Voice of action. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1933-1936, 1934-11-23
Fight For Unity
I'm Trade Unions
By JACK srAcHEL
Acting Secretary Trade Union Unity Lea,

An important development with which we
are confronted is the rise OF Independent unions
affiliated neither to the American Federation
OF Labor or the Trade Union Unity League. The
number organized in these unions is estimated
to be 250000 or lilo the membership of the
AL and about double the TULL Their num-
bers alone would make the problem of our
approach and policy towards these Independent
unions major question.
What are the causes Leading to their organ
ization? In what industries have they been
organized? What are the tendencies making
for the growth of, or the arrest In. development
of these organizations? Considering these fac
tors will help us to estimate the problem before
us and to adopt the correct policy in connection
with it,
Why Independent Unions Rise
/. Why did the independent unions arise?
The growth of Independent unions is part OF
the great movement for organization among the
workers. taking place side by side with ncreas
ing strike struggles. The overwhelming major
ity of the workers in these independent unions
are in those organized since the beginning OF
last year. These workers did not wish to join
the ALL because of its policies and leadership
(see below, Point - but did not join unions of
the TUUL either because OF disagreement with
its program, fear of the red unions label, or
because TUUL unions have not been able to
reach these workers
Other unions have split off from the AFL,
these independents" represent leftward NOV
ing force in the labor movement, seeking to free
their mass of workers from the domination OF
the reformist bureaucracy, and willing to carry
on militant struggle and to build militant
class trade unions
2. In what industries do these unions exist?
The independent unions include some i'm
portant basic industries in addition to local
independents numbering many tens of thou
sands.
Chief among the former are the Progressive
Miners in Illinois, the Anthracite Miners Union,
The Mechanics Educational Society embracing
not only tool and die makers in the auto shops
of Michigan and Ohio but steel and metal
workers also. The largest independent union
in the country and largest in its field is the
United Shoe and Leather Workers Union num-
bering upward of $4,000 members.
Local independent unions embracing whole
factories and localities are to be found in the
metal, aeroplane, radio shipbuilding textile,
food, and packing industries Taxi workers,
furniture, lumber and agricultural workers are
also thus organized. very important develop
ment is the rise of such unions among white
collar, municipal and professional workers.
Already included are substantial organizations
of engineers, chemists pharmacists, teachers,
postal workers and Others.
g. Tendencies making for further develop
ment.
Conditions encouraging further growth have
been strengthened by the role played by the
AL leadership in the mass-strke movement
that is taking place. Increasing sections of
AFL workers are finding establishment, espe-
cially those newly organized in federal locals
in the mass production industries. Already
some of these federal locals have been broken
up and betrayed out of existence by the ALL
leadership or have been converted into indie
pendent unions.
In other cases the union has been converted
into local fighting organization within the
AFL. These are of course faced action by the
ALL bureaucrats which may bring the workers
into ranks of the independents. The tendency
increases as workers see the AFLs part in
enforcing the MIRA slave Codes making possible
company unions growth, enforcing high dues
and initiation fees overriding union democracy
and trying to break up locals into the crafts of
the old international unions.
The decisions of the past ALL conven-
ton at San Francisco California on the ques-
ton of craft and industrial unions will have
great bearing on further tendencies toward in
dependence. Already the Brewery Workers by
a vote of 28,000 to less than 200 has moved to
resist Ito the point of leaving the ALL the
attempts of the Federaton's Executive Council
to break them up into the various crafts.
AL Leaders Contributing Factor
The AFLs failure to carry on struggle and
win recognition in the basic industries and the
AFL leaders sellout to the Presidents COM
pany union plan TN the auto industry Tor IN
stancel are other factors that will increase the
tendency among the unorganized to join unions
outside the AFL.
4. Situation with the independent unions.
Not all the same in policy leadership and
program. Even though the massed member
ship generally represent more leftward-moving
workers. Some of these unions are no different
than those of the AL. The Progressive Miners,
and the Mechanics Educational Society are
headed by reformists (Pearcy and Smith who
have set policy of expulsion of Communists
and mlitants. The PIMA carries on the old
observation-disclosures policy of Lewis and is
otherwise also duplicate of the UMWA.
In the shoe industry the fight of the Shoe and
Leather Workers Industrial Union (then affil-
lated with TUUL) won the adoption of fairly
good militant class-prOgram at the amagama-
ton convention despite the reactiOnary, social
list and renegade cques. These have since
shown they can not be outdone by any of the
old reactionaries of the Boot and Shoe when it
comes to fight against the interests of the
workers. The cliques proved this at the con-
vention overriding the constitution and the
rights of the membership to arbitrarily rob
Fred Biedenkapp of his office after he was
elected National General Organizer. This was
tn 90 tha+r