The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-01
Lewis Scheme
Must Be Given
Glass Content
Militant Rank and File
Fight Is Needed for
Real New Form
BY B. Sherman

American labor movement is the
growing sentiment of the masses
of workers in the American FEEDER
alton of Labor for industrial
unionisIn. This has reached the
stage where number of interna-
tional unions have gone on record
for the industrial form Of organi
cation. This, together with the
problem of the federal issues, makes
it certain that the question Of in
dustrial unionism will be one of the
main questions debated at the A.
F. Of L. Convention opening today
in San Francisco.
The great struggles Of the past
year have made it very apparent
to the workers that the craft sys-
TEN for which the AT. of L. bureau
cracy stands divides the ranks OF
the workers and makes it easier
for the employers and their strike
breaking agents who are at the
head of the A. F. of L., to defeat
the workers struggles
The labor bureaucracy came up
against the problem Of industrial
unionism when it proceeded to Or
ganize the workers in such mass
production industries as auto, rub
Der. etc. into federal locals. For
such industries the efforts Of the
A. F. of l.. to organize the workers
on craft basis had proved futile
This was in line with the change
Of tactics on the part of the A. F.
Of L. leadership, which, in order to
divert the organization and strug-
giles OF the masses from the influ-
ence of the revolutionary and in
dependent unions. is leading strikes
itself. They lead strikes in order
to better carry through their policy
of arbitration and betrayal.
The original intention of the
bureaucracy was to organize the
workers into federal locals and later
split them up into the various craft
unions. These federal locals, with
their industrial form of organiza-
ton, and, in most cases, militant
local leadership, represented a big
danger to the A. F. of L. bureau
cracy, and Green hesitated to
carry the plan through, and is
faced with this dilemma at the A.
F. of L. Convention.
The fact that number of inter
national unions have gone on record
for industrial unionism under pres
sure of the rank and file, shows
that some of the A. F. Of L. lead
ers are preparing to rnsneuver with
this question. Such bureaucrats as
Lewis and Hillman, whose policy
of N. r. A. strike breaking and
arbitration is fundamentally the
same as Green's, will attempt to
utilize the demand of the rank and
file for industrial unionism, because
of their minor differences with
Green, and pose as the leaders Of
the fight for industrial unionism.
Their inner quarrel with Green,
however, does not mean that there
is any essential difference between
them in their ass-collaboration
policy, as can be seen by the policy
of betrayal followed by Lewis and
Hillman in the U. M. w. A. and
A. G. w. A.
Lewis and Hillman are merely
maneuvering with the sentiments of
the masses and their rising temper
in order, by these left" gestures,
TO better hold them in check. 1t
would be a mistake, however, to
draw the conclusion that because
ri~ NJ 70 i.1J
trial unionism, we should in any
way hesitate to carry on the most
energetic fight for the industrial
form Of organization, and be at
the forefront of the struggle.
Rank and File Must Lead Fight
The masses of the rank and file
workers in the A. F. of L. unions
must realize that the fight for in
dustrial unionism, burning need
for the American workers, and to-
gether with 1t a fight for a mil
liant class struggle policy, will not
be carried through by the LewiseS
and Hillmans. This fight cannot be
brought to successful conclusion
without the mobilization of the
rank and file against the policy of
Lewis and Hillman, as well as
Green.
The victory of the industrial form
of organization would strengthen
the forces of the working class by
doing away with craft divisions, by
uniting the workers in given fac
tory or industry, and thus place
them in a more favorable position
to fight in the defense of their eco
nonic interests. Although some OF
the A. F. of L. leaders are attempt
ing to utilize the sentiment for in
dustrial unionism to strengthen
their own position. the uniting of
the workers in industrial unions
would actually be a blow to the
whole A. F. of L. bureaucracy and
their policy Of splitting the ranks
Of the workers.
The industrial union form will
make it easier for the rank and file
to undermine the hold of the
bureaucracy over the trade unions
uniting the workers in the factories
into one solid block
But the industrial union form is
not enough. AS long as these
unions remain under the reaction
airy leadership of the labor bureau
cracy, even the industrial unions
will not be fighting instruments of
the workers for the improvement
OF their conditions, as the members
OF the U. M. w. A. under Lewis can
testify. In addition to fighting for
the industrial union form, it is
therefore necessary to add content
to that form by fighting against the
e-breaking leadership of the
labor bureaucracy and their policies
Therefore, while not only sup
porting every move for industrial