A New Road for Labor to Travel
A New Road for Labor to Travel Realities of Depression Drive Towards Politics By James Oneal ¦WE breakdown of capitalism » has rts impact upon the phiiBsophy of the labor movement swell as...
...it simply died and there were no funeral ceremonies to call attention to its demise...
...After their first scare, when the whole banking structure of capitalism collapsed in March, 1933, they slowly swarmed around the capital at Washington like flies around a honey vat...
...He declares that "if the Federation is ever to break away from reliance upon government, the time is now...
...As the calamity became worse it had its effect upon oe thinking of the organized PH \ im class and its leaders...
...Yes, Mr...
...Endorsed candidate* appear under various labels and endorsement is due to promise* made or to the record in office...
...Massachusetts Federation of Labor, at its last convention, unanimously took a stand favoring participation of the workers in politics through a party of their own, bat reserved action pending a lead in that direction from the A. F. of L. The resolution adopted reads, "There is a growing sentiment in favor of Labor's participation in pnlitii s directly thiiiaili the formation of a labor or workers' political party...
...It is a clever article in that it cites the disadvantages of the old type of trade union organization, and much that he says is sound...
...The organized workers nave never fully mobilized the fall political power that Is within their hands...
...This power has never been unified...
...The industrial depression revealed that the policy was useless and harmful and it was rigbfly abandoned...
...At Portland it was a renunciation of government as an agency that could be useful to the working' class...
...Piiss treasuries were depleted in tst effort to care for- unemployed ¦oabers...
...The unions turned, and rightly so, to intense pressure upon the government for social legislation, and that pressure is being increased from year to year...
...That the trend of policy is hi the right direction ts evident from the fact that in the robber and automobile industries the old unions temporarily gave up their claims to permit organization of federal unions directly affiliated with the A. F. of L. This has been followed by granting charters to the anions in both industries as internationals...
...The convention declared that the "threat of state invasion of industrial life is real" and it opposed "state regulatory powers under the guise of reform and deliverance from evil...
...There was a shif»rfrom the negative attitude, towards government to a positive attitude...
...Foremost among the Federation's (A...
...vote in convention...
...Among them are the United Textile Workers who voted with tremendous enthusiasm in favor, of a labor party at their great convention in New York last fall, and the three great needle unions, the hWecnaliosial Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, the Amalgamated nothing Workers, and the Cap and Millinery Workers...
...As the material basis of society continued le decay, opposition to unemployaent insurance declined and eventually the American Federation of Labor accepted the whole philosophy of social legislation...
...Such reforms were regarded as "based upon Utopian thought" while industry alone would "find easy of solution those problems to which politicians now turn their attention in futility...
...F. of L.) problems are the questions of industrial unionism and independent political action...
...there Is the opportunity for a renascence like that by which theapVebbs and Keir Hardie changed the course of the British labor movement in the 1890's," but the opportunity does not mean moving forward to industrial organization and moving backward to the political isolation at 1923...
...William Green, President of the A.F of L. speaking at the convention of the New Jersey State Federation of Labor, Sept...
...This always occurs when aa organization is subjected to the pressure of accumulating material forces...
...One part of the labor army has supported this candidate, another other candidates, and so on, in state and national elections...
...Both are growing in favor among the rank and file of labor...
...But the rejection of reliance on government is precisely what the A. F. of L. did in the Portland declaration in 1923...
...In that year the machine had become so menacing and the cheap labor of women had so invaded the industry that the union decided to admit the machine workers who were employed in the larger factories...
...The Portland declaration was not scrapped by a forma...
...Moley offers labor...
...1932, waa greeted with a wild burst of applause when he declared, "When the time cornea, if ever, when the men and women represented in the Federation believe thai the interests of the workers can beat be served through the formation of an independent political organization, they will adopt sack action...
...Sapxce and politics...
...This became evident in the attempt to organize the iron and steel industry in 1919 and the automobile industry in recent years...
...This independence will avoid the dissipation of labor's political power by distribution of its votes among thousands of candidates whom labor does not nominate and cannot control...
...Moley's advice regarding government and politics T It is a "liberal" narcotic to put labor to sleep...
...a large number of city central labor organizations cooperate wholeheartedly with the Socialist party in political action and are committed to the formation of a labor party...
...Malay Offers a Norcotic What is the answer to Mr...
...Moley...
...The trade union tended less and less to fit into the structure of mass production...
...So in the paiapetitlve of what has happened Mr...
...The opportunity means moving forward on both fronts hi compact cooperation between the unions and their own political organization with candidates, programs, issues and aims of their own choice to do their will and become an independent power ia the republic...
...Every economic issue is also a political issue...
...Many other central bodies, like the United Hebrew Trades of New York and similar bodies elsewhere, have taken similar action...
...Under the caption of "Labor's Choice" the editor offers advice to the organized workers of the nation...
...Moley, he would thus have the unions shift to industrial organization, abandon political pressure and reliance upon government, and rely mainly upon economic action...
...We await action and leadership of the A. F. of L. definitely to designate the direction our efforts should take in this matter...
...For a time the Federation tried to convince the masters of industry that the old type of anion was more efficient than any organization the industrial magnates could install...
...As machines, technological changes and mass production became the typical form of production, old craft lines were more and more washed out and skill became of less importance in industry...
...Workers Must Overcome Company Union Danger equally impatient because the change meets opposition or does not go forward rapidly enough to suit them, waa to be expected...
...Depression Changes Policy This very policy which Mr...
...The corporation "unions" increased in number from 145 in 1919 to 430 in 1926...
...When an old organism feels the impact of such forces the human beings associated with it are certain to exhibit differing reactions to impending changes, aad the trade union movement is now in this stage...
...To repeat, the industrial depression changed all this...
...The labor man in office who is chosen by the labor party direct owes allegiance to his class just as he does when he is selected for duty on the picket line...
...Old age penHaas was the first policy to be approved, but at the same time caamsioyment insurance was rejstSai as a hated "dole...
...To place oar interests in the Beeping of those outside of the labor movement is as ineffective ia politics as it would be in the industrial straggle...
...Us le volution in Industry ia the meantime the old type of anion organization that floated htt* jute modem period from the ngttie* felt the impact of the changes in industry and the terrific economic depression...
...There was another reason for the abandonment of the negative policy, a reason that would have compelled a shift to a positive policy even if the depression had not come...
...Moley would have the organised workers abandon their claims upon government and legislation and rely solely upon the unions which he would have' transformed into industrial organizations...
...With financial resources nan****1 the unions more and aare turned to political pressure jag seeking relief through legisfha* passed the old idea of "adf-kelp" through trade union imjiaatT sti n n alone...
...It Is impossible to wage a successful political fight against the capitalist opaqsrUaa by using the party organizations of that opposition...
...Government is power, and to have that power is aa enormous aid to the masses in obtaining satisfaction for its claims and interests...
...However industrial unionism is not to be won over night and there are still unions of the old type that are serviceable in some industries...
...The Federation had never excluded industrial anions, bat the typical form of organization that survived was the onion based upon craft and skill...
...One has aBfy to imagine himself back in the period before 19?' and conIjjjt it with the present year to gpjgrstand the tremendous 40Oge that has taken place...
...By 1930 it was fighting for its life...
...The ratio of increase was almost identical with the decline in membership of the trade unions which from 1920 to and including 1926 was 1,075,000...
...On the ether hand, he does net even brat that the owears of capital aad finance should shanisa their drive at Washington...
...There is no massing of the labor army under a unified command and for a uniform program...
...Moley now recommends formed the basis of the philosophy and action of the Federation regarding government for nearly a decade...
...The increase of company union members was at the rate of 125,000 per year for eight years...
...For nearly two years orMMusi workers continued in old Spaaf thinking with the expectant* mat the disaster was only a {jmportry one...
...Far from abandoning the "dominance of the political idea,'* it is necessary for the trade unions to extend it and to transform it as they are now slowly' extending aad transforming the structure of union organisation...
...They are mainly directed, controlled and financed by the great pawnee of finance and capital which organized workers are compelled to fight through their unions...
...Growth off Company Unions In the meantime the company onion had made great headway in the mass production industries...
...It has be an divided...
...To guide the movement safely into the new era of change is the essence of intelligent leadership...
...The owners of great capital have never isolated themselves from government and politics...
...The Oregon State Federation of Labor at its last convention passed the following resolution, "Resolved that we instruct oar state executive committee to join farm organizations and other progressive gioapi in building a political party separate and distinct from the two major parties dominated by big ratsmese and financier!, for the purpose of gaining control of the state and establishing collective ownership of the financial institutions and basic industries of the state...
...The ¦former period appears to be a (fream-worl'l It was a period Itsed upon illusions derived from a social order that had all the appearance of a healthy organization of industry that promised a fair degree of satisWtpn" even for many workers...
...1 George Q. Lynch, General President of the .Pattern Makers' League of North America, writes...
...They have been there ever since and they have become more and more aggressive...
...These historical backgrounds serve as an introduction to a leading article by Raymond Moley in his weekly, "Today," issue of May 11...
...Since the enactment of the National Industrial Recovery Act the corporation chiefs have extended their corporation "unions" in the mass production industry in spite of the early hopes of organized workers that Section 7A would enable them to establish real unions in the industries...
...This was adapted to the age of small industry...
...A New Road for Labor to Travel Realities of Depression Drive Towards Politics By James Oneal ¦WE breakdown of capitalism » has rts impact upon the phiiBsophy of the labor movement swell as upon the thinking of •hose who rule in industry...
...Independent Political Action In other words, independent political organization of the working masses is becoming more and more essential, and this is what Mr...
...As fgaitalistn crumbled, the old ways of labor thinking slowly decayed...
...Moley assumes to be, very much concerned with the future of the organised working class and is anxious that the unions transform themselves into the industrial type, but he is fearful that the Federation will not "free itself from the dominance of the political idea...
...Organized workers are now dependent upon candidates who make promises, whereas they can be Independent by choosing candidates whom they instruct...
...The organized workers in a period of brisk industrial activity could try out this policy of isolation from government and of government interference in industrial relations without doing much harm, but when industry collapsed and increasing millions of workers were being thrown out of employment, isolation became suicide...
...Gradually the pHsaophy of social legislation •ska the unions had opposed oeoefsa oat of the recasting of ideas aad policies...
...If we understand Mr...
...Even the Cigarmakers, one of the founders of the Federation and one of the most influential unions in this country, felt the mighty impact of industrial change...
...It was even a partial renunciation of citizenship so far as voting is concerned...
...Theeollapse shattered this dreamnarld...
...The ruling capitalists and bankers know this and that is the reason why they have never taken the advice which Mr...
...In the former year the number of wage workers under the corporation yoke was 400,000 and the number had increased to 1,400,000 in 1926, an increase of one million...
...This agitation, of coarse, failed as the exploiters were interested in organizing workers on a serf basis under the control of bosses and spies...
...Moley fears...
...The Wisconsin Federation of Labor on July 21 st, 1933, unanimously adopted a resolution expressly calling for independent political action by workers and farmers and called upon its members to proceed actively in that direction...
...Recently they were oat in fall force, ably commanded and with a program the main features of which were directed against the claims made by the organized masses...
...Political action is mainly confined within political organizations that labor does not direct, control or finance...
...Towards a New Policy That friction should result from this shift towards a new policy, that some chiefs of the older unions feel the effect on their organizations, and that an "insurgent" element should appear Sentiment Is Growing Among Unions For Independent Political Action ITHIN the past two or three years labor organizations, with a membership totaling many hundreds of thousands, have gone on record aa favoring independent political action in the form of a labor party...
...The resolution was reported to the convention of the A. F. of L. Other state federations that have passed similar resolutions at one time or another, and in many states large sections of the labor movement are actively engaged in local political movements independent of the two old parties...
...One of the handicraft industries that seemed to be immune from the machine, the union refused to take in machine operators down to 1928...
...That is to say, adopt a syndicalist policy, for syndicalism, so far as action is concerned, repudiates politics and relies upon trade union pressure to accomplish its aims...
Vol. 18 • May 1935 • No. 20
