The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-28
III. Tasks of the
Party in the Trade
Union Work

/. Mobilize the entire Party
membership for revolutionary trade
union work, enroll every Party
member eligible into the trade
unions, on the basis of q thorough
enlightenment Of the membership
as to reasons for our emphasis on
work in the factories and trade
unions. This was fully explained
in the Open Letter, which stated
that unless the Party establishes its
roots among the decisive sections of
the industrial proletariat it cannot
become a mass Communist Party.
The discussion must be brought into
every Party nucleus, into every
trade union fraction. The Party
leadership must not only convince
the Party as to the correctness
and urgency of carrying through the
Open Letter, but also help the
membership to carry through the
tasks. Every district, section, nu-
cleus, and especially shop nucleus,
must work out its plan of work on
the basis of the policy of concen-
tration, assign the most exper.
fenced and developed comrades for
leadership in the trade union work
Steps are to be taken to build the
trade union fractions and assure
their guidance through the Party
Committees. In raising before the
Party work in factories and trade
unions as the central task, care
must be taken to overcome the OPP
portunist conception of trade union
work. Our trade union work is
not an end in itself-the trade
unions are for the Communists
bridge to the masses. AS part Of
our Communist work in the fac
tories, the Party nuclei in the fac
tories must receive tine greatest at
tention from the leading commit
tees. They must receive the great
est guidance and support in building
the union in the shop, the shop
committee, the publication of
Party factory paper, building the
circulation of the Daily Worker,
recruiting into the Party. Bearing
in mind the tendency to hide the
face of the Party, the liquidation
of many of the factory papers OF
the Party into trade union organs,
the Party committees must patiently
explain and stubbornly fight against
such deviations.
LEADING OF STRUGGLES
2. The mobilization of the Party
for the work in the factories and
trade unions cannot be carried
through on the basis of an abb
stract campaign. 1t can only be
successful as part of the prepare
ton of the Party to at once take
up the fight in each factory, in
each industry in the struggle, in
defense of the interests of the
workers to give leadership to de-
veloping strike struggles (auto, rail-
road, etc., This requires that we
root out the underestimatiCn of the
rehabilitation Of the masses which
was responsible for our Party lag
ging behind in many struggles of
the past year. But it also requires
that We prepare ourselves organi-
nationally to lead these struggles
To take up the development of the
fight for the workers needs in the
factories; to raise the confidence
and fighting spirit of the workers;
to develop their capacity to struggle
by extending in the factories the
Party and trade union organiza-
tions, to develop the united front
of all workers; to build strong
fighting oppositions in the A. F. of L.
unions The central issues around
which the struggle of the employed
and unemployed workers can be
developed are:
(a) For increased wages, especially
cially in the face of the rising cost
living; (b) For the shorter work day
without reduction in weekly earn
ings; against the stagger plan; (cj
Against lay-offs; against speed-up;
stretch-out. I'D For unemployment
insurance, as embodied in the
Workers Unemployment Insurance.
Bill: (e) For relief to the unem-l
| ployed; (f) For continuation OIL
G. w. A. jobs at higher wages; Cg)
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