Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-08-24


Francisco we saw them at work
in Toledo, Minneapolis, Milwau-
kee, bringing these cities right
to the verge of a general strike.
A hundred potential San Fran
ciscOes exist today in the United
States, awaiting only the final
impulse, which in each case will
have that accidental character
of all events which operate as
the last straw which breaks the
camels back
Centralized Glass Forces
2. Beginning in a typical eco
monte" struggle over wages and
working conditions of lOngshore-
men, whose strike began in San
Francisco on May 8, which soon
became general struggle of the
entire marine industry of the
Pacific Coast, thGre took place,
step by step a concentration of
class forces in support of the
one and the other side which
soon aligned practically the en-
tire population into two hostile
camps: capitalist class against
the working class, with all inter
mediate elements moving toward
support of one or the other. It
struggle, "A test of strength be-
tween the two basic class fUrCes.
That means the economic strug-
gle was transformed into a 10.
Etical struggle of the first mag
nitude. The working class under
stood that if it allowed the con.
centration of capitalist forces to
defeat the marine workers, this
meant defeat of the entire
working class, general wage cuts,
speed-up and worsening of con
ditiOns: the capitalist class knew
that if the marine workers
should win their demands this
would launch general forward
movement of the entire working
class that would defeat the CAPT
talist program for their way out
OF the crisis, program based
upon restoring profits by reduc-
ing the general standard of liv.
ing of the masses.
Here was classical example
of the profound truth of the |
Communist thesis that, in the |
present period of capitalist de.
cline, a stubborn struggle for
even the smallest immediate de |
mands of the workers inevitably |
develops into general class bat |
ties, and raises the whole ques-
ton of state power and the re-
evolutionary solution of the crisis.
1t was the capitalist class which,
i'll panic before the rising giant |
of class action by the workers.
Historically cried out that this
strike, which they could have set.
tied very easily and quickly at
any time by the simple eXpedi-
ent of granting the workers de-
was actually revolu-
tlOnary uprising to overthrow
the whole capitalist system. OF
course, this strike did not have
revolution as its objective, but |,
only the immediate needs of the
workers. The unity of the work
ers, however, raised before the L
bosses the spectre of working
class power, of victorious revolu-
ton.
Bosses Aided by ALL Petrayers
3. The immediate results of L
the struggle can already be seen
IN their main outlines. The
strongest mobilization of work
ing class forces, in the four days
Of the general strike in San Fran
cisco, was broken up by the SUI
perior strength of the capitalist
.orces, because the latter includ-
I'd not only the combined (
strength of employers organiza- ,
ions, governmental powers of {
police, courts, and militia, but {
ilso and before all the official ap- {
Daratus of the leadership of the
Az of l. trade unions, local. in
fustrial and national, with the I
single exception of the elected
strike committees of the original 5
bodies of striking marine work {
ers.
But even with this tremendous {
Dreponderance of all organiza- {
5ional forces, the San Francisco {
capitalists could succeed to '
smash the strike only by COM |
Dining with violent suppression. '
md an hysterical anti-Red cam
Daign. a series of concessions of
,ery important character. The or [
ginal capitalist program of "op- t
IN shop" smashing of the mass [
rade unions had to be publicly {
enounced; all employers in the t
marine industry found them '
elves forced to publicly agree to /
reat with all the striking marine $
Unions whereby they had pledg- a
ID to stand or fall together, had G
o be recognized to the extent of c
providing for similar and stimuli $
settlement of all marine a
demands of all unions involved. 7
The result is, therefore, not a d
nipple defeat for the workers ev- v
n in their most immediate de- @
hands. but a compromise, while a
he moral gains of the workers. \