Appeal to the Party Members in the Needle Trades FOR UNITED FRONT OF THE PARTY AND THE LEFT OPPOSITION AGAINST THE REACTIONARIES, THE PSEUDO PROGRESSIVES, AND THE RIGHT WING LIQUIDATORS. the Lovestoneites)
The pressure of facts in the struggle, bureaucratic maneuver which will only make labor movement. There is not the slightest not on the basis of abstract or false slogans, and the criticism of the Opposition, has the confusion worse confounded.
doubt that in a desperate attempt to break but in the process of struggle. We have compelled the party leadership to take the What must the Left wing understand the workers away from the growing influ pointed out the need of organizing the Lett first steps in a turn from the former ultra before it can proceed with its work?
ence of the Left wing, they will again seek wing in the reactionary unions as an aid to Leftist position it occupied in the needle Preliminary Steps for the Left Wing to split the unions. They have done this those workers organized in the trades situation. Insofar as you will comin the past and will in all likelihood seek Equally important is the need of systempel the Centrist leadership to make a real The Right wing unions have been enorto do it again. On the banner of the Left atically organizing the Left wing workers mously strengthened. The drift of the workturn it will facilitate a closer working towing, however, must be inscribed the slo into groups in the shops controlled by the ers has been in their directon. The Left gan of working class unity against the Right wing union.
gether of our Joint forces. For this reason In the unorganized wing has been defeated along the line we approach you with the question of formcapitalist class. Our aim must be to unite Bhops, a profound and well organized caming a united front against the black reac and we must proceed with the open and and win over the working class. The bur paign of organization into the N, honest recognition that we have suffered tionaries, the pseudo progressives and the defeat. The bosses have become more arroeaucrats are the splitters of the Labor move must be started. We speak of a serious Lovestone liquidators. necessary prement: the Communists and the Left wing campaign and not one based on paper, with gant than ever before.
liminary to this is to put the situation in are its unifiers, not in the name of an ab. headlines in the party press as their main the needle trades clearly. The beginnings The strategy of the bosses has been stract unity for its own sake, but unity on substance, which naturally dle out in a few of the above mentioned turn are evidenced to support and even revive the Right wing the basis of the class struggle.
weeks. In the mixed shope, e. where by the following facts: unions through which their labor agents there are Left wing and Right wing workIs there a basis for Left wing activity could help to weaken the Left wing and Indications of the Turn in the Right wing unions? All the indica ers, the militants must work for the formaeliminate it as a factor. But the ideal of tions are that such a basis not only exists, tion of Joint Committees of Action of all The setting up of Left wing slates the bosses is not the Right wing union or but is constantly being extended under workers, at the same time strengthening the in various elections that have taken place any other union. Their ideal is a compressure tions between the by nto it all posin the Right wing unions: the Hatters, the pletely unorganized trade. They prefer the labor bureaucracy and the real needs of the sible individual workers. These Joint ComAmalgamated Clothing Workers, the Rain Right wing to the Left wing, and an unorworkers. The Left wing must build on this mittees of Action, which have a basis of coat Makers etc. in contrast to the former ganized mass to any union whatever. The foundation.
existence in hundreds of shops, can become polley which was tantamount to boycotting bosses want the workers to bear the burden all these elections and leaving the workers a powerful lever for ousting the labor burof the crisis of capitalism, to accept the old, Whose resistance, besides that of the eaucrats from the trade union movement in the Right wing unions at the mercy of murderous conditions of low wages, long bosses, the state and their direct labor and strengthening the Left wing immeasurthe corrupt bureaucracy and the fraudulent hours, and intense speed up.
agents, ts encountered in this work of reably. progressives.
The plans of the bosses to impose ever generating the power and influence of the Left wing?
Should not these policies be taken up The dropping of the policy for the worse conditions upon the workers cannot Amalgamated Clothing Workers of with be carried through without the open or The pseudo progressives. These are later, after the dress strike is over? No.
drawing every individual Left wing worker concealed assistance of their labor agents, people, like Levy in the cloakmakers union On the contrary, they go hand in hand with and affiliating him to the Needle Trades the question of the dressmakers strike, and the Right wing union leaders. On the other and similar elements in the other unions, Workers Industrial Union.
hand, the workers, compelled for a number who have a thoroughly discredited past, their execution will be of great aid to its but, in spite of that, are sensing the mood victory. The strike will never be won by The recent meeting of the General of reasons to join the Right wing unions, will resist these plans.
of discontent among the workers, and seek Executive Board of the Left wing union, the dressmakers alone. It will be victorious and subsequent declarations, in which the It is this conflict which deepens the gult to mount the rising movement by attaching only if the workers in the other branches false analysis of the Right wing unions as between the bureaucracy and the union themselves to a few progressive phrases. of the industry are aroused to its support, membership and creates a broad basis for These phrases mean nothing to them. Peo company unions was partly abolished and organizationally as well as financially. These ple without principle. except the principolleles are correct for adoption now. The those bodies were more properly characterthe activity of the Left wing and a revival of its influence. If the Left wing pursues ple of clique control they serve as chanLeft Opposition is wholeheartedly behind the ized as reactionary unions in which the nels into which the discontent of the workstrike. Our criticism, which we do not with Left wing must function in order to win a correct polley, it can again become the ers is harmlessly diverted. They are the draw at any time, the false leadership, the workers to its cause.
recognized champion of the interests and needs of the workers and win them away shields the Schlesingers and Goldens. of its lack of preparation, of the half way The leaflet issued to Local 42 from the Right wing bureaucracy and into Their position in the struggle, which will measures that are being taken to win over (Blockers) in which the company union the ranks of the militant movement. The assume an ever more dangerous aspect as the workers in the Right wing union to the policy of a few months ago is revised and problem of the revolutionary elements at the Left wing really begins its work, must support of the strike all this does not for the proposal made for a fight against the the present moment is the speediest accombe relentlessly exposed to the workers as a a single moment affect our complete snp reactionaries within the of union, plishment of this end.
whole.
port of the workers in this struggle. On as the Opposition has been demanding for the plcket lines, in the strike committees, How is this to be done? The Left wing The Lovestone Liquidators some time.
in our press, in our meetings and organizamust immediately proceed with the organiThese are a few of the indications of The Lovestone, Right wing liquidtion everywhere, our comrades will be the turn that is being made. The Left Opzation of all the militant and Left wing ators. The role of the Right wing faction found in the most active ranks of the strike, workers within the reactionary unions. Can position which has from the very beginis to liquidate the influence of Communism fighting for its success. The proposals we this be done under the slogan of the workers ning called upon the Communist workers and the Left wing in the working class.
make for the strike, like our other proin the Right wing unions joining the Needle to conduct struggle against the pseudoTaking advantago of the blunders and false Trades Workers Industrial Union immediposals, will always be dictated by the deep Communist policies of the party leaders in line of the oflicial party, which are only a est concern over the strength and triumph ately? It cannot. All recent experience the needle trades, can only welcome this continuation in another direction of the of the Communist and Left wing movement, demonstrates that this is an abstract slogan turn. The policy of yesterday which has blunders made yesterday by the Lovestone for we have no interests separate from the for the Right wing union workers to which not yet been completely cast aside, had the leadership, the Right wing has been able Interests of the working class in general, they pay no attention and which only allenmost pernicious results for the Left wing to mobilize a number of workers who reand the Communist movement in particular.
ates them further from the Left wing. The and its union. The once powerful moveacted against the ultra Leftist line. But basis for the organization of the militants ment influenced by the party in the needle instead of directing their protest in Com.
One Step Forward Has Been Taken in the Right wing unions can only be: The trades was virtually wrecked by the policy munist chanuels, the Right wing has used That is why, especially in this critical fight for democracy in the union; the unof opportunism pursued in the days of the these workers to pursue a policy of liquida period of the Left wing existence, we greet Lovestone leadership and the subsequent relenting struggle against the bureaucrats tion. The policy of the Right wing group the partial turn in the correct direction, policy of ultra Leftist sectarianism which and capitalist labor agents in the organiza in the needle trades particularly, is sumwhich the party has made, although we tion; the mobilization of the workers for was introduced by the present party ieadermed up in their bloc with the discredited realize thoroughly all the limitations of the united action against the offensive of the ship. The influence of the party and the Levy clique, which only serves to reha turn, the fact that the old and false founbosses. Does this mean that the Right wing Left wing has been radically reduced among bilitate the Levys in the eyes of the workers dations have not yet been destroyed, the unions can be transformed into genuine in the needle trades workers who once followand to hamper the development of a genu fact that those who are in the leadership, struments of struggle against the manufac.
ed it by the tens of thousands. The Left Ine Left wing movement in the reactionary who are to exe. te turn, will heap turers? The party leaders reply with the cate wing union has been cut down to the merest unions. The problem of the Communists Finder upon blunder becaus: Centrom 18 gorica denial. To make such absolute declarashadow of its former strength in the cloak.
to liquidate the Right wing liquidatore politically incapable of pursuing persistions advance means to place huge obstacles makers, furriers, milliners in a word, ev.
can not be accomplished merely by words tently correct line.
erywhere except in the dress trade where it in the road of working within the reaction or violence, but by opposing to their policy It is precisely becéruse of his inherent ary needle trades unions. The fact is that still has a small hold, it has been virtually. correct policy, and intelligent enlighten feature of the Cent eadersh. that we eliminated as an organized force. Despite this question can only be settled in the ment of the workers as to the role they raise here, also a warning against the dancourse of the struggle, which, in turn, canour warnings, the party leaders, under the play. But a prerequisite for this defeat of ger that, turning from the position of ultranot be fitted arbitrarily into a rigid mold inspiration of the spurious philosophy of the opportunists is unification of Leftism that it occupied yesterday and still cast in advance and so inflexible that it the third period. cast aside the tested the genuinely Communist forces, com occupies in part, the leadership will move cannot be adjusted to meet the ever new policies of Leninism and adopted instead a bined with a struggle within the party rapidly to the position of open opportunism.
realities a situation. The fact is, and narrow and sectarian policy. The Right and the Left wing itself against bureaucra Disappointed in its failure to weaken the this is demonstrated by the recent history wing unions, not the smallest reason for tism and adventurism, the counterpart of trade union bureaucrats merely by calling of the needle trades themselves, that the whose growth was the blunders of the Left the Right wing itself. It is towards such them social fascists. the Centrists will Left wing, by working persistently and inwing, were simply denounced as company a unification that the Left Opposition is tend to swing in desperation as they have unions and boycotted. The proposals for telligently, has been able to win the bulk striving and is ready to cooperate on a com done in the past to a policy of unprinciof the workers in the reactionary unions.
Left wing wor within these unions was radely, militant basis with the members of pled alliances with sections of the union This was the case in the Joint Action rejected as the proposal of renegades. The bureaucracy. An alarming symptom of this workers in the Right wing unions were fight, in the furriers union, and elsewhere.
Despite the blunders of the past and the Does the program of building a Left swing to opportunism is seen in the helpless lumped together with the bureaucrats and manner in which the official leadership of wing within the reactionary unions menn vacillations of the party leadership in makcovered with the single label of social fasthe liquidation of the Needle Trades Work ing a decision on the dressmakers strike!
the Left wing has compromised the struggle.
cists. In an attempt to retrieve ground ers Industrial Unfon? Not at all! That is In the latest meeting of the party fraction, the lost ground can still be recovered and lost by the mistakes of the past, the Left the aim of the Lovestone Right wing, but the leadership came forward with a prowing leadership embarked on a course of a beginning made.
it is not our aim. The greatest hindrance posal to put aside the demands for wages adventurism, organizing strikes without real The Theories Social Fascism in the way of the clarification of the Com and conditions and to strike only for the foundation in the position of the union or It is necessary in the first place to remunist workers is the unprincipled and recognition of the union. In this connection the workers. As the result of the wrong ject completely the whole theory of com cynical identification of our line with the they no doubt have in the back of their heads, appreciation of the Right wing unions, the pany unionism and social fascist union line of the Right wing, which is made with the idea of a quick dickering with one secLeft wing was unable to make any progress ism, as applied to the reactionary unions out conviction or proof by the party leaders tion of the bosses thus robbing the strike in the strikes called by the Right wing: the by the party. This theory only erects an The Left Opposition proposes a program to of all validity. This is not a revolutionparty leaders could not even decide, at one artificial barrier between the workers in strengthen and not to liquidate the ary trade union policy this is business stage in the Right wing strike, whether the the Left wing union and those in the Right The truth is that the whole sec agent unionism. There has been more than Left wing workers should be called out as wing union, which only works to the advantarian course of the party up to now bas enough of this opportunism in the party for well or remain at work in hops tage of the Schlesingers and their kin. The resulted in a weakening of the Left wing which the Foster and Lovestone factions, This uninterrupted series of mistakes of organization of the Left wing militants in union, and helped greatly to liquidate It jointly, were responsible.
the past, for which the party leadership the Right wing unions must be begun and in practice. The responsibility for this We do not therefore conceal the fact bears the entire responsibility, has not carried on systematically and seriously. The ruinous course cannot be shifted onto our that we are not in the slightest degree repassed without leaving deep scars on the immediate aim of the Left wing minority shoulders, but must be borne by those who conciled with the Centrist leaders of the Left wing movement. Only a recognition, must be to oust the reactionary bureaucracy pursued the course and defended it, who party, or with their Centrist policies. We an examination and an absorption of the and introduce tested policies of the class still excuse it today, and by creating this propose the unification of the Communist lessons of the past will enable the Left wing struggle in place of class collaboration. We bureaucratic confusion made it difficult to and Left wing ranks. Side by side in the to lay a solid foundation to build on for have no illusions about the desire for un adopt a correct course, to carry out a REAL struggle against the bosses, against the the coming period. Without such a thorough ity of the Right wing bureaucrats. They PURN TO THE CORRECT POLICY. pseudo progressives, against the Right wing study, the new turn will be a meaningless are the agents of the manufacturers in the The must be built up. Continued on Page 6)
the party.