Of organizational
utilization, per capita, dues, ETC., but
as very serious task in the life OF
our organization, and If we view this
question from the above mentioned
point of view, it will mean that we
are going over to greater and better
organized struggles under the leader.
Ship and guidance of the T.U.ULJ
Born In SIuggte ~
The Alteration Painters Union was
not established Immediately as q
union. It functioned as an organizs-
ton committee for many months:
it led and organized strikes and onfJ
after the completion Of many VIC
torious struggles did the membership
decide to establish officially an AL
teration Painters Union.
The organization was established
by workers, members Of the T.U. UL
and other left wing organizations
who felt the necessity for an Altera-
ton Painters Union based on the
principles of left wing unionisn1. The
program and policy Of this organisa.
ton were in line with the class strug-
gle unions, namely, organization OF
the unorganized, rank and file lead
ership, improvement Of the condi.
lions Of the workers as against the
reactionary class collaboration poll
cies of the Brotherhood of the A. F.
of L.
The workers who became members
of the union were patiently trained
and coached in the policies Of our
union, and out Of the apathy that
existed amongst them for years, due
to the state Of disorganization, that
thew found themselves in because the
A. F. of L. never tried to organize
them, they were finally convinced
that the painters, like other cate
eories Of workers are ready and can
be organized.
For All Workers
The union started as an independ-
ent union that embraces all workers
regardless Of race, color, affiliations
ETC.. that has one aim in view and
| that is to organize the thousands oil
unorganized painters, whose working
conditions kept going down gradu-
ally, and having this aim in mind
and a militant class struggle policy
as guide, the organization began
taking root amongst the painters.
The workers in the trade stood by
and watched the growth and develop
ment of our Union. TO many II
meant that real alteration painters
union has come into existence. that
for the first time the alteration paint
ers were taking matters into their
own hands to put stop to the mis-
cradle conditions imposed upon them
by the bosses. Especially have those
workers realized the meaning OF the
union, who have directly and in
directly benefited out Of the union
On the other hand there we're many
thousands of painters who we're re-