The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-29


majority of them members of the
ILG.W.U., sat riveted to their seats
for four hours and gave their con-
centrated attention to the proposals
advanced by Ben Gold in the name
Of the General Executive Board Of
the N.T.WIU.
The proposals of the Industrial
Union we're that the dressmakers
now in the Industrial Union join
their brothers and sisters in the In
ternational as full-fledged members,
and that arrangements be made
between the two unions to trans
fer the agreements with shops now
held by the Industrial Union.
What moved these workers to
come together in such numbers and
cheer heartily every time the vision
of a fighting, unified body of dress
makers, led solidly to battle for their
rights, was projected?
What made so many of the rank
and file of the IL.G.W.U., including
an official in one of the locals,
volunteer to serve on unity COM
mittee with members of the Indus
trial Union, to lead this fight for the
unity of the dressmakers, in re-
Spouse to motion made by an
I.L.G.W.U. member and unanimously
adopted by the meeting?
New Entertainments
First and foremost, 1t was the
fact that the conditions of the
dressmakers have reached a des-
perate pass; that every day sees a
new encroachment on their rights
by the Unsuitable bosses; that they
are threatened with the loss of the
last of their gains won in the heroic
strike of 1888
It was a final and complete
breakdown of their faith in the
N. r. A.
MIRA. 1t was a revolt against the
vicious class collaboration policy
practiced by these A. F. of l., lead
ers. which is directly responsible
for their present conditions.
It was a burning thirst for unity
which is gripping ever wider sec
tionS of the working class-a real,
fighting, militant unity.
Ben Colds preliminary analysis
of conditions was concurred in by
every worker that took the floor.
1t may be significant to mention
that of the eleven or twelve speak
ers from the audience who took five
minutes to make known their at
titudes, nine were members OF the
International.
Some speakers clearly indicated
that in many shops there is not
trace left of union control; that
no attention is paid to complaints;
that in many parts of the trade
not a single worker gets the mini
mum scale; that the wastebaskets
In the MIRA. Offices are stuffed
with the unconsidered complaints
of the workers; that repeatedly the
5000 dressmakers in contracting
shops have been locked out for diff
ferent periods of time in violation
of all codes and agreements.
Tn the face OF this situation,
said Gold, what is the Industrial
Union to do? Stand idly by and
watch the complete destruction of
the potential power of some $4,000
workers? That would be criminal
treachery to the workers. Declare
shop strikes for conditions? 1t
would be met by the hypocritical
cry of dual union 'scab union on
the part of the do-nothing heads
of the IL.G.WU., as before. We
therefore accept the third course
that of sending our workers into the
International, on basis that would
permit them to be fully functioning
and efficient members of that or
ganization."
AssaiIs I.L.G.W.U. Pilots
Although Gold sharply criticized
the pilots of the I.L.G.W.U. whether
A. F. of L.. Socialist, or Lovestone-
tie. although he mercilessly flayed
both Dubinsky and Zimmerman
and openly charged them with act
ing to smash the organized power
OF the dressmakers, 1t is significant
that not a single speaker took the
floor to defend the record or repu-
tation of these officials.
So anxious we're they, however
to see the fulfllment of unity OF
the dressmakers. that they feared
Colds severe drubbing of the In
ternational officials would possibly
set those officials against the plan
Of unifying the workers.
In this, of course, they miscon-
.ceived the meaning of the unity
proposals made by the Industrial
Union. Starting from the premise
that conditions in the trade are
getting worse every hour and that
at this critical time the workers Of
the International are opening theii
ranks to welcome those that are
able and willing to fight for the
defense of their conditions, it fol-
lows that the workers of the In
dustrial Union are going into the
international to fight from the very
start against those people and poll
cies that have brought the workers
to the present pass, and that the
fight is to start at once.
For that very reason the Indus
trial Union insists, as the one con-
dition of the transaction. that the
workers from the Industrial enter