The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-09-29

] JlOQ WHICH is SO meQaClQg Tor J06
entire labor movement demands
the united action of all workers and
all workers organizations to defeat
the bosses attack. We believe fur
thermore that if such an approach
is taken that it should be possible
to create in this country a UNITED
trade union movement, and not
only of the millions now organized,
but of tens of millions, most of
whom still remain unorganized. We
repeat to the whole labor move
ment, to the whole working class,
that we on our part stand ready
today as we have always been ready
to do all in our power to create in
this country a strong and united
trade union movement. We also
must repeat therefore that the re-
sponsibility for the division in the
trade union movement which has
weakened the struggles of the
workers and above all has kept
millions of unorganized away from
all unions lies upon the shoulders
of the A. F. of L. leaders who have
split the labor movement.
One Union in Every Industry
While it is true that the Trade
Union Unity League is based upon
principles which differ fundamen-
tally from those now being put into
practice by the leaders of the A. F.
of L. unions-such as our policy of
struggle against the employers as
against the A. F. of L. policy of
common interest with the bosses,
the principle Of industrial unionism
as against craft unions, etc.-it was
not these differences that brought
about the formation of the unions
of the Trade Union Unity League.
We have always believed and be-
lieve now in the principle of trade
union unity Of one union in every
industry. We do not believe in the
policy of organizing the more adj
vanced and radical workers into
separate unions. AS proof of this we
cite the fact that within the unions
of the T.UU.L. there are all kinds
Of workers, workers of varied polit-
ical neutrality-suspicious., Demo-
Gratis, Socialists, Communists, Syn
dicalists and others. We believe
that the trade unions should be
open to all workers irrespective of
their race, creed, color, religion or
political opinion. But we do also
believe that on the basis of the
principle Of democracy the workers
shall have the right to propagate
their opinions within the unions
and that all questions of policy
shall be democratically decided.
The unions of the T.U.UL., as
well as other independent unions,
all whom today number many hun
dredS of thousands and in some in
duStries, as for example, shoe, fur,
among others constitute the main
bulk of the organized workers, were
organized primarily for two reasons,
both of which clearly show the
responsibility of the A. F. of l..
leaders for the division in the trade
union movement; these reasons are
the refusal of the A. F. of L, to
organize the millions of unorgan-
lied over a period of many years.
and secondly, the democratic
and expulsion policy of the A. F.
OF L. leaders, not only of minor
tiles, but in some cases of majorities
of the membership New York
garment workers, etc.,. Not only
the unions of the T.U.UL. but such
unions as the Progressive Miners,
the United Shoe and Leather Work
erS Union and numerous other in
dependent unions arose as a result
Of the splitting and anti-labor pol
lcies Of the A. F. of L. leadership.
Already we can observe new moves
in the direction of independent
unions, both among organized CA.
F. of L. and unorganized workers,
because of these policies.
T. u. U. L. Aims for Unity
The T.U.UL. unions throughout
their existence have never failed to
work for fraternal relations with
the members of the A. F. of L.
trade unions, to aim to unite the
ranks of the workers of all unions
in every struggle against the en-
ployers. We feel proud of the fact
that since our existence we have
always to the best of our ability
organized the resistance of the
workers to the attacks of the en-
ployers. While President Greer
joined with President Hoover in
the so-called agreement to prevent
strikes, it was the unions of the
T.U.UL. that organized and led the
strikes of the workers, often gain
ing improvements in conditions
and on the whole checking the fur
Their onslaught of the EMPLOYERS
on the living standards of the work
ers. We believe that these Strug.
giles conducted during the last foul
or five years have been of great
help to the workers in their recent
struggles because it was our policJ
; that the workers now take up il
their struggle against the employ.
ers. 1t is no accident that amonc
, the miners, textile and garment
workers, where our organization,
; were most active, the workers vert
best able to carry on the struggle
and force the employers to recog.
nize the unions. The heroic strug.
giles of the textile workers of Gas.
tonia led by the National Textile
Workers Union have laid the basil
: for the present militant actions O.
the textile workers.
The 54th annual convention o
the A. F. Of L., if it will carry GU
the wishes of the rank and file O
the membership and meet tn,
= needs of the present situation, mus
= adopt a platform which should /,
S our opinion include the adoption o
the principle of working class strug
= gle as against the policy of elias
l collaboration, the true characterize
: ton of the MIRA. as the bosses
!, weapon against the workers, tn