THE MILITANT tacos saturday, Febraury 8, 1980 Leadership in the Coming Struggles recent experiences, requires consideration is the one of correct slogans for organization and demands in strikes, for there can be no doubt that organization of the unorganized will be closely connected with That increaslug working class struggles By Arne Swabeck class has shown unmistakable signs of radstrikes. In the recent Illinois miners strike will grow out of the present advancing icalization, but that was implied in Foster for instance, led by the most of Industrial depression is a foregone con below in that direction should be intensified prediction from which the conclusion was the demands were entirely too general and Husion As to their present extent and and unorganized workers drawn into the drawn Still it could not be claimed that even too abstract in character. There was rapidity of development we might only unions on the basis of the program of the in the United States, political, economic little or no concentration on the simple east a glance back at the historical tradi Left as an additional reservoir for the or working class developements have demands most closely connected with the tion of struggles of the American workers, necessary struggle against the domination reached a point (or seriously approached actual working conditions and corresponmarked by their convulsive but determined and ideology of the labor lieuienants of it. where a mass basis can be secured for ding with the most outstanding grievances.
expressions. This may be said to be the capitalism. With guch activities must be a (dual) independent revolutionary union Slogans and demands must not overshoot prospect made possibly so much more acute combined the fight for the organizations movement. The major section of the worktheir mark.
by the rapid violent development of indus to be transformed to an industrial basis ers have not even had actual experience in Perhaps the best example of such trialization, its increasing class distinctions (amalgamation. which is absolutely in ordinary trade unionism; not to speak of wrong direction can be found in the manand the sharpness of the class struggle, dispensable; the fight for ordinary trade being able to correctly estimate the strike ifesto of the party at the time of the murwhich today makes up a special part of union democracy, for divorcing them from breaking role of the present trade union der of Ella May Wiggins in Gastonia, callthe internal contradictions of American im. the capitalist political parties; for mili leadership. What then has happened? ing upon the workers to Prepare for a perialism.
tant methods, etc.
Oh yes We have entered the Third Per strike of protest and sympathy for the This was strikingly set forth in Com Foster argues in his book Misleaders iod with its blatant drivel about social heroic fighters in Gastonia who are fighting rade Trotsky letter to the American Opof Labor (published 1927) for the organifascism.
your battles. The best test of this overposition. zation of the unorganized into the existing With the Stalin leadership of the Com shot aim is the fact that there was no re We must not for a minute lose unions, as well as in some cases indepen intern the case stands no better. Tha thesis sponse anywhere. The workers, not even sight of the fact that the might of dently of them. He states in part épage of the 10th Plenum shows utter confusion the new industrial unions, were by no American capitallem rests more and 319) as follows:. Besides, it must not particularly on this important point of con means prepared for such a political strike.
more upon a foundation of world econbe overlooked that, with the close of the servative mass unions and revolutionary far more correct way would ha to stress omy with its contradictions and crises, present era of Industrial activity and the unions. It is characterized by the com particularly the issues of the workers in military and revolutionary. This means precipitation of the inevitable industrial plete absence of a definite line.
industry. the grievances at the job, to lay that a social crisis in the United States crsis, the trade unions, under capitalist Problem of the United Front the proper basis for extension of strike may arrive a good deal sooner than attacks, will despite the reactionary bur The third question of importance to action in order to, on that basis, impart many think and have a feverleh develeaucracy veer sharply to the left, slough consider is that of the united front policy.
more politcal content. From such experopment from the beginning. Hence the of many of their present conservative as Unity of organized and unorganized in iences lessons should be learned.
conclusion. It is necessary to prepare. pects, and tend to become very much more times of struggle is always essential. Of Very closely connected with this alThe Workers in the Baste Industries proletarian fighting organizations. The similar importance is the need of unity of so is the necessity of actually giving the new The unskilled and semi skilled workers arguments of Lenin, Losovsky and others action between employed and unemployed.
Industrial unions a mass basis, Without in the basic industries compose the great in 1920 22 against dual unionism applies Carried out correctly the united front be that they will become impotent sects and majority of the working class and must today Under present conditions there come an important medium in certain im will not serve the cause of the general naturally be the main basis of new union is no room for a general dual union move portant stages of the class struggle. It advance of the revolutionary movement.
organization activities. Particularly during ment in the United States, reactionary and can unquestionably become so in the or To conclude from the few points emtimes of exceptional conditions, such as decrepit though the existing unions may ganization of the unorganized and partic phasized here that revolutionists may hold Indusrial crises, when many of the reg be.
ularly where a situation exists of rival out hopes or possibilities that the existing ulations of normalacy disappear, can Here we have the matter stated, al uniong new industrial unions and old con trade unions can be captured, in so far these workers be expected to move readily though with some exaggerations, fairly Bervative unions. The struggle of the tex as taking possession of the apparatus is Into action. Their moves will not be correctly. Yet the party leadership, headed tile workers in the South is about the best concerned, is, of course, ridiculous, While hampered by special privileges. While to by Foster, in its official policy and prac example. Violent assaults upon both unions this may or may not be accomplished in day almost entirely unorganized, yet they tice carries on the exact opposite. What as in Gastonia and Marion; the rank and certain instances, it is not the issue. A8 are potentially the most revolutionary has happened since to make this predic file defending themselves and fighting back, stated at the outset, the real object is to But the American Federation of Labor and tlon, estimation and conclusion, in its main in Gastonia under militant leadership, in actually organize the workers for the similar unions, even as now constituted, aspects, incorrect? Have the existing Marion under reactionary leadership, from struggle and to extend Communist influwill not remain immune from changing unions disappeared or become worse than which a sell out could be expected more once through the unions to the masses.
economic conditions.
stated above? That is impossible, These readily than a forward move, for such was And these points here emphasized, in har.
It is well to remember the widespread unions have even made, under pressure, the record established.
mony with the Communist Opposition plat.
Left wing and progressive influence, par the first slight moves toward organization Practical Strike Demands form, certainly go in the direction toward ticularly in its more elementary aspects of the unorganized. True, the working fourth question which, because of a correct solution of the problem.
As represented by the movement for amal.
gamation, a labor party and recognition of the Soviet Union, growing out of the perjod of industrial depression and great strikes from 1919 to 1922. Many A, of Continued from Page 4)
sequently, the elaboration of correct de in France Official Communism apparentacal unions, and even higher bodies, were must not be understood a strike during mands and methods of struggle.
ly travels the same road, attempting to swept by that sentiment. The tactics pur which the Communists carry on political substitute goat leaps of adventurism for sued by the Left wing were correct. True, The unavoidable change in the rise agitation, but a strike in which the workers produced by a crisis will change the tasks, systematic revolutionary work.
since then many expulsions have occurred. of all trades and enterprises conduct a taking the ground from under the successstruggle for definite political aims. RevoluThe tide of political activity of the Yes, but is that not a certain form of proof attesting the correctness and effectiveness tionary agitation on the basis of strikes 18 ful economic struggles. It has already been masses, before it assumes a more decisive said above that the coming of crisis a task of Communists under all circumform, may, for a certain and for that matter of the tactics of the Left at the time?
a lengthy period, express itself in a greater Our objects in endeavoring to arrive would serve in all probability as an imstances; but the participation of workers attendance of meetings, in a wider distriat a correct union building program today in pohtical, that petus to the political activity of the masses.
revolutionary strikes, The strength of this impetus depends dir bution of Communist literature in the growth are mainly twofold: actually to organize presents by itselt one of the sharpest forms ectly on two factors: on the depth and of electoral votes, Increase in the number the workers for the struggle and to ex of struggle and occurs only under excepof Party members, etc. Can the leadership tend Communist influence through the duration of the previous rise, the sharptional circumstances, which neither the ness of the crisis that has come.
unions to the masses. Hence the con party nor the trade unions can manufacadopt in advance a purely a priori orientaclusion that it is necessary to initiate organtlon on a stormy tempo of dovelopment The sharper and deeper the change will ture artificially according to their desires.
turn out to be the sharper will be the action at all events? No. It must have its hands ization of the unorganized, to give them To identify economic strikes with political united for one and for the other tompo.
fighting of the masses. The reason for this is not leadership as well as strikes creates chaos which prevents the difficult to understand. By the power of to Only under this condition can the party, build the Left movement wing trade union leaders from correctly apwithin the existing unions in opposition proaching economic strikes, from preparing inertia, strikes generally acquire the great not deviating from the revolutionary directo the capitalist policies of the reactionary them and working out an expedient program est impetus at the moment when the econ tion, march in step with the class.
leadership. These two tasks go hand in of workers demands.
omic rise begins to pass into depression.
At the expense of the above developed hand. This should be the essence of a cor Matters stand still worse with the It is as it in the heat of running, the work considerations can already hear the cares.
rect Communist union building program.
ers encounter a solid wall. With economic sing voice of the tin rattle accuse me of general economic orientation. The philosoWhile this is today half heartedly acknow phy of the third period demands at all strikes you can then accomplish very little. economism on the one hand and capital.
ledged by the Communist Party on paper costs and immediately an economic crisis.
The capitalists, with the depression under 1st optimism on the other, and of course it is entirely negated by its practice. Our wise trade unionists, therefore, clogo way, easily utilize the lockout. It is natur of social democratic deviations. For the al if the class consciousness of the workers Just now can be noted the first effects their eyes to the systematic Improvement Molotovs, everthing they cannot grasp, that of the pledges made to the Hoover Indus of the economic conjuncture in France for which has risen begins to seek other roads is, a great deal, 18 related to the domain of for itself. But which? This already detrial conferences. The big employers gave the past two years at a time when without social democratic deviations, just as to promises of extended activities and of a concrete estimation of the conjuncture pends not only upon conjunctural condibarbarians, ninety nine percent of the tions but on the whole situation in the no wage cuts. The A, of heads gave universe 19 related to the domain of the it is impossible, in turn, to work out correct country.
promise not to initiate any movements for demands and to struggle for them with suc.
activity of bad spirits. Following Molotov, wage increases, without even attempting cess, Claveri and Dorelle would do well To declare in advance that the next Semard and Monmousseau will teach us to demand euch elementary guarantees as. if they would think the question through conjunctural crisis will create an immediate that the question is not exhausted wita No further lay offs, no further speedups to the end. If the economic rise in France revolutionary situation in France, for that shakings in conjuncture, that there are and support for the unemployed. The em should last for another year (which is not there is at present no basis. Under the many other factors, for example, rationalployers naturally broke their socalled out of the question) then primarily the juncture of a series of conditions overflow ization and the approaching war. These pledges. never serlously made, and a development and deepening of the economic ing the boundaries of conjunctural crisis, people talk about many factors all the few hours later the offensive against the otruggles would soon be on the order of the this is quite possible. On this count only more readily when they are incapable to workers began. It will become more inday. To be able to adapt themselves to theoretical suppositions are thus far possexplain a single one of thom. Doubtless, tense as capitalism endeavors to overcome such circumstances is a task not only of ible. To put forward today the slogan ot a we will reply to them, the war would have Its economic difficulties by increased ex the trade unions but also of the party. It is general political strike as an actual one, overthrown the whole perspective and would ploitation As It proceeds, although con insufficient to proclaim the abstract right on the basis that the coming crisis may have opened, so to speak, a new chronology.
tented swine can be moved only with a of. Communism to a leading role; it is push the masses on the road of revolutionary But in the firet place, we do not yet know heavy stick, even the of leaders 2ecoscary to conquer this by deeds, and at struggle, means to attempt to appease the today whon tbe war will come, nor what whl have to answer to a rank and file be that not within the narrow frame of tho hunger of today with the dinner of to gates it will come through. Secondly, in coming more critical trade union apparatus but on the whole morrow. When Molotov steted at the Tenth order to enter a war with open eyes, we Communist and Conservative Unions field of the class otruggle. To the anarch Plenum that táo general strike has alroady must carefully study all the curves in the The next road that leads to it. War does not fall important question then ist and trado unionist formula of autonomy practically boen put on tko order of the arises. Should Communists help to organ of the trade unions, the party must oppose day in Franco, then he only showed once from heaven. The question of war and its ize unorganized workers into the existing serlous theoretical and political ald to the too often that he does not keow France date is connerted most rlosely with the conservative unions? The answer must be, trado unlons, making it easler for them Dor the order nor the day. Tho amareblats question of the processes of the world YES: wherever these unions can be made to orientate correctly in questions of econmarket.
end syndicalists do not a little to comto move.
The inevitable pressure from omic and political developments, and con promise the very idea of general strike Printipo, December 27, 1929.
The «Third Period» Mistakes of the Comintern By Trotsky