The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-03
Problems Facing Auto
Workers Union in
Present Situation
BY ]. WILSON

BY J. WILSON
This year in the auto industry we
are again faced with impending
strike struggles.
The shops here are like a powder
key, aIsd spark will result in wave
of strikes that will by far surpass the
strikes Of last year, not only in the
numbers involved, but also in mill
fancy and bring the workers in q
sharper clash with the state, which
will give a more decided class char
acter to the struggle. The spark may
be the Toledo or Milwaukee situa-
tons, it may be strike of the M.
E. S. A., or of the A. F. of L.
The task of the Auto Workers
Union, the class struggle union, is to
prepare the workers who are in these
unions for q militant policy of action,
based upon the principle Of the class
struggle. The task of the A. w. U,
members in the shop must be policy
Of United Action.
AS yet the big majority of the work
ers are unorganized. The task of
the A. w. U. members is to form
groups in the plants, these to lead to
the forming locals. Now, on these
groups, workers who are gotten to-
gether will be workers who want
action, not those who join union
just to talk.
Must Be Ready With Action
When these groups are gotten to-
gether we must be on the job to see
to it that they are given action. They
are looking to us for proposals, for
leadership Work with them to issue
leaflets, stickers, ETC., on their griev-
ances. We must not only tell them
what to do but we must also be doors.
1t was this policy, Of getting the
workers together, and carrying out
the tasks mentioned above, that re-
suited in the strikes last year.
Last year they wanted action. This
year they want it even more. In the
last few weeks there have been Is or
more strikes in the shops of depart
mental nature. Some have been led
by the A. w. U. Most Of these have
been spontaneous, but the workers
elected committees to present their
demands. Practically all have been
successful.
Here is an example of how one was
carried on by the A. w. U. A group
of workers We're gotten together from
a department at the :. Co. We
took up with them the grievances in
their department. After a long dis
cussion they decided to call another
meeting with a broader representa-
ton.
Action Comes First
At the following nesting. IA we're
present. One worker suggested that
the main thing was that they all
join the A. W. U. pointed out that
there must not be precondition that
those coming to the meeting must
join the A. w. U, but that we get
together to plan some action to bet
ter our conditions, and that on the
basis Of the action we carry out We
ask them to join. This they agreed
on. The result was that they took a
vote and 10 joined the union and
formed a local Then after quite a
bit Of discussion it was decided that
some action be taken, the main de .
mends being a Is per cent increase
in wages and no piece rate schemes.
A committee was elected to get out q
little 4" by 4" leaf1et, another COM
nittee was elected to distribute them
Sin the plant the next morning, 500
we're made. Another committee was
elected to steer the action.
The steering committee was not
decisive enough, so that when the
superintendent called for commit
tee, the steering committee fell down
on the job. The line struck for As
minutes, and the company promised
substantial raise and no piece
work. Then the men returned to
work.
When preparing for action in the