PAGE NEW MILITANT SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1935 Who are the New «Progressive» Leaders in the of we. Few Pages from the Records of John Lewis, David Dubinsky, Sidney Hillman, Chas. Howard et. al.
own.
Toledo Union Town By ARNE SWABECK So, Gorman elevated himself to the position at least of becoming the unconscious medium for Brow ing a specific issue by a dramatic der. This ought to mean a lot to act, John Lewis has created a him. true description, however, stir throughout the trade union of the intervention of the Staliniste movement in submitting his resig in present trade union developments nation from the of Execu would of necessity be much more tive Council an uproar.
structure to the new needs. They year. Lewis proceeded to show, the church is no good. His con large stature sheltered an even prosaic in tone as it would show Unusual importance is attached to this act. This is natural for Wrecking the leaned almost exclusively upon the from the report itself that this clusion is that the wicked sinners smaller mind, and he nutsed great an absolutely pernicious influence.
government for their support, enter do not repent and do not want sal personal ambitions. The writer The Needle Trades more than one reason. John Levis is identified as the leader of John Lewis is at the helm oing into a partnership in which number included a period of twoyation: We said we would organ recalls having a debate some years years, and then has been telt in the needle trades Within the more of upper crust mast militant organization in the ism meant that they were to presentes en la base reports about the locale American Federation of Labor, but appeared before the Chicago Ped. unions, whose two most outstandand his resignation certainty tends country. But his record, to put it vent the workers from engaging in that had been suspended or dis darn it, these workers did not eration of Labor to which was a ing representatives, alimutstand banded and thus permanently gone want to get organized. The truth delegate at the time. The debate Dubinsky, are prominent members within the leadership. Much more though he now takes his stand on quently they did their best, without of existence drew a negative is that the workers did desire or commenced around Woll ardent of the progressive bloe. Some to emphasize the hopeless division mildly, is an odious one, and even independent class activity. Conse the gentlemen of presentation of his own special years ago the left wing showed its important, however, is the addi the progressive side of the argu the support of the government, to balance of 814 federal labor unions. ganization tional and keen attention this act ment in what has become the most strangle every strike. This could From this Lewis concluded: So Green church repelled them by labor insurance scheme and ex greatest resourcefulness to these panded into the main issues of the unions. But this was a good deal will focus upon the industrial un important dispute in the. of not at all Inspire confidence among the 1, 860 organizers of the Ameri woeful incompetence and deceit.
Since the Atlantic City conven of policy of organization before the Stalinist third period.
ion issue. which deserves due recognition the workers in union organization can Federation of Labor in all His resignation, to be correctly this record should not be over Lewis Gives the Record lacked 314 unions of holding their tion the cleavage in the Executive received the distinct feeling that Traditionally these unions are understood, must be viewed on the looked. In the course of further Council has deepened. The resig he was much more concerned about looked upon as Socialist unlons, yet background of the recent of events it is quite likely that he will It was thus way for John nation of Lewis sbould not be himself appearing in an Impressive almost consistently having had On that basis submit it to be convention fight in which John be compelled to become one of the Lewis to put his finger on the weak a reasonable statement, continued us ke determination on his part to tion. The old Gompers crowd at cies and movements. The leading looked upon as a split but rather light than with the issues in ques their definite right and left tenden Lewis, supported by Charles outstanding champions of trade the time of the departure of their officials usually Insa claim to the lon, together with Sidney Hillman is to be expected, it will arise out For twenty five years or more, he before the American Federation of failure and, undoubtedly also, as a helmsman feared the too great am title Constructive Radicalism.
said, the American Federation of Labor organizes those 25, 000, 000 bitions of Matthew Woll, and so of getting his and David Dubinsky of the needle of the logio of his present position Labor has been following this pre workers that we are all so anxious case he should decide on a serious William Green fell into his present Siegman the leaders of the free in From the days of Schlesinger and trades and others, argued on the and not because any principled cise policy (he meant the policy of to organize.
position were amongst the main props of There are others campaign for a new and a more progressive side of some important adherence to the idea of trade un questions. This fight in the main ton democracy.
centered around the gues of the recordar els uebati. com puthies welding standing of the question, a record in polley. This convention floor is reeble attempts to taken up the char unionism can hardly be avoided. It Jewish Daily Forward. Usually Hleh whole e past the absence of any other under cord Indicate a belede for at thange Greetic mas marie further craft unionism versus industrial their main support from the decrepe workers in the basic and mass pro progressive and left wing one of twenty five years of constant, teeming with delegates from those lenge, but despite his exalted posiThis is keenly sensed in all leading this bureaucracy was bitization into Industrial tinsons. The packing conventions and stealing along to those who actually be we have been established and where much more resourceful Lewis. This are the real theoreticians of the and ale socialist unton members. of circles and those who terly opposed by their own rank most hidebound craft unionists, led votes in union elections, not shrink a desire to increase the prestige of they are now dying like the grass will become much more apparent stark reactionary. breats labor bovement coming more to tration become then Dubinsky, permit who are ready to tell this conven there are much more fundamental the fore, defending the shaky struc lesser evli. heir to it. Sidney Dan Tobin and John Frey, made bitrary measures.
up in voting strength what they it to occupy its natural place in the tion of the need for that change of issues involved than a mere tilt be ture of craft unionism. There need Hillman, the President of the AmOn times, almost without num. sun.
lacked in convincing arguments and ber, the rank and Ale members have policy tween the two.
were thus able to carry the day, been in revolt against his sell outs What is the record? he went Green Church Philosophy On how Green came into his high ture lles on the progressive side the other hand, politically unat.
with the opposition, however, mus to the operators. Notable is the on. Delegate Howard expressed it position there also hangs a tale of this Alght. And, aside from tached, understood how to gather tering Imposing forces. Of course, instance of 1922, when 50, 000 un when he said that we laid claim Willem Green attempted to make Old Sam Gompers had ruled the such considerations as the personal around himself radicals and er this vote did not settle the issue organized miners of western Penn to a membership of approximately a reply to this charge of dismal affairs of the Federation for 80 abilities of those who now stand radicals of various descriptions, the gorgeous hotels and the best trust, suved the national strike te organizable number of approximate welu rask why the church has not putea fashion that is usuaden weaten the progressives have the real servient to his administration. Subshores of Atlantic City than making common cause, only to and ly thirty nine million. There is the saved all the sinners. In this an and the problem of finding a sues. On that side the real Sydney Hillman the industrial union defenders real themselves left out in the cold in answer.
ized that if there is to be any force the settlement, abandoned, beaten The Executive Council baden good churchman, serie de la morte es un colore presente de live lies also the confident hope Whereas, in the the at all behind this idea it is neces and to be starved into submission claimed a total of 1, 804 Federal con in his home town, Conchock. Woll, commonly looked upon as the forces are sure to come from the Socialist officials nearly always sary to organize. They formed the similarly in 1928, the striking min: Inbor unions organized during the ton, Ohio, he would never inter that Crown Prince, but his not very new unlons that are bound to grow fought the left wing hend on, an Committee for Industrial Organizers of Pennsylvania and Ohio were in the mass production industries, man endeavored to make the left ation. Does the resignation of John finally left by the national union encouraged by the struggle that is wing feel at home in the union in Lewis indicate that this group officialdom to shift for themselves, that precisely from these unions, order to quietly muszle it or to intends to take up in earnest the beaten, disorganized, and the nanew and genuinely progressive painlessly kick out the more deterforces will emerge fight for organization of the unor tional organization in the soft coal mined ones. Somehow he always ganized and for industrial unlon territories reduced to about 70, 000 Next to John Lewis and his managed to have a right wing organization?
members.
Muntant Rattles THE BATTLE OF CHESTNUT HILL powerful organization in back of target, as for example the former That Defeated him, as it surely will be, and New York Beckerman gang, and Framed Way Into Presidency The Revival the Bosses should be on the progressive 18. thereby kept the left wing busy In the leadership that John sues now in dispute, the represen supporting the administration meaMany severe blowe were thus tatives of the textile workers un sures against the gang. Hillman By ART PREIS Lewis can give to this group is ex dealt to the glorious MW. which ion stand out in the bloc that was could always manage skillfully to pressed both its strength and its reached almost the depths of des Over one half years have recently formed. In this sense we make it appear that he met the weaknesses. He is both resourceful pair when John Lewis, who is passed since that memorable night have in mind first of all the organ left wing half way, but always in and cunning. His fixed objectives now the champion of industrial in May, 1964 when some ten thouizations that are involved.
he pursues relentlessly. One need unionism, inaugurated the disas sand embattled Toledo workers beTo such a manner that the decision gether with these two there are the would remain on paper and cost only remember how he came into trous policy of separate state and seiged the stronghold of the Toledo needle trades unions. On the whole him nothing. So, for example, he the leadership of the by individual agreements with the op. Auto Lite plant and fought through the back door route. Functioning erators. However, with the turn those six days of magnificent strugwith a militant Aghting tradition, the needle trades unions, so long a as a technical worker for the weak of the business cycle and the recent gle against all the armed hosts of Frank Hayes, he was appointed revival Moreover, the leaderships in these that he felt sure others would optrade union organizathe capitalist state. Thhe echo of unions cannot help but feel in a pose it sufficiently as a practically vice president to all the vacancy tion, the came back that victorious Rattle of Chestnut very marked degree the pressure reality. He could display what left open when Hayes took White strongly to occupy its rightful Hill beat against the eager ears of place as president. Lewis was quick place. The changing economic con. the American workers and inspired from below, from a membership looked very much like a real and trained in the fire of the class practicable form of sympathy for to utilize the opportunity to frame ditions can het reedschappreciated to the first great strike wave under struggle, and striving to make their the Soviet Union and even accept of the time and involving him in inevitable pressure also upon the Hard in the wake of the Autounions effective Instruments of this the shop delegate system in princstruggle. This should prove an iple and in such a way that it compromising situations which fin union officials. The coal miners Lite strike came the two famous ally forced his resignation and thus gained new experiences battling the and historie battles of the Minne important and a wholesome factor would not interfere in the least in the future orientation of this with the domination of his official automatically elevated Lewis to the steel trust for organization of the apolis truck drivers under the lead progressive movement of today. machine. Hillman began his car.
solone Lewis has proved him that this should and its reflection textile strike, the San Francisco However, the personal integrity of cer as a progressive leader fishing their representatives, who are now the incredibly reactionary United self equally relentless in pursuing even in the upper strata of the general strike, and a flood of other in the spotlight in the progressive Garment Workers bureaucracy, and his opponents and tracking down union officialdom.
militant labor struggles.
bloc, is perhaps equally important. fighting against the sweatshop.
those who fell victims to his des Trade union organization, now 80 Toledo a Union Town In this respect very little of a With the growth of mempotic rule, always striking at the bitterly fought by the gigantie Emboldened by the lessons of the and launched the second strike however brief, would be accurate favorable nature can be said for bership and power, he adjusted time when the opponents one way corporations, has really become a Auto Lite encounter, Toledo labor wave under the Roosevelt regime. or complete without some mention McMahon, the President of himself handsomely to all the cele or another were in a weakened no matter of a life and death battle began a steady organizational up The Chevrolet strike, under the of the Lucas County. Unemployed United Textile Workers. Duringbrated forms of bosses impartial sition. To this he adds the flair No trade union leader, no matter surge. Although every step of the leadership of hard hitting, intellt. League. The militancy and per past years his feeble abilitles machinery, based on the Rule of battles against his opponents in can remain bind to the fact that anfon front has been marked by only to entrench unionism in sev. League here on almost every picket divided into a multitude of ineffer ning speed up system called standorder the more surely and the more in the issues of the class struggle. the fiercest opposition, both frineral General Motors plants, but ex. line is traditional. For three years tive quarreling unions, and he was ard of production, which 18 the these methods have helped him en bureaucrats attempt to deny them, the outside and reactionary union the treacherous role of Green, Dil: psired the Toledo unemployed to single one of them whics did carry Hillman is now completing the ormously to consolidate his own only organizations of mass numbers bureaucrats from within the one on and other enemies of Industrial steady battle for their Mghts. on a militant struggle The pro cycle, back again in progresposition and strengthen bis prestige can assure the power necessary in time notorious acab town Toledo unionism, stimulated the fight for half dozen or more organizations, gressive bloc is hardly advanced (Continued on Page 5)
among leading trade union officials. facing these battles. The small is today a genuinely union town. union progressivism and the organ including the Unemployment Coun by his WT. Francis GorThe Vice Prest Hardly one instance in his long beginnings made toward union or into quiet dent of the This development did not spring ization of the workers in basle inclls, bave rlsen and career can be found, however, ganization in the baste and mass to full flower overnight out of the dustries.
oblivion, Where these special abilities were production industries such as steel, earth. Following the Auto Lite atbut the Unemployed man, plays somewhat diferent Vote Strike The three weeks battle of the League continues in a stable and role. No doubt his dynamic quallput to use in conflicts with the automobiles and rubber, only lends falr, Toledo experienced one strike Chevrolet workers, climaxed by the steadfast fashion.
It is the Unem. ties have had a great deal to do coal operators, except in an ad further emphasis to this situation battle after another, the Armour unforgetable demonstration of the ployed League which has led and with the growth of this unlon duron Ill. WPA verse sense insofar as the interests of reality. And the first real dls and Swift, Larrowe Mning, Gener strikers against Francis Dillon, organized every unemployed deming the last few years. It is un of the rank and Alle workers are tinction that appears between the al Milk Drivers, FERA strikes and right band Green man, on the night onstration in the past two years, derstood that all the more militant (Continged from Page 1)
concerned. One such example the days of Sam Compers and the bloc sue of most of these scraps was Into partial but short llved detent, Single Men Death March and the held prior to the national textile only by a state wide walkout.
dates old bureaucracy left over from the a flock of others. The primary is when they were finally bludgeone which was the backbone of the delegates to the convention, back to 1920, when be national strike and yielded of progressives, headed by John the estabilshment of the union, un served to crystallize Anti Dillon FERA strike. It was the Unem workers strike of last year, specif. Eldridge of Kincald, a coal min.
weakly in the face of the Daugh. Lawls, is the fact that the latter son recognition and the fulfillment Green sentiment in the auto, rub ployed League which arst violated cally demanded that Gorman beer, acted as secretary of the con erty Injunction, declaring: We has much more readily responded of the grandtose promises of the ber and other unions, led to the the Auto Lite injunction, revived a placed in charge of the strike. He terence.
cannot fight the government. to the pressure of new objective ate lamented NRA.
formation of autonomous Interna dying strike and inspired that first has since made many attempts to The conference planned to conconditions and much more accur Chevrolet Strike Turne Heat on Farrington and victorious struggle. The Unem cover up and make his own weak. duct an intensive drive for the ortionals in these two ployed Lengue has been a powerfulness appear in the most favorable ganization of all relief ately gauged the atual moods of dente weten hoerefore ene 1965baal ople cene mere het tror It was therefore no mere coinclspurred the fight for Toward the operators Lewis the masses.
proved soft and exceedingly flex.
condita Failure of Leadership year after the Auto Lite strike, convention and subsequently.
that save the rank and file work strike action. Conferences are to ible: toward the opponents in the Toledo labor again set of the spark The Unemployed Leagues Active and Influential ers nothing in return for their val held in various sections of the organization, uncompromising For The Executive Council reported which revitalized the apathetic No history of the class struggle The and its members have lant fight. Still, at the F. of state in order to consolidate the years he fought bitterly the equally to the Atlantic Olty convention a workers in the glant auto Industry in Toledo for the past two years, played no small role in this entire convention Gorman went further forces of labor. The first conferambitious president of the Illinols gain for the year of another halt labor development. It has project than any other prominent delegate ence to be held will be at Marlon, district, Frank Farrington, keeping million workers over that of the ed the idea of genuine fighting on in taking issue with the whole con II. Dec. 1, where thirteen southern almost constantly at least five previous twelve months. bringing MASS ACTION IN TOLEDO ionism, of class struggle, in every cept of the organizational as well Tuinols countles are to be repredozen organisers in the district, the total membership up to 3, 045, labor 198ue; out of the accumulated as political orientation of the en sented.
not to organize what was then al. 347. This is the highest member.
experience which it represents, the trenched bureaucracy. In derend.
One of the features of the conready a completely organized disship reported since 1922, though it has helped devise strategy ing his labor party resolution he ference was the presence of deletrict, but to wateh Farrington and is still more than a million below and lent suggestions and guidance made it clear that in his opinion the gates from local union number 1, get the goods on him. In this they the 4, 078, 740 of 1920. Paltry Algwhich have proven sound and Inval Labor party was to be a distinct the most powerful unit of the ProSucceeded and Lewis made good ures Indeed when compared to the uable for successful working class opponent, antagonistic to the vested gressive Miners of America. The use of the evidence, and as usual rich opportunities for organization struggle.
interests represented by the two Progressive Trades and Labor unToday, Toledo workers are mak old capitalist parties.
In the most dramatic fashion. When that were available. mighty ion and the of Hod Car Farrington was about to address stream of workers was set into mo ign ready for a further step for The Staliniste, seeing in these ut riers union had delegates at the the British Trade Union Congress tion for union organization, colnward, a step which may well lead terances of Gorman the living in conference.
as an official of delegate, clding with revival industrial to the beginning of the third great carnation of their own principle Jas. Crass, Tony Scremin, James Lewis denounced him as an agent production and stimulated by the New Deal strike wave. The of the People Front for the Unit Shipley, Al Renner and Edward on the payroll of the largest Illinois NRA. Almost without exception Chevrolet unfon men are now faced ed States. were posltively eloquent Morgan delivered Inspiring addresscoal company, the Peabody Coal this true gravitated toward the with an attempt to weaken and in reporting this speech at length Gerry Allard stated when InterCo. at smash their unfon. General Motors, in their theoretical organ. Said viewed that a strike would materMost recently John Lewis ever, there workers were repelled salary of 25, 000 a year. of Again and again, how.
after laying off 2, 500 men for mathe Stalinist scribe: lallze In Ilinois by Dec. 16 unless of his great drøm. by the dismal failure of the chine replacements several weeks That a labor leader of the type radical concessions were made by atie talents in appearing suddenly of burenucracy and Its reactionago, is rehiring only 1, 400 with the of Gorman comes to the identical the WPA administrators before on the Atlantle City Beto the therefore the matter first to be of Lary collusion with the employers.
reopening of the plant. But the conclusions those formulated by that time.
convention floor, asking Chevy men are not taking this the General Secretary of our party, Sure the workers will strike, roles be set aside to give consider recognized is the fact that the craft Lying down. They are demanding Comrade Browder, shows both the Allard declared when asked if the ation to a special resolution direct union structure is no weapon for the rebiring of all those laid of knowledge of the conditions and workers would respond to the call ed against Matthew Woll. He de the struggle against the large cor Meanwhile, the auto workers in needs of the masses that Oomrade for action. As a matter of fact, manded the latter resignation porations that union otganization bendreds of the manor el condom from the reactionary Civle Federa entalls.
ginning to stir. The clouds are Gorman has made great advances These bureaucrats lacked ton and won ble point while the both violon and will to even atgathering and the storm may break on the basis of this recent experl Our job is to organize it and lead sugust embly was thrown into tempt to adjust the organizational soon.
200.
It in the most efective channels.
great