The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-22


We are today witnessing the rapid
development of new revolutionary
trade unionism. For the first time,
the working class Of America, rnatur-
ing under the impact of postwar
American imperialism, Is on the road
to building industrial unions, with a
class struggle policy and with revo-
lutionary leadership clear as TO its
objectiveS and its role. It is not the
cropping, confused syndicalist- tinged
industrial ungonism of the IW.W
which battled heroically against the
class enemy but collapsed for lack Of
a'clear revolutionary program.
The new revolutionary industrial
unions LED by the Trade Union Unity
League embody all the militsncy Of
the industrial unions of the pre-war
period, But they are forging a pow
erful weapon aimed to unite the
workers for struggle to wrest inme-
date concessions from the capitalists
and to win their support in the reyo-
lutionary struggle to overthrow capt.
tahsn.
The experiences of the new reYolu-
tionary unions in the first years of
growth are widely scattered in the
revolutionary press and in fugitive
leaflets and papers OF the unions.
1t is therefore Of special interest TO
all workers to read the enlarged
number Of the January issue Of the
Needle Worker, published on the oc-
casion OF. the fifth anniversary Of the
Needle Trades Workers Industrial
Union, which is 8 summation of the
urGon's achievements of five years.
In q special, wel-organized and am
ply illustrated edition, many times its
regular size, the Needle Worker cele-
brates five years Of stormy struggle
II building the Industrial Union.
What a record of achievement it
presents!
Every page of this anniversary edI-
ton relates an aspect Of the many
sided struggles which has establish
the Industrial Union as the only
fighting organization in the interests
Of the needle workers.
Born in the first year Of the crisis
in 1929, beset on all sides by its enc
mics, the first of the unions of the
Trade Union Unity League steadily
grew from q small group Of 5000 to
mass union Of nearly 10000 mem
bers. Eight separate sections of the
industry are now part OF the Indus
trial Union Of which one section, the
fur workers, represents the majority
Of the workers in the industry.
Each Of the articles In the Needle
Worker contributes to composite
picture which makes the jubilee num-
Der an important historical record
Of the growth of a class struggle
union. In these we see the struggle
out of which new members were re-
cruited, the victories won by tn
workers and the problems ahead.
Ben Gold, Communist leader OF tn
union, in the leading article outlines
the immediate tasks facing the need
workers in the sixth year and stresse
especially the STRENGTHENING OF Ii
'nion against the N.R.A. and tn
Lovestonite enemies of the union.
irving Potash, secretary Of the New
York union, in a stimulating artic-
'sals with tire problems Of the need
workers in the A. F. Of L. J. Vino
radsky, organizer Of the fur unior
ists the successes Of the fur worker
Von after the many strenuous bat
les waged against the bosses ar
he defunct A. F. Of L. union. No 7
?. of L. officials can point to a COM
arabic record Of having estabnshe:
ne 35-hour week, a return Of TIL
1926 scales and an unemployment
insurance fund paid by the bosses