BIRTH OF AMERICA'S BIGGEST UNION

In the 1920s, workers in the mass production industries in the United States-—industries such as steel, cars, rubber, textiles, oil and chemicals — were totally unorganized.

They had no protection against the sack, speed-up, long hours (ten to 12 hours a day) and low wages. If they struck work they faced violence from police, gangsters and professional strikebreakers.

Then, in October, 1929, the American stock market collapsed. In the next four years, production dropped by 48.7 per cent. In three years, America's national income slumped from $81 billion to $39 billion. By March, 1933, unemployment estimates ranged from 13.3 million to 17.9 million.

In 193l wages averaged one half of what they had been in 1925.

Wages were being cut throughout the land. In a single year (1930-1931) wages in the manufacturing industries were lacturing inaustries were came precisely from these workreduced by an average of 9.4 reduced by an average of 9.4 per cent. Miners' wages were per cent. Miners' wages were reduced by anything from nine reaucea Dy anyuning Irom nine to 16 per cent. Nevertheless, the to 16 per cent. Nevertheless, the so-called militant miners leader so-called militant miners' leader Roosevelt in also produced the others-including the leaders of --John L. Lewis-advocated à -John L. Lewis-advocated à 1934 strike-wave. no-strike pledge and acceptance no-strike pledge and acceptance of the cuts. of the cuts.

Union membership t Union membership decline Garment Workers' For the third and final time Atlanta, Georgia. A compromise refused by 18,000 votes to decline Union membership declined Union membership declined important struggles ever drastically. The United Mine drastically. The United Mine Workers had had 400,000 mem- Workers had had 400,000 members in 1920. By 1931 it had bers in 1920. By 1931 it had 60,000. Francisco general strikes. W coast members of the AFL's pressure from the federal auto President William 60,000.

The leaders of the American The leaders of the American Festerated to of Labour were Federation of Labour were Association. Again police, thugs Committee the out Hutcheson with hefty restricted to narrow craft- restricted a narrow craftunion consciousness. They union consciousness. They refused to recruit the unorgan- tion, 10,000 workers and unem- Ryan and AFL President William refused to recruit the unorganized in the mass production ized in the mass production ployed manned the picket lines Green sought unsuccessfully to industries and they had no way industries and they had no way and fought pitched battles with stop the struggle. of defending even their own of defending even their own members. fists, rocks and irandars ational After 11 weeks, the union lines with full jurisdiction over members.

By 1931 the membership of By 1931 the membership of AFL unions was declining AFL unions declining by 7,000 a week. The leaders sought 7,000 a week. The leaders sought to alleviate situation and unemployed demonstrated demand-union control over hir- possible. es be Kept maintained Convention and constituted themto alleviate the situation by offering a no-strike pledge to the offering a no-strike pledge to the employers. employers. was in this situation that wage increases and recognized It was in this situation that It the union. These massive struggles indiFranklin D. Roosevelt became Franklin D. Roosevelt became US President in March 1933. US President in March 1933. He gained a totally undeserved open-shop He gained a totally undeserved reputation as a 'friend of labour', reputation as a 'friend of labour', 'Citizen's Alliance'. Here, mainly through the praise lavmainly through the praise lav- union of coalyard workers, organished on him by conservative trade union bureaucrats and Communist Party Stalinists. His Party Stalinists. His policies, however, were entirely policies, however, designed to rescue capitalism. recognition union, mushroomed in the car industry Clothing Workers, Workers, the Oil Field, designed to rescue capitalism.

His first emergency measures included a moratorium on bank withdrawals. This saved the big withdrawals. This saved the big Tobin-not to strike. banks and depositors at the expense of the smaller fry. Big corporations were rescued while workers and the lower middle and the lower middle police force class were unable to get at what class were unable to get at what small savings they had. small savings they had Roosevelt's much-heralded sys- The Minneapolis struggle was similar retreat occurred when into unions. He the unions mentioned above, Roosevelt's much-heralded system of 'public works'-the so- 'public works'-the called Works Progressive Admin- ists, and a second strike was of 30,000 rubber workers in raff and good-for-nothings. called Works Progressive Administration - employed relatively istration - employed relatively few workers at low wages. The refused to deal with the union. few workers at low wages. The scheme declined between elec. tions and miraculously revived as voting time drew near. as voting time drew near.

FDR's other 'reform' was the famous Section 7a of the National famous Section 7a of the National Industrial Recovery Act (NRA). Industrial Recovery This affirmed workers' rights to This affirmed workers' organize, bargain collectively and pick union representatives from employer interference. Roosevelt was, in fact, hostile to 7a but agreed to it in order placate the union leaders who could deliver the union NRA's real aim was to suspend ing the strike leaders as 'bosses' tion could not protect workers, NRA's real aim was to suspend the 'anti-trust laws' return the 'anti-trust laws' in return agents'!) for voluntary agreements on for voluntary agreements wages, hours and competition. on their pledges and third The final impulse towards the under banner of the 1. Lang 'Maritine: A History and wages, "codes', as they were hours and competition. These 'codes', ( as they were strike began in July. This time Congress of Industrial Organiza- American Federation of Labour called, operated against the called, operated against the workers by giving the employers law. Two workers were killed in workers at. the Toledo Chevrolet some other leadership workers by giving the employers wide powers to fix wages.

rained a merit clause: which in The car industry code conpractice meant an open shop and discrimination against trade unionists under the guise of 'individual merit'. Company unions flourished in practically every industry under NRA.

Far from being a , 'reform' ; it ushered in five years of the most violent onslaughts ever experienced by US labour. Many workers were killed on picket lines and thousands were wounded. Those arrested numbered thousands.

Yet the AFL leaders remained timid, conservative and conciliatory to the government and the employers. They were assisted by the Stalinists who, in 1933, were applying the sectarian 'Third Period' tactic.

Militant workers under Stalinist influence were pulled out of the mass unions--condemned as "socialist fascists' - and wasted their energies in abortive attempts to form 'revolutionary' unions.

But the next step forward came precisely from these workers in the mass organizations, despite their leaders' conserva- John L. Lowis, Mineworkers' tism. The working-class upsurge The working-class upsurge which swept Hoover and Roosevelt in also produced the • Local 574—were jailed. 40.000 union, they struck for recogni- American Federation of Labour 1934 strike-wave. began to pick up people demonstrated at the tion in April, 1935.

The unions began to pick up strength. In 1933, the United Workers recruited 300,000 and a similar crowd marched in rolet workers were out in Cleve- ership of this organization." Mine Workers recruited 300,000 + soonha «The oMnterta=se protest at tbe arrests. mugs on The interna: tion Ladies Garment Workers' Union pulled in 150,000. Union pulled in 150,000.

Then came three of the most Then came three of the most neapolis was unionized. important struggles ever seen— the Toledo Electric Auto-Lite Srivers he Minneapolis Truck strikes and the San Francisco general strikes. The Auto-Lite workers struck International The Auto-Lite workers struck in February 1934, and stayed pur, despite the AFL leadership.' n defiance of a court injunction, 10,000 workers and unemployed manned the picket lines and fought pitched battles with fists, rocks and iron bars against police, scabs and National Guardsmen.

strike with a compromise settleA week later, 40,000 workers and unemployed demonstrated through Toledo. The company company ing halls-had been won up and possible capitulated, granted considerable capitulated, granted considerable down the W coast. wage increases and recognized Minneapolis was a notorious cated that the working class workers) and that the union's mass production and unorganMinneapolis was a notorious employers town run by the employers' organization, organization, the 'Citizen's Alliance'. Here, the using its mass class strength. union of coalyard workers, organized within Local 574 of the within Local retained the reins in their AFL's International Brotherhood hands, workers' conditions were Green and Dillon dominated the Union, AFL's International Brotherhood Teamsters, closed the coal- driven down and the unions of Teamsters, closed the coalyards in February 1934 and won weakened. Company unions imposed their rule on the new yards in February 1934 and won recognition of the union, in defiance of an instruction denance of an instruction fron and AFL membership dropped its national president - Daniel from 100,000 to 20,000. workers and the Mine, Mill and Smelter its national president - Daniel Tobin-not to strike. Flight of the entire Flight of the entire pany unions and repeated wage police force from 100,000 to 5,300.

The Minneapolis struggle was led throughout by led throughout by the Trotskyists,? and a second strike was called when the employers' employers' Akron. refused to deal with the union.

Police reinforcements were called Police reinforcements were called members of the AFL's United o enrol them. We do not wani in, 2,200 special deputies sworn Textile Workers struck work. The the men today if they are going constitutional convention in in, 2,200 special deputies sworn and armed strike-breakers strike-breakers bulk of these were in the deep on strike tomorrow. recruited. S. where wages were as low as Other AFL leaders, however, Congress of Industrial Organizarecruited. On May 21 and 22 a two-day $3 to $4 week. The AFL On May 21 and 22 a two-day battle raged through the Minneabattle raged through the Minnea- leaders called the strike off on polis streets and ended in the and ended in the the basis of Roosevelt's promise flight of the entire police force flight of the entire police force to 'survey" the industry's prob- they could see the new moveand deputies. This fight was deputies. lems. ment would be more dangerous named by the strikers The Battle named by the strikers 'The Battle of Deputies Run'. listed more than 15,000 United point Auto-Lite strike, see Louis F of Deputies Run'.

Three days after this, the after this, Textile members. bosses capitulated again. (This It was clear that the AFL vention by Charles P. Howard Deal'. bosses capitulated again. (This did not prevent the Stalinists leaders" narrow craft outlook, President did not prevent the Stalinists from issuing a leaflet condemn- conservatism and class collabora- Typographical Union: from issuing a leaflet condemning the strike leaders as 'bosses' agents'!) Again the employers went back tion industries.

Again the employers went back on their pledges and third strike began in july. This time Governor Olsen declared martial Jovernor Olsen declared martial tions (CIO) came from car- they are going to organize under • Art Preis 'Labour's Giant Step', law. Two workers were killed in (General Motors) transmission plant. Voting to join the AFL Voting to join union, they struck for recognition in April, 1935. funerals of the murdered men Within a week 35,000 Chevrolet workers were out in Cleveland, Norwood, Cincinnati and land, Norwood Cincinnati and Atlanta, Georgia. A compromise settlement was forced on the strikers, with the aid of the AFL leaders, particularly President William Green and his personal representative Francis Dillon. workers.. This began with 10,000 Nevertheless, by March 1935, President Nevertheless, by March 1935, pressure from the federal auto locals forced the AFL Executive Committee to agree to the establishment of an auto workers' international union.

Toledo militants launched Toledo militants launched a campaign for 'an international organized organized industrial lines with full jurisdiction over all who work in or around autoplants'. They demanded that mobile automobile automobile parts ment, but within a year the main plants'. union dues be kept as low as possible. (the AFL maintained maintained selves high union dues in order to exclude the unskilled, lower-paid workers) and that the union's officers should receive pay on a par with the wages of its members.

Where the AFL leaders The convention was held and The convention was held and the union launched, though Green and Dillon dominated the convention bureaucratically and imposed their rule on the new union.

The following month, the rubber workers also formed an industrial union and the more conservative. AFL leaders began Workers-forced to accept com- to get to get restless.

Teamsters' President Daniel Tobin expressed the hatred and fear which these leaders felt for the workers now forcing their way into unions. He described them as rubbish, riffraff and good-for-nothings.

'We do not want them', he In the textile industry 400,000 declared, 'unless we are forced eclared 'unless we are forced unions. to enrol them. We do not want the men today if they are going on strike tomorrow' Other AFL leaders, however, wanted the industrial unions, not because they were any less conservative than Tobin, but because they could see the new movement would be more dangerous if they did not control it.

Their point view was expressed at the AFL 1935 convention by Charles P. Howard, President of the International Typographical Union:

"The workers of this country are going to organize and if they are not permitted to organize under the banner of the American Federation of Labour they are going to organize under some other leadership ... it would be far more serious for AFL our government and for the our government and for the American Federation of Labour than if we can organize them than if we can organize them anship of this organizatione lead.

However, the Convention However, the Convention refused by 18,000 votes 10,000 to undertake the organization of the unorganized.

But the tension generated by But the tension generated by the question was expressed in an incident involving Mineworkers' incident involving Mineworkers' Carpenters John L. Lewis and L. Lewis and President William (Big Bill') Hutcheson. Lewis laid out Hutcheson with a hefty punch on the jaw in the middle of the Convention! of the Convention!

The organizing industrial of workers of workers A minority of union leaders, minority of union leaders, headed by Lewis, met after the Convention and constituted themselves as the Committee for the Committee for Industrial Organization—with the aim of organizing workers in the mass production and unorganized industries.

Unions involved in this Unions involved in this included the United Mine included the United Mine Workers, the International Typo- Workers, the International Typographical Union, the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union, Workers' Hat, Union, the • Textile the Hat Cap and Millinery the Textile Workers, the Amalgamated Amalgamated Clothing Workers, the Oil Field, Gas Well and Refinery Workers, and the Mine, Mill and Smelter The CIO remained with the The CIO remained with the AFL until 1938. In November 1936, the AFL began to suspend unions associated with the Committee. In addition to most of the unions mentioned above, organizations suspended included the Auto Workers', the Rubber the Auto Workers', the Rubber Workers' and the Glass Workers' unions.

The suspended unions held a The suspended unions held a constitutional convention in October 1938 where the name October 1938 where the name Congress of Industrial Organizations was adopted. John L. Lewis tions was adopted. John L. Lewis was its founding president. was its founding president.

The CIO had arrived. The CIO had arrived.

1 For full description of the 1 For a full description of the Auto-Lite strike, see Louis F. Budenz 'Challenge to the New Deal'. " For a full account of the Minneapolis strikes, see neapolis strikes, see James P James P. Cannon 'History of American Trotskursm'. " For à full account see Frederick J. Lang 'Maritine: A History and • Art Preis 'Labour's Giant Step', Programme. it p. 41. p. 41.