The Daily Worker Newspaper, November 29, 1924, Page 6

A Party of Shop Nuclei With the capitalist victory on No- vember 4, the “‘progressive” illusions have received a severe shock. The working class will again face the grim realities of the class struggle in a more acute form. This capitalist victory will be fur- ther consolidated. To reap the fruits thereof, labor’s resistance to increas- ed exploitation must first be crush- ed. Thus the workers will be called upon to battle for the life of their terribly weakened organizations and once gained. Their immediate task is to proceed from the present inertia to vigorous but well-planned preparations to maintain the standard of living to meet this situation. From propaganda to action is the next task of the Workers Party. To lead in these struggles proceeding from the shops and factories where the workers will feel the weight of this further consolidation of the capi- talist vietory; to give the political di- rection and organize exective regist- ance to the coming attacks; to lead in the creation of the organs of re- sistance—the shop committees and factory councils—; to lead in the ac- tions for relief of the unemployed masses and organize and strengther the labor unions. These are some o’ the immediate tasks facing the Work- ers Party. The shop nuclei form of party organization will make a solu tion possible. In Constame Touch with Workers. The shop nuebeus will be a perma- nent organization in constant touch with the workers. Its problems are those of the workers on the job. As a combination of militant fighters it will take up all these problems and work out the immediate plans of ac- tion. As a basic Communist unit, it recognizes that the proletarian revo- lution is the only solution for the la- bor preblem and all. its plans are worked out with that goal in view. The workers, learning by experience that only thru active struggle can any gains be secured, and any relief be obtained from the pressure of exploit- ation, will soon turn toward the party shop nuclei for direction and leader- ship. ‘ The obstacles in the path of the proletarian revolution can only be re moved gradually by the training, edu- eating and organizing of the workers thru the struggles. These obstacles are present also in the industries where the trade unions have obtained a foothold. There the faithful capital ist lieutenants, masquerading as trade union leaders, are using all their pow- ers of persuation to discourage the workers from entering the struggle. They are making glowing promises to be fulfilled when the members com- pletely submit to their class collabora- tion schemes. These schemes vary from the celebrated non-partisan poli- tical policy to plans like the B. & O. co-operation plan, proposed by the in- ternational president of the Machin- ists’ Union, to make the unions effi- ciency imstruments for the railroad companies; the plan of speed-up and cheaper production, as proposed by Frank Farrington of District 12, Unit- ed Mine Workers, by which the oper- ators of the union fields should be able to compete with the non-union operators and the plan of permanent compulsory arbitration boards set up in collusion with the bosses to have disciplinary powers, to impose fines, suspend or expell union members, as already pursued by the building trades, to metition a few examples. Fight Class Collaboration, The party reorganization does. not tasks, but it does change the mehods in the least change its objects or its |, capitalist system of exploitation, but also as an obstacle to the improve- ment of the every day conditions of work. ‘ By planned united action of all party members in a shop, thru the shop nucleus and taking advantage of all experiences gained, it will be compar- atively easy to convince the workers that any plan or agreement which pledges the organized workers to a greater speed and efficiency of pro- duction so as to make the cost of production of their work less than that of the unorganized, will only serve as an additional weapon in the hands of the employers, united in their organ- izations, to create an endless compe- tition between organized and unorgan- ized workers and thus force down the standard of living as a whole. It will be comparatively easy to convince the workers that arbitration beards com- posed jointly of representatives of la bor and of the employers serve the interests of the latter because all ac- complishments recorded in the history of the working class have been made only thru actual struggle. It will be easier yet to show that both methods weaken the organized power of the workers and strengthens that of the employers, thus giving the latter all the advantages in future struggles which, no matter what schemes are .dvanced, nevertheless become inevit- ble. Strengthen Left Wing in Trade Unions. Having learned this, the workers will naturally turn to the party mem- vers organized in the shop nucleus and ‘sten to further advice. They will then be shown the need of attending to their union affairs and fight with the Communists, organized in the -rade union fraction (the T. U. E. L.), to prevent the adoption of such mea- sures and their strength will go to swell the ranks of the left wing trade union groups. Thru the diligent work of the party shop nucleus to unite he workers for the struggles in the shops and factories, it will soon be- come apparent to these workers, by actual experience, that the craft union form of organization has outlived its asefulness and now serves to divide their ranks. The demand for amal- gamation of these unions into indus- trial unions will thereby be transform- ed from paper resolutions, buried in trade union headquarters, to the reali- ties of life. During the election campaign just concluded the lack of leadership in the shops was particularly apparent. The LaFollette movement everywhere presented its combination of so-called friendly republicans, democrats and “progressives” and appealed for the support of the workers. It was the 10n-partisan political policy of Sam- wl. Gompers changed a little in its appearance and just another form of dass collaboration to support capi- Political Education. }tries would be an idle illusion. That task remains to be done by the mili- SUNDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 7, 1924 f __ WALPURGE'S NIGHT by Goethe. - Music by Mendelssohn, q Freiheit Singing Society and Symphony Orchestra of 30 Musicians, f TICKETS Tbe, $1 and $1.50, for sale by members and at the Freiheit Headquarters, Road. By Arne Swabeck ers for the struggle for political pow-| not only the organs of struggle of the er. Our party must win over the large /instruments with which to organize masses of workers for the’ revolution. | the unions. That is the starting point The shop nuclei will easily gain the|for party shop nuclei in the unorgan- confidence of the workers because | ized industries. While the nuclei them- they are part. of their ranks and the | selves are confined to Communists, to most active part, speaking their lan-| party members, their task will be to guage and proposing. practical mea- | initiate the formation of shop commit- sures for relief of their misery. Thru | tees which take in all the workers. the shop nuclei the Communist units become organically cennected with of the workers in the great car shops the working masses at the place of | o¢ Pullman and Hegewisch, Illinois, production. Thru the shop nuclei the connections will be established which became particularly apparent as it builds the united front of the work- does in all such cases. The party took ers from the bottom. They become a whatever actions it could under the counter balance against the treacher- | circumstances as an outside force com- ous and strikebreaking activities of ing in to lend a helping hand, and the trade union fakers—the propon- | s-tyali suceeeded in stiffening the ents of class collaboration. Being the , basic political units of the party, they shop nucleus in each instance would witl establish the proper connection inevita, have stepped to the fore. between its industrial and political ac- wy ay tivities and give political character to becaus the struggles in the shops and from conta as ot oped ne the unions by convincing the workers of the need of the conquest of power. Ee ee mene Sivan Altho the power of the trade unions, controlled by the reactionary leaders, is steadily declining, the workers in the unorganized industries are worse | the struggles. It would make an es- off. And today many of the great bas-|timate of the relative strength of the ic, raw material and manufacturing contend forces, attem hoose ndustries are almost entirely unor- wg ‘ oti ganized. The workers are left help- lessly in the grip of the most ruthless capitalist exploitation. Their sporadic, unplanned and either mercilessly crushed or slowly starved to death. Their latent forces =s a factor in the struggle for work- ing class power is dormant. The prob- party nucleus recently. lem facing the Workers Party in these aa ee sarnss industries, as the militant champion of the working class interests, is that of organizing these actions, these strikes and organize the workers in- to shop committees and into industrial unions. To believe that the Ameri workers, but also the most effective During the sporadic, isolated strikes last summer, the lack of leadership morale of the strikers. Yet a party It would have gained the leadership organized group and part of the strike tion to the strike and if it would ac- complish no mere in this first attempt, for all future purposes, the shop nu- cleus would map out the strategy of the most opportune. moment for an offensive, propose the measures need- ed for united action by the workers always bearing in mind the object isolated strikes are | of steadily gaiming positions of more power to the workers and prepare for the actual organization of the work- ers. In Gary, Indiana, where one organized in one of the large mills, it was demonstrated that the atten- tion of the comrades naturally and immediately focused on the problems of the shop. At their first meeting they took action to carry out certain Measures in regards to a couple of definite issues pending before the workers in the shop. Of course, while the party is just taking the first steps toward the formation of shop nuclei some of the Organize Shop Committees. points here mentioned may seem a Shop committees, composed of rep- | little novel. Yet, as the shop nuclei resentatives of all workers in the | are being established, the basis is be- shops, is the basis of up-to-date un-|ing laid for contact with the larga fons are necessary to the workers in| masses of workers thru their strug- the organized industries. But in the|gles and for the united proletarian unorganized industries they become front for the conquest of power. WORKERS PARTY IN NEW YORK CITY PLANS LENIN MEMORIAL FOR SUNDAY, FEB. 1, AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK CITY, Nov. 28.—Madison Square Garden has just been rented by the Workers Party for the huge demonstration which is to be held here Sunday afternoon, February 1, at 2 pP- m., In memory of Nicolai Lenin. it will be remembered that fully 20,000 workers assembled on this occasion last year. it is expected that this figure will be far sur- passed at the next meeting. Organizations which are supporters of Leninism are asked to begin at once to make arrangements for this big affair, it Is reported that a number of organizations have already planned to hold novel parades and demonstra-_ tions in honor of the occasion. There is every reason to believe that this affair will be ene of the outstanding gatherings of the year. Further details may be obtained from the district organizer of the Workers Party, 208 East 12th street, New York City ‘ linden thot thine ee are at 8th STREET THEATRE, Wabash and 8th ISR Jacob Schaffer, Conductor. SOLOISTS: Bertha Long, contralto; L. Lipner, tenor; 1. Mishkin, baritone 3837 W. Roosevelt PSS FBS 44454444444 +S SSO 4444444 a ee