Against the Stalinist Union Bureaucracy!
went a long way to demoralize these workers. Comrade Mink showed off his extravagance by staying at a swell hotel while in New Orleans, while the active organizers slept on deck of the union hall and went hungry while they were doing organizing work on ships and docks. This caused many workers to raise embarrassing questions to the organizers who had to sleep on the decks. When comrade Morgan and others asked Mink why this extravagance Mink could offer no other answer than the excuse that it was orders from the Communist Party. Another case showing the neglect of the workers by the bureaucracy, is to be found in the Independent Tide Water Boatmen Union which has a membership of 1250 workers.
It can conduct activities among 15, 000 workers in the Harbor. Comrade Golden informed Mink and Hines of the League about the reported vote of the to affiliate with the Marine Workers League. But Mink and Hines just neglected to do anything about it. They even reinsed to get in touch with the or make any effort at all to win over workers in this organization. This the bureaucrats threw away another fine opportunity for winning workers to our ranks. Their contempt for the workers again showed itselt. In fact this leadership even went so far as expelling members for going into the for example, Willy Lang.
THE LEADERSHIP RUINS STRIKES In June the opposition proposed that our union should make preparations to lead a strike of 16, 000 longshoremen and Beamen in the port of New Orleans in the fall of the year which is the busy season.
The board of the union adopted this proposal. Comrades Morgan, Haigeny, Golden, Seaganik and Evans, were chosen to proceed to the New Orleans Port immediately.
However, no funds were provided for these comrades and no support whatever was given them in order to enable them to carry out the decisions.
Despite the fact that these comrades had made many contacts in the port of New Orleans and were familiar with the situation, two other comrades totally unfamiliar with the situation in New Orleans were provided with ample funds and rushed down to New Orleans to replace the above comrades originally chosen. Under orders from the bureaucratic leadership of Hines, Harvey and Johnstone, these two members proceeded shortly after their arrival in New Orleans to call a premature strike for which no preparation whatsoever had been made. The result of this strike was to discredit the union in the eyes of the marine workers in that port. Harvey circulation of a false news release to the effect that a 20 increase in wages was won, only further discredited our organization with the longshoremen.
Yet, this flasco which the bureaucratic leadership performed in New Orleans was advertised at the last Fifth Congress as one of the big achievements of our union. Such bluff is very costly and only hurts the best interests of the marine workers, Exactly the same bureaucratic adventurist sabotaging policy was followed by the leadership in the recent Philadelphia strike. The night before the Atlantic Dis trict United Front Conference in Philadelphia, Sep. 20, 21, there was held a Bureau meeting of the union. Gardos, the District Organizer of the Communist Party of Philadelphia, was present. Comrade Hines was present also. Here it was decided that we should go to this united conference to propose active preparations for a strike.
The workers were to go back to their jobs and set up their dock committees and take all the necessary steps for a strike.
Right after the conference there was held in Philadelphia a bureau meeting of the marine workers. There were present at this meeting in addition to the eight National Bureau members of the marine workers seven representatives of the Communist Party. Among these special representatives were Gardos, representative, etc. Gardos immediately proposed the withdrawal of the organizers from the Philadelphia fleld. These workers were Soderburg and Johansen. But the Bureau members protested against this proposal of Gardos. hot discussion followed. Hudson supported Gardos by making his motion for the withdrawal of the organizers from Philadelphia field. Comrade Hoben amended this motion to the effect that the organizers should stay.
There soon followed bitter fights ag to was comrade Morgan removed from the and without keeping any accounts.
who is and who is not a bureau member. Executive Board of the Union but he was But the Communist Party leadership Gardos gave himself a vote. Hines and removed from all leading committees and chose a handpicked committee and after Hudson voted with him. But that was all not even allowed to function in the ca some delay only whitewashed Mink and the votes that Gardos proposal could pacity of organizer, Morgan spotless re Hines and company of the charge of runmuster. The rank and Ale were against cord as an organizer notwithstanding. ning the lunch counter as a private affair.
Gardos and Hines. Gardos then said: Mink made the slanderous accusation How the bureaucracy tried to terror I, as the District Organizer of the ize workers is clearly shown by their tacagainst comrade Morgan charging him with Communist Party, over rule the decis refusal to go to the Gulf and with drunktics towards comrade McGrath, Comrade ion. This is only a fraction meeting McGrath who is a good worker and who enness. Comrade Harvey even proposed of the Communist Party.
in the Burean of the Union to expel commobilized the Philadelphia delegation for Later the organizers were forced out rade Morgan from the Party and the Union.
the National Office was asked to give by a sort of rump meeting which Gardos Johansen seconded this motion. Hines prostatement endorsing the leadership of the and Hines set up themselves. The New posed in the Bureau of the union that this unton. This statement was to be printed York members of the union protested question be referred to the Party and the in all the Party papers. But comrade Mcagainst this action. To cover up this high TU. Morgan tried to appeal against Grath refused. Steps were then immedihanded action and to escape the wrath of this. But he failed. The ridiculous and ately taken to kill him politically. He was the rank and file the bureaucracy decided outrageous character of the charges against removed from all leading committees. He to call a strike in Philadelphia.
McGrath was shelved. Comrade became Morgan is shown by such indisputable Within three days after the recall of facts disgusted, naturally so.
as Morgan being arrested more these organizers the Party ordered the re than one dozen times in New York, Houston The various organs and departments turn to Philadelphia and without calling They are (unemployment demonstration. New Orof our union don function.
any meeting of longshoremen to agitate dead. The committees don meet. Insufleans, etc. for his activities in trying to them and convince them for a strike, withficient and even false information is sent build up the Marine Workers Industrial out having any strike vote of longshore Union. But Harvey found nothing but out. Altho the Executive Board has held men, without setting up any strike com ridicule for these arrests. Comrade Mormeeting after meeting, the membership has never been acquainted with the proceedings or has had a chance to consult the minutes of these meetings Nor are minThe Outlook for the New Movement utes from other ports available to us.
Members are kept in ignorance about the What are the prospects for the movement in the marine workers Left wing activities of other ports. The bureaucracy which is expressed in the document we pubish here? The outlook for growth, inprohibits the discussion of the activities fluence and prestige is unusually excellent providing the movement remains on the of other branches.
path of the revolutionary class struggle. No greater harm, nor swifter decline and degeneration, can threaten this splendid rank and file revolt than to have it turn OUT WITH THE DESTRUCTIVE BURinto an anti Communist, or anti Communist Party movement, especially when it ocEAUCRACY. FOR CORRECT CON.
cuirs under the outworn or hypocritical slogan of away with the politicians or STRUCTIVE POLICIES TO BUILD We want to build a trade union movement or this is not a party fight. The bulk THE MARINE WORKERS IN.
of the active workers in this movement are Communists or workers wanting to be DUSTRIAL UNION.
Communists. They are being and will constantly be provoked by the Stalinist bur It is because of these wrong policies, eaucracy in the hopes that they react towards an indefensible position. That cheap It is because of this denial of democracy game of the Minks and Johnstones can be fought by persistently maintaining a revoin the union, it is because of this terrible lutionary class position, by working to win the whole Left wing movement (not bureaucracy, that no new members are beonly the marine workers) to the cause of the rank and Alle opposition, by refusing ing gotten into our union and old members to be cut loose from this Left wing for the sake of some fantaste and futile ends. are not paying dues. Today our union gets That is what the Party bureaucrats areafter to isolate this promising movement, no response from longshoremen or seamen.
which they fear immensely, from the general Left wing and to provoke it into an Highhanded political conniving can anti Communist movement. Giving aid and comfort (whether they realize it or not) only hurt our union as it has already done.
to the Party bureaucrats is a small group of syndicalists who are hoping to re It must be stopped. We are against such create a second edition of the The Left wing as a whole has learned from arbitrary ways of working as was done in the ch experiences of the but these neo syndicalists apparently have not the setting up of a special bureau to conAway from the Communist movement, away from the Left wing, towards a second trol the convention. There must be an end (and miniature) edition of syndicalism this road is sure to lead the rank and file to the sectarianism in our policies which opposition group to a futile existence, ever diminishing, and easy marks for the has caused the marine workers to speak blows of the Staliniste Those who advocate this road, and they are the ones also of our union hall merely as: Communist who have back of their minds the idea of playing with Lovestone and other hall. This tends to narrow our base of shady liquidationist elements, are helping to weaken and Xullify the new movement. activities amongst the marine workers.
There are unfortunately a few of this element in the new movement. An intelli There must be put an end to the bureaugent policy by the Communist forces will not make it difficult to deal with this dan cratic incompetence which showed itself ger, which has been manufactured by the criminal policies of Stalinism bureaucra in the failure to do anything at all to protism. but which can be successfully eliminated by an honest revolutionary course. vide adequate defense and attention for This obstacle overcome, and the movement will triumph irresistibly over the little Ralph Duncan, the literature agent of our Minks as well as the bigger Minks who give them their brief moment of power. union after his arrest on September 20 in pinion hall. This is an example of the disregard of our incompetent leadership for mittees, the bureaucracy issued a mimeo gan was conducting his work under very the welfare of our union and its membergraphed leaflet calling on the workers to severe difficulties. For instance, in Hougstrike. The only meeting that was held ton, comrade Mink collected more than We, members and active workers in before the strike call was issued, was a 200 in cash but he left Morgan penniless the union demand an end of this state of meting of about 10 Communist Party mem in the field. Yet within two months com affairs. We demand a thorough going bers who were senmen and voted for the rade Morgan succeeded in opening up a house cleaning. We demand that our union longshoremen to go out on strike. When hall and in electing a delegation the should begin to consider national affairs.
these comrades went down to the docks to National Convention of the Marine Workers We demand that our union should take call the strike the longshoremen bitterly Industrial Union consisting of six Negroes steps to strengthen itself, to build its resented it and beat them up. Further and five whites. This was the only bona ranks, to wipe out bureaucracy, to estabmore, instead of going to the docks of the fide delegation of longshoremen elected to lish rank and file control, to have democoast wise shipping where we had some the convention besides Philadelphia. All cracy in our union. We demand correct strength, these comrades went first to the other longshoremen elegates were mand an end to adventurI. piers, where we had no strength. elected but were handpicked.
ism in the conduct of strikes We demand Without any previous preparations they For six months Hines was the New responsibility in handling organization notified the longshoremen that there was York organizer, got the full support, moral, questions. We demand the removal from to be a strike.
financial, from the union bureaucracy. Yet leadership of the present bureaucracyThis outrageous bureaucratic proced he couldn manage to get a single long Hines, Mink, Harvey. We demand that the jure in our union, this utter disregard of shoremen delegate for the conference rank and file should be given a chance to the most elementary rights of democracy (April 1930. This mess made by Hines discuss the policies of our union, to adopt in our union destroyed all the sentimenti in New York came upon the heels of his correct policies and to elect a new leaderwhich we had succeeded in building up staying in Baltimore for seven months and ship which will have the confidence of our for our union, wiping out all our gains doing exactly nothing. Hines, Mink and rank and file and will be able to lead in which we had won only through many Harvey have made it a practice to slander the building up of the Marine Workers Inmonths of very hard work. All the results individual members when they are not dustrial Union into a mass militant union.
which we had previously achieved by our around.
It is only by making such a thoroughgreat sacrifices were destroyed by this adAs soon as a member raises his voice going house cleaning, by facing and exventurist policy.
in criticism he is immediately made a amining the facts frankly, by merciless BUREAUCRACY CRIPPLES OUR UNION scapegoat for everything bad that happens, self criticism and correction that we can The situation in our union is intoler. No organization reports, no financial re unite our forces, strengthen our organizaable. Things simply can go on the way ports, no records of the membership, no tion and succeed in our aim which is the they are now going. Anybody who critic activity reports are ever given and to ask building of a powerful industrial union izes Mink, or even raises a question to for them and press for them means to face uniting all the marine transport workers him is immediately picked out as a target.
a barrage of abuse and attacks.
in the country. whispering campaign is opened against THE IRRESPONSIBLE METHODS OF Marine Workers Industrial Union him in the fraction of the Communist WORK AND ORGANIZATION Rank and File Committee Party and in the Union.
The criminal bungling and the misAltho comrade Morgan was elected to management of the organization, the genLarry Murphy Ernest Lobart the National Committee of the Union by eral irresponsibility of the bureaucracy are Soderstrom John Morgan the rank and file delegates of the Conven disrupting our union. For instance, after Crocket Joe Golden tion and the National Committee elected the club did away with the lunch counJohn Starkovitch John Anderson him to the Executive board, yet, the bur ter in the headquarters because it attracted Joe Cass Henry Williams eaucracy didn even think it necessary to very many bad elements to the hall then Joseph Murphy McDonald call an executive board meeting when they Mink on his own hook reopened it in Aal Erickson Edward Simmons decided to expell him from the Executive deflance of the club members decision. Fransen Ralph Duncan Board of the Union in June, 1930. Not only He conducted it as a private enterprise Rorr ship.