The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-01-31
NEED PERSPECTIVE IN
WORK IN THE SHOPS

WORK IN THE SHOPS
TT is clear that the report on the
steel concentration plant Gust
publishedl was based on q close
knowledge of the conditions in the
plant, of the working conditions,
the general conditions in the plant.
Moreover, the report reflects close,
intimate contact with the workers
in the plant.
First, / would say the report suf-
fered from certain lack of per-
spective, that is, narrowneSs. In
the valuable experiences and tao
tics carried out in making con-
facts, drawing in workers, etc, in
other words, developing q solid
personal contact which, it seems to
me, was the keynote of the report,
1t was not pointed out that this
is only means to an end and not
an end in itself. 1t is necessary
that we, as quickly as possible. pass
over to developing struggles on the
basis of the issues we sense, the is
sues we unearth among the work
ers, and not only department is
sues, and fit them into a perspec-
tive for the entire plant.
MUST KNOW DIRECTION
The Communist leadership and
Communist nuclei must know
where they are going in regard to
the plant and not work on the basis
of making three Of four contacts
here and there. All these small
streams of revolutionary discomfort
and ass-consciousness must be
merged into q broad stream di-
rected against the outstanding three
or four grievances from which the
workers III that plant suffer gener-
ally--lay-offs, a demand for no
more wage-cuts, against speed-up,
etc.
THINK the report did not suffi-
l GENTLY stress this, also it did not
sufficiently bring out the role OF
the Communist Party nucleus IN
politicalizing the work in the shop,
in connecting up these various
small issues which were very well
brought out, with the larger issues
which we must bring forward in
order to raise the political level Of
the workers and level of our strug-
gle.
While there has been no funda-
mental change in the work, there
has been an improvement i'll the
work, the composition Of the unit
has been improved. New members
have been brought in, the sphere Of
contacts broadened out.
But the report did not clearly
enough bring out the fact that we
do not have any union organiza-
ton in the plant. While it Is true
the shop nucleus has strengthened
itself, the union as such has not
been strengthened. The union
groups simply grow Wllly-nilly; we
simply make more contacts or add
their names, but we do not func~
ton as the leaders in the various
departments. The union members
do not pay dues, have no union
conferences, do not take up prob
lens as union members. This Is
very serious weakness.
THE comrade reporting also did
1 not tell us why $50 workers can
be brought downtown one de-
partment Gin fact the entire de-
partment) to RED hail." hall
which everybody knows is Com
munist hall. These workers are
boiling with Indignation, and then
what happens? They slip through
our fingers. Why? Evidently some
serious mistakes were made.
Also the comrade says three
wage cuts took place and there is
not even word on how we re-
acted. What we're the reactions
of the Party and union to these
Wage-cuts? Evidently we were
passive or confined ourselves to
weak agitation. The loss of men,
bers, the firing of many, was not
touched upon.
THE development Of small issues
i on the basis Of daily constant,
definite interests of the workers
that is the thing to stress.
The idea that only constant,
daily struggle will result in the
building Of the organization should
have been more deeply interviewer
in the report. We can go ahead
and make contacts, whether di-
rectly in the shop or through the
unemployed councils, but these
contacts will disappear unless they
are welded together by the con-
slant pulse OF struggle.
More than that, the sectarian
approach flows from not having
contact with the masses. Not only
do we often not know conditions in
the shop, but we do not know the
mood of the masses. There is more
firing and there is increased fear
of espionage, but, on the other
hand, who would dare to say or to
compare the militancy OF the work
ers today with the militancy and
discomfort of the workers two or
three years ago? 1t is much easier
today to recruit a member for the
Party from the shop, and this also
goes for the union.
The comrade who last reported
referred to the fact that went
out with a Comrade H. and when
l went into these Negro workers