THD MILITANT Saturday, January 25, 1980 Pago The Depression and Labor Prospects for the Approaching Struggles in the United States despede of the other of this site you are on The St. Louis Unemployment Demonstration to distinguish between leaderships, Even ward the Left, away from capitalism and among tho coal miners, where union offi toward socialism, without being able at clal corruption and betrayal have ylelded yet to understand the character of the numerous bitter experiences, where the leadership or the distance that the party rank wnd Alle are far ahead of the workers has moved away from socialism. In that In other industries in their readiness for sense and to that degree they expressed struggle, the National Miners Union, under their growing radicalism. There is no By Arne Swabeck openly acknowledged Communist leader other basis upon which that vote increase ship, has thus far succeeded in enlisting The American workers are now con general strike could become a possibility can be evaluated. If these workers had the support of only a very small traction in 1926. Now the process of developments wanted to remain ideologically as they fronted with the prospect of an already ad(this, in large measure is also due to wrong vancing industrial depression. The ques. proceed at a much more accelerated pace.
were before supporters of capitalism policies which will be dealt with in sep they would naturally have continued to tions of their preparations to meet it, the The Pressure of the Ranks arate articles. vote for the Republicans and Democrats, political development of the workers them The prospects of growth of the A, Growing radicalization of the Amerselves, their degree of organization and of L, are not confined to the South. The This and subsequent events also indicateş ican workers, while likely to be accompan that the and its social reformist their conception of the tactics to be em developing industrial depression not only ied by sporadic, unorganized struggles, esployed, become vitally important. There leadership will change from its years of offers excellent opportunities for organiza sentially mean their turning more definitely relative obscurity and paralysis, and beneed be no doubt about growing discontent ization but 18 certain to throw large sectoward union organization mainly toward come more of a factor misleading the and more severe struggles in the coming tions of the unorganized workers into the the existing mass unions without being lap of the of Extended organizaworkers. The course of working class period.
able to comprehend the character of the tion in this period will inevitably mean radicalization in this course and the blunThat this is recognized by the capitalA. of leadership. turn toward1st class is most clearly evidenced in the greater pressure from the ranks against ders of the official Communist party, gives the building of a labor party is also likely.
increased anti labor drive. It was demon the present wage cutting, speed up camit that opportunity. Nevertheless, the fact In one instance the last New York City strated in the editorials carried by the paign and for more persistent struggle to of the workers actually taking the first elections the large increase in votes by Scripps Howard Newspaper syndicate at obtain the demands corresponding to their steps away from capitalist ideology and tothe Socialist Party ticket, reaching a total the time of the American Federation of growing needs. If anyone doubts the prob of tens of thousands while that of the ward union organization is what holds out great hope and great possibilities for the Labor convention at Toronto. The employ ability of such struggles developing on the Cominunist Party ticket decreased to a revolutionary movement.
ers have become thoroughly alarmed at the basis of of organization, or denies little less than 6, 000, is, despite the seemappearance of Communists organizing, by their probability, we might refer to such ing paradox, an expression of radicalization militant methods, among a formerly back recent examples as the New Orleans street in an American scale. Thousands of tho The problem of the new industrial ward but now awakening working class in carmen strike and the Marion textile workers who voted for the did so unions will be considered in the next the South. Hence they turn to the workers strike.
with the conviction of taking a step toissue of the Militant.
of officials demanding that they be the That this will not in the least mean ones to organize and lead. More recently any change of policy or outlook in the It was shown in the Hoover building conferences in which of heade prom is of course amply proven by all past exised that there would be no movements for periences. On the contrary, the demands wage increases undertaken in the immedi of their capitalist masters will increase ST. LOUIS The march of 1500 unem state and federal funds.
ate future that is, during the depression. correspondingly and their faithful service ployed workers to the local City Hall to Full union wages on all public The Role of the of will be expressed in more co operation present a set of demands to the Mayor workes, with the workers right to organize This also indicates the role to be with these masters and the state powers was one of the best working class demon and strike against discrimination and bad in the violent suppression and cunning be strations that St. Louis has seen for a played and the perspectives of the working conditions, of in the coming period. It is worth trayal of workers struggles. Especially long time. The spirit of tho workers and Abolition of the readiness with which they responded private employment will they attempt to buttress their own noting the most recent developments agencies; the establishment of free employdominance over working class ideology by to the call for the march 18 an indication among the needle trades workers in the ment agencies, administered by workers efforts to exterminate Left wing unions of their temper and the severity with ladies garment and furriers sections, forrepresentatives.
merly largely under left wing influence. and any form of organized Loft wing sent which the industrial depression has hit Recognition of Soviet Russia, the The of has actually succeeded in iment.
them.
only workers and farmers government in reestablishing its organization and leadYet is is under such conditions that St. Louis Hard Hit the world. This would alleviate employership. It has gained in co operation with new opposition develops. The progres St. Louis is one of the most heavily ment through increased trade which Soviet slve movement, already emerging within the employers, almost complete control of affected industrial centers. Industry is at Russia would place in the United States the A, of since the Left wing prace the jobs and membership dues payments.
a low point, and thousands of workers walk tically abandoned Among the New York food workers, whero il relations were established.
field, was a natural the streets desperately seeking any job first expression. But it was stillborn. It militants have lately been active in organ7. Establishment of the seven hour day all that will offer them the barest possiband five day week.
appeared in the form of the Conference ization work, the of is now initiatNo overtime work.
ility to live. The prospects for an indusAbolition of the speed up system; 15 minfor Progressive Labor Action, dominated ing an organizing campaign. The Toronto trial pick up are far from bright here and by the Socialist Party and, although having convention resloved to organize the South ute rest periods hourly, regulation of machinstead of the ranks of the unemployed beine speed by the workers, a progressive platform, it was based rather coming thinner, they increase in number and the plans worked out are about to be put to test. The United Textile Workers upon certain sections of the trade union Immediate abolition of every day. conservative estimate of all vagofficialdom than upon the main stream of rancy laws.
the number now out of work in St. Louis union will have leadership and what it terms any form of spectacular mass drive organized workers. Hence, while being an is about sixty thousand workers.
On the day of the demonstration, 1500 is banned. Negroes will be organized on outgrowth and expression of dissatisfaction In order to begin the mobilization of or more workers gathered at the appointed approval of white locals in the district, with the official policies of the of the employed and unemployed workers in place and marched to the City Hall. The and In separate locals.
It lacked the dynamic force for becoming Mayor refused to see them. On the top the city for a light to improve the frighta real opposition and its course of comsteps of the City Hall, Elmer McMillan, ful conditions of the jobless, the local Comments on the general organization plete merger with the bureaucracy is pretty policy to be pursued in this drive are quite loading St. Louis militant, read the debranch of the Communist League of Amerwell decided unless pressure from below mands of the Communist League and spoke ica (Opposition. together with the Worsuperfluous as it is clearly indicated that and from within forces it in a Leftward in detall upon them. He was followed by kers Alliance of St. Lousis, planned the there will be no departure from the general direction. To conceive of relying upon Ralph Martin of the Alliance who spoke on organization of a workers march on the practice established by the of offlthe progressivo leaders to develop cials. Even among the hard boiled Bourthe need for organizing the struggle City Hall, where demands for the unemreal opposition would of course be folly.
against unemployemnt.
ployed might be presented and a public forbons of the South the main effort will be But the gap created among the workers directed toward winning the bosses for um be established so that an appeal that Cops Break up the Metting co operation with the labor leaders who by their leadership of a growing progreswould reach the ears of the whole working By this time, the Mayor had given his Blve sentiment leading it backward and have sufficiently proven their willingness class of the city could be made.
orders for dispersing the demonstration that of the Left wing leading it forward, to the greatest reciprocation in selling out Without the bombast and cheap sen and a gang of cops and dicks sallied into the workers at the crucial moment. One can most successfully be bridged by correct sationalism that usually accompany the the crowd. McMillan and Martin were arunited front policies of the latter. In the question of the greatest importance, how mass demonstrations of the official par rested and taken to headquarters halt a recent period the exact opposite has been ever, is whether or not the campaign will ty, the League and the Alliance made all block away. The workers followed them, the case with the result of further isolasucceed in actually bringing the Southern the necessary preparations for the march. cheering and shouting for their release.
tion of the Left within the mass ortextile workers into the The oft In an effort to make the movement inclu After an hour of questioning by the cops ganizations and easler diverting of opporepeated statements of the Daily Worker sive of all the radical elements in the the two militants were released.
sition sentiment into harmless channels.
that these workers, disgusted with the becity, an appeal was made to the local As a result of the demonstration, thoutrayals of the of in 1920 21 and Nevertheless, such sentiment remains and branch of the Communist party to join in sands of workers throughout the city recently, will never Join its ranks are nel is bound to grow. Its correct direction 19 the work and help organize the unemstill a task to be performed, learned for the first time of an organized ther convincing nor true.
ployed. The reply of the Stalinists re attempt being made to carry on a fight comparision of events in the South, The present trends among workers are presented by one of the travelling organ against the specter of unemployment. The gharacteristic of what can be expected the frame ups in Gastonia and the killings izers. Early was that they would secretary of the Communist League has from the muture course of development.
in Marion, clearly reveals that the Southern have nothing to do with the counter been receiving numerous letters from worThere is a restlessness over the prospect textile barong are set against any form of revolutionary Trotskists. particularly kers throughout the city endorsing the of employment with the ranks of the ununion or organization, whether led by Comsince they were dead. The local Stalin movement and congratulating the League employed increasing. There is discontent munists or by of officials. They ists showed that all their words about the on its activity. number of old time miliwith the growing speed up exploitation, and conditions of the unemployed workers will tolerate of. leadership only tants who had dropped out of the Communhere and there distinctly manifested readso long as it is eflective in helping to wipe could not be transalated into action but ist movement some time ago have revivled iness for struggle, with some instances of out militant unions. Yet It would be idle to would remains just so much talk, their interest and are turning toward the workers swinging toward the Left. These speculate on no results in the of Leaflets were issued by the Communist League particularly since the official party are some of the outstanding features. With organization drive. There are many reaLeague and distributed among the unem is doing nothing at all.
a protracted severity of industrial depregcons to assume that the Southern workers, sion it can easily lead to convulsions.
ployed workers who received them with Plans are further being made for the driven by increasing speed up pressure enthusiasm. The demands proposed by But this does not mean that the working continuation of the work in the form of added to which there now appears the misthe League included the following: protest meetings, the organization of Counmasses recognize the role of the sery of unemployment, will respond and Demands Proposed of leadership. of the so called progcils of Unemployed, an, the formation of join, perhaps in large numbers, despite the Complete insurance against unem a broad united movement to combat the ressives, of the social democrats, or that sell outs of the past. So much more so ployment to be provided by the government offects of unemployment on the workers.
Workers they are ready for the leadership of the because the National Textile Communist Party. They are still far from giving all unemployed benefits of the full This movement is meeting neither with union, under Communist Party direction, wage rates, without any exceptions or dis approval of the St. Louis business men and it and several steps will yet have to be follows the usual method of practically qualifications. The insurance to be finan their Mayor, Miller, or of the local of taken considerable experience will still abandoning a field when the opportunity ced by taxes on income, inheritance, and bureaucrats.
have to be accumulated before the workers For instance, Elmer McAll for spectacular activities disappears.
profits, and the administration of unem Millan is now up charges brfore his loreach that point.
recent history shows that during periods ployment benefits to be in the hands of the cal Painters Union for having participated of industrial crisis workers flock to conA False Assumption workers, elected from the shops, and the in the demonstration. He is charged with servative unions. Nor is there anything It would be preposterous to assume organizations of the unemployed.
being a member of a Communist organ.
horrible in this prospect when one remem that for instance the main body of the No evictions of the unemployed for ization. This is not the first time the reacbers the development of the British trade steel workers, actually enrolled into uniong non payment of rent.
tionaries have tried to expel McMillan, unions from one of docile support of the in the 1919 drive and then left in the lurch Emergency relief to be provided for fight against these tactics is being organcapitalist empire to a situation wbere the have learned a sufficient lesson to be able the unemplayed immediately, from city, ized