The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-11
PARTY LIFE
How Control Tasks Are Being
Fulfilled in Wisconsin Sec. 5
Despite Great Influence Of Rank and File In
Auto Union, Section Is Still Small in Numbers

April 3 a set of control tasks for
Section was outlined by the Sec
ton Committee, following the sdop-
ton of the District Control tasks at
the District Convention. One-third
of the three months control period
has passed. What has been accom-
plshed in this time?
Section is a city of $4,000 popu-
lation with several large factories,
each employing two or three thou
sand workers at capacity. It in
cludes a dairy farming region that
has been affected by two milk
strikes. Following the policy of con-
centration the most important fac
tory 5000 employed at capacity,
which is part of still larger unit
in the auto industry, was selected as
the fortress into which our Party
had to penetrate and establish
mass base. This plant is organized
almost 100 per cent by an A. F. Of
L. Federal Union. Consequently the
two main tasks in connection with
our concentration are 1.-The
building of the Rank and File Top
position) group in this union, and
2-The building of the Party nu-
cleus in the factory.
During a recent strike in this
plant a Rank and File group was
established in the union, which
played a major role in the conduct
of the strike Members of the CEN
trail bargaining committee, which,
together with the executive board of
the union, constituted the leading
body of the strike, we're drawn into
the group. Treacherous maneuvers
of the American Federation of La
Dor bureaucracy president of To-
cal Trades and Labor Council, Dis
trict organizer Of A, F. of L., made
in an effort to break the strike,
we're combatted and exposed by this
group. In the various picket shan
ties, in which the members of the
group were on duty, they agitated
for rank and file control and mill
tant action. They won recognition
from the men as the real fighters
for victory in the strike.
One of the serious shortcomings
of the group was that, despite its
great influence, it was very small
numerically 1t was not mass
movement, though it had mass sup
port. The task facing the section
after the settlement of the strike
(Which was not victory for the
strengthening of this group. Most
Of the men were from one or two
departments. Men from every de-
partment in the shop had to be
drawn in. At the last meeting Of
the group (held since the control
was started) there were several new
faces. 1t was larger than all pre-
vious meetings, but also several of
those most active during the strike
itself we're absent. Once the strike
was over they felt there was no
more need of a militant group.
Thus one of the most important
jobs before the section is that Of
convincing all of those active dur
ing the strike of the necessity of
actively, persistently working for
the interests of the rank and file
The shop nucleus was, of course,
the backbone of the Rank and File
group. Under the control it has set
the task of recruiting 10 new men,
bers. Only one has been recruited
to date. 1t shows the danger of
stagnation and sectarianism that
menaces this unit The unit is not
keenly alive to all the problems and
grievances of the workers in the
shop. Right after the strike the
men in several departments spon-
taneously rejected the Community
Chest and signed petitions demand
ing that there be no more dedUc-
tons from their pay for this pur-
pose. They were successful in this.
But the members of the nucleus
were not the initiators of this move.
They tagged along with the rest of
the men.