Industrial Unionism

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 13, 8 November 1913, Page 3

Industrial Unionism

AND THE I.W.W.

(By Vincent St. John.)

The subject of Industrial Unionism is to-day receiving the attention of the revolutionary r labour movement of the world. The opposite wing of the labour movement, the conservatives, are likewise studying it, with the aim of defeating its revolutionary object. Different schools of industrial unionism are springing up. This in itself is a proof that the subject is of general interest, and that it is forcing itself upon those in the labour movement who formeriy waved it aside as a visionary and impracticable scheme. As the Industrial Workers of the World is to-day the only organisation of general scope in the United States that strictly adheres to the revolutionary principles of industrial unionism, it justly claims the right to speak with authority on the subject. Without revolution-

ary principles, Industrial Unionism is of little or no value to the workers. The principle upon which Indus-

trial Unionism takes its stand is

the recognition of the never-end-ing struggle between employers of labour and the wage working class.

The members of the wage working

class, as a rule, have but one means .of existing in the present capitalist state, viz., the sale of theii labour powder to the employing class! The employer uses the labour power of the worker for one purpose, to operate the machinery, or develop the resources, to which lie has the title of ownership, and over which he has control.

In employing labour he is guided by exactly the same principle that directs him in the purchase of raw materials, or undeveloped resources, namely to purchase the labour power necessary to his purpose, and pay as little for it as possible. The workers, on the other hand,

are driven by every circumstance to strive for as much as they can .obtain of the values they create. For upon the amount which they

as workers so obtain depends the very existence of themselves and those dependent upon them. The necessities of life, the degrees of comfort, of pleasure, of intellectual advancement, and of physical wellbeing ; in short, their standard of living must inevitably depend upon the amount of the working wage. The employer, the buyer of la-

bour power in the labour market, desires large returns in the snape of

profits upon his investment. Large profits in capitalist production in The last analysis mean but one, thing, low wages, and generally inferior working conditions, for the class that exists through the sale of its labour power. Higher wages and improved working conditions, as a rule, mean smallei profits. "These opposing economic forces, each striving to advance its own interests, are engaged in a neverending struggle for supremacy in the field of production. )j\ large majority of the working class today do not understand the struggle in which they are engaged, nor the cause from which it springs—the opjiosed economic interests of themselves and the capitalist class. As a result, in struggling for what they think are their interests, they fight in the dark, and thus have contributed and still contribute to their own defeat and continued subjection, directly and indirectly. This, then, makes it imperative that the Industrial Union, to fulfil its mission as an organisation of the working class, must take its stand upon a recognition of this struggle. It must educate its membership to a complete understanding of the principles and causes underlying every struggle 'between the two opposing classes.

Wrong Principles. That a portion of the working class recognises the difference between their interest and the interest of the employer is proven by the existence of organisations among the workers for the avowed purpose of gaining power, by combination with their fellow workers, to secure working conditions which, as individuals, they lacked the power to enforce. That these combinations of workers do not today act in obedience to the law that called them into existence is proven by the fact that, with few exceptions, their declarations ot principles commit their organisations to the programme of safeguarding the employers’ interests, as w r ell as the interests of their members —a programme of harmonising that wdiich cannot be harmonised. Such a programme misleads then members, blinds them to the leason for the conflict, and thereby aids in defeating them in their struggles. It betrays them into the hands of their opponents, for it sets the seal of their owm organisation's approval upon their condition of servitude.

Out of this wrong principle flow many evils that contribute to the net result.. To enter into time contracts with the employer is to bind certain parts of the workers in a given industry to contribute their aid to the employer against other parts of the wnrkeis, in the same industry and, in most cases, in the same establishment. Time contracts deprive them of the right to determine when an attempt is to be made to enforce better terms of employment; prevent them from recognising the identity of ' interest betwnen themselves and their fellow workers; and divides their efforts and activities, on every field of action, thus making intelligent, concerted class action impossible of achievement.

Need more be said in proof of the correctness of the principle of Industrial Unionism ? W hat further proof is necessary to demonstrate the unsoundness of the principles of craft unionism P

Craft Unions Out of Date. The craft plan of organisation is a relic of an obsolete stage in the evolution of capitalist production. At the time of its inception it jbresponded to the development®! the period: the productive worm in a given industry took the new raw material, and with the tools of the trade, or craft, com patted the product of that industry, performing every necessary operation himself. As a result, the workers combined in organisations, the ones of which were governed by the tools that they used. At that period this was organisation. To-day, in view of the specialisation of the process of production, the invention of machinery, and the concentration of ownership, it is no longer organisation, but division. And division on the economic field for the worker spells defeat and degradation.

Railroad Industry Take a leading industry of this country to-day, as a concrete exam pie, and see what craft division means to the workers in that industry; the railroad industry, for instance. In order to operate a railroad the labour of many workers is required. That labour is specialised in different groups, each performing the operations necessary in one department, in order that traffic and transportation may be accomplished. There are the men engaged in keeping the track in repair, the engineers, the firemen, the conductors, brakemen, porters, cooks, waiters, switchmen, yardmen, flagmen, wipers, machinists, boiler makers, repairers, wheel-tappers, towermen, freight and baggage handlers,

ticket agents, telegraphers, bookkeepers, despatches, track walkers, and general workers around the various buildings of the industry. They are divided into the following organisations operating upon the theory that the interests ol the railroad corporation and of their particular organisation are identical: The engineers in the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers; the firemen in the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers; the conductors in the Order Railway Conductors; the brakemen in the Brotherhood Railway Trainmen ; the switchmen in the Switchmen’s Union; the freight handlers in another organisation; the telegraphers in another; the section men in another; the machinists, boiler-makers, car-repairers in separate organisations. The rest of the workers are, for the most part, without organisation at all. The reason for this is that the organisations above named make no attempt to fortify /their own position, by organising the unorganised workers in the industry. They are under the false belief that their own organisation Us sufficient in and by itself.

Each of the above name i organisations is working under a contract for a certain length of time. Their membership is bound by the organisation to remain at work so long as the railroad company lives up to the terms of the contract, and, for the, most part, the contracts of the different organisations expire at different periods. The railroad management is thus insured against having to subjugate more than a part of its employees at any given time. The result of this condition of affairs is that whenever any branch of tiro 'workers in this industry enter into a conflict with the employ er, they have not only to combat the resources of that employer, but also their fellow workers in the same industry who remain at work, and assist the employer in the operation of the railroad. In every instance, the defeat is due to the lack of united action by the workers, part of them being compelled to remain at work in observance of their sacred agreement with the employer. They are simply blinded by the wrong principles and methods of their organisations.

i.W.W. Organisation. Contrast this state of affairs with what would be the case were these workers organised on the plan of the 1.W.W., and educated in the principles on which it is based. The railway workers operating from division point would be organised under one charter, covering that industry for that division, a local Industrial Union of Transportation Workers. The workers composing that local Industrial Union would be branched : so as to permit the workers of each department to meet, discuss, and decide all questions. For instance, the Engineers and Firemen, who would meet as such to di«cuss and decide upon the conditions concerning the working conditions of

their respective departments. The train crew would do likewise. Cooks, Waiters, and Porteis, forming another branch for the purpose of legislation as to their working conditions; Depot Employees, Telegraphers, Dispatchers, and Towermen, Machinists, Boilermakers, and Repairmen, Trackwalkers and Sectionmen, Yardmen, Switchmen, Flagmen, and Crossing-tenders — until all the employees in that industry were organised in the branches to which they belonged by reason of the particular department in which they worked. These branches would be integral parts of of the local Industrial Union. As such they would have full power to discuss and decide with regard to the working conditions in their particular department. Each branch would be represented in the

Industrial Union by a delegate or delegates. They upon meeting Svould discuss the instructions received from the branches, confer together as representatives of the industry, and formulate the working conditions for the industry as a whole into demands. A representative of each branch would constitute the committee that would appear before the railroad managers, receive their reply, and report back to the membership they represented. The membership would then decide upon their course of action, and instruct their local Industrial Union through its committee to proceed to carry such decision into effect. Wherever necessary, the question would be taken up to the National Industrial Union, composed of all local Transportation Industrial Unions. Thus, when necessary, united action of the workers wmuld result in the

, (To be Continued.)

AUCKLAND REPORTS.

That Smugglers eluded “ the Government ” and landed sugar from Birkenhead with launches. That An Individual working at a Morningside Quarry in the daytime turned out at night with his launch to scab on the Watersiders. Relations have disclaimed him. That Never so many boats were found leaking before. Some have had to see permission from the pickets to unload, before they sink! This refers to the small fry. That A carrier named Collier tried to work a point on pickets with some paint, etc., but had to abandon his project. The Auckland Wharfs are indeed hermetically sealed ! That Mayor Parr has been requested to close the Pubs. That Blackberry and Sorel, as well as Cayenne, are fetching monopoly prices! That Whom the Gods would destroy they first make mad.” Distributcopies of the Riot Act indicate the mental condition of “ Fat ” in Auckland. That Smidt, of the Farmers Union, lias resigned on account of the action of that body in the present crisis. Every w T orker should procure one of the pink dodgers exposing the “ Confidential ” circular sent out to farmers.

For it must not be forgotten that the basis of government is material power. To strike at the Government or at governmental officials and not at the material power in terms of which the Government exists is a futility. Government rests upon the necessities of a superior economic class, and cannot be reached except through an attack upon the economic position of that class. As soon as the fact of the illusory nature of governmental power is grasped, it is seen at once that there is no need to attack Governments or governmental officials, that it is waste effort in fact, even if nothing worse. —Austin Lewis. Send for some I.W.W. litera* ture.

to Mr. Dingley, of tlie well-known firm of stevedores. OuK President and Secretary visited Mr. Dingley, and he indignantly repudiated the imputation of being connected with any scab agency, and has given an assurance that he will have nothing to do with any such proposition.

SOME “SPECIALS” RETURN HOME.

Fellow-Workers Childs, Put tell, and Mason had a talk to some “ Cookies ’ ’ w v ho were encamped in the Domain, Auckland. The farmers may be slow thinkers, but once they see the point they are honest enough to acknowledge it. Comrade Mason pointed out that the quarrel is not with them, but with the ship-owners, who are exploiting farmer and worker alike, and that “ The Boss ” calmly looked on while farmer and worker knocked chunks off one another. There would be fewer farmers here if there had not been malicious misrepresentation of the strikers by circulars, etc., emanating from the moneyed interests in town.

It is reported that several farmers have gone back home upon realising the true state of affairs.

SCAB “UNION” GROWINGUPSIDE DOWN.

Like the young fruit trees that were planted upside down by some orchard-farm workers who were “ striking on the job ” in the land of the wooden ham, the “ Scarbitration ” Union is growing in Auckland. Yesterday the daily press reported the number as 300, to-day the daily press says 47.

This is one of the side stunts of the organs of “Eat.” The object, of course, being to weaken labour solidarity and stampede the strikers back. We are getting w r ise, however, to growing “ Arbitration ” Unions!

AUCKLAND EXHIBITION WORKERS OUT!

Nov. 7. The Auckland Exhibition Workers dropped tools at 11 o’clock this morning. They marched in procession—several hundreds strong—down to the foot of Queen Street. FellowWorker E. Canham, president of the A.W.W.U., made a short address of congratulation. Two Exhibition strikers then addressed the crowd. The procession afterwards re-formed, and marched up to the Trades Hall, amidst tumultuous cheering.

HIKURANGI MINERS ARE OUT.

(Wire to A.W.W.U.) “ All work stopped. Good luck. —Johnstone, secretary. 3?

TO KEEP COOL.

The Strike Committee of the A.W.W.U. has passed a resolution warning its members in very strong terms to avoid violence, and urging them to keep cool. The committee entertains strong suspicions that a gents-provocateurs are at work. GAS WORKERS. That this meeting of Gas Workers and employees and other workers in the vicinity of Beaumonth Street believe the workers on strike to have a just grievance, and view with indignation the influx of irresponsible persons to provoke a conflict, and further, we pledge the workers now on strike our moral and material support. HOUSE A AD SHIP PAINTERS. That this meeting of the Paint-

ers’ Union Executive support the action of all their fellowworkers now on strike throughout the Dominion, and urge all our members to cease w r ork on receipt of information that cargo is being handled by free labour. That in the event of the Exhibition w’orkers being called out the Secretary do his utmost to get the Painters out also.

TINSMITHS AND SHEETMETAL WORKERS

The members of the Auckland Tinsmiths and Sheet-metal Workers Union passed the following resolution unanimously at their monthly meeting: —

That this Union of "Workers offers its hearty sympathy to the Waterside Workers and the Hnntly Miners now on strike. That the Members of this Union should nse no material handled by strike breakers or free labour. Thai as citizens of Auckland they object strongly to the parks of this city being used as camps for free labourers or special constables.

“HI! TAXI.”

Taxi drivers in Auckland don’t want to carry scabs or do anything to hurt the strike. They hold a meeting Sunday.

CRAIG THE TWISTER.

The A.W.W.TT. Press Committee report that J. J. Craig, the millionaire, obtained coal under dispicably false pretence-. Permission was asked to let some coal go through c ‘ to the hospital.” a pitiful tale was told to the Picket Committee about the suffering patients, and the Committee readily gave the necessary sanction. It turned out the coal was not for the Hospital at all. When the carters discovered the destination they brought the coal back. The Master Class have been ch culating all kinds of ugly arid dastardly rumours in country districts to the effect that the watersiders are practically a band of armed ruffians, terrorising “ the comm unity.” They do this to play on the feelings of farmers and induce them to come to town to do the work that they, the piasters, have not the ability or courage to do themselves. When coal is wanted, however, they stoop to the above dirty tactics to play on the kindly feelings of working men temporarily in power. Moral: Don’t be swayed by sentiment against your own interests.

ROLL UP AND KEEP BUSY.

A healthy spirit of friendly rivalry exists between Auckland and Wellington Fellow-Workers as tc who can show the best organisation and self-discipline, and which car do the best picketing. Roll up, Auckland!

AUCKLAND NOTICES.

Meeting, for Trade I monish only, Sunday, 3 p.m., Opers House. Admission by knior Card. Saturday, 7.30 p.m., Mass Meet jng at Wliarf. Mass Meetings at Globe Theatre and Opera House Sunday, 7 p.m Roll up! Auckland Furniture Worker; meet to-night (Saturday), 7.-4 s p.m., in the Trades Hall. 4 ’ T< consider the present Industrie trouble. C( The strike is of national im portance. “ The whole structrue of Trade Unionism is at stake/’

NOTE THESE NAMES!

The A.W.W.TT. Strike Committee have supplied tlie following information re “ specials ” and strike breakers: — Martin Quirk (Masonic Hotel, Tauranga), Mick Quirk (Commercial Hotel, Tauranga), and A. Montgomery (Te Puke, late Karangaliake and Waikino), aie coming to Auckland to act as specials. They are bragging of what they will do to strikers when they get there. The persons mentioned arc chief assistants to Waihi strike-breaker Police-Constable Skinner, who is in Auckland with Sam Darrath, ex “■ sportsman ” and pal of Skinner ? s. This Darrath has supplied horses for all un-mounted scabs from Tauranga. Arthur Yates, Auckland seed merchant, called for scabs in his seed warehouse, and promises to lead them. It is exjoected that the Auckland Waterside Workers’ Strike Committee will issue a bulletin giving names find information of all scabs and others who help to break the strike, for future reference.

AGAINST COMPULSORY ARBITRATION.

Democracy presuposes, and says, government for t-lie people, by the people, collectively. This is relevent, and is an outstanding aspect of the present labour trouble. There are, at present, four Unions out who have agreements under the A. and C. Act, and may have to bear its penalties. But if ten Arbitration Unions come out the danger will be lessened; if twenty come out it will be still more lessened; if one hundred come out no government dare penalise this practically unanimous revolt against Arbitration. Again we say “To Hell with Agreements V’— J.II.D.

SEND IT IN!

This is No 12 of the f ; LIT.” Subscribers who started with the first issue, last February, are entitled to 12 issues, so such subs, really expire with this issue, and March subs, with the next. We are printing and ’circulating an average of Five Thousand Copies Jfcery two days. Advertisements )HFve been offered and refused. .mV e will publish Union and other labour meetings free during the strike. We will issue every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday as long as circumstances permit. It’s up to you to make the circumstances.

THE BOYCOTT.

In a subsequent issue we may be able to publish the names of business people who try in any way to break the strike. Two dairy firms, we understand, have supplied horses and supplies to the special constables. Another important drapery firm is allowing some of its employees to act as special constables. Licensed victuallers are also warned that to take in strike breakers will lose the working class support in the future. Messrs. McKeown, bakers (at the bottom of Queen Street) have made a contribution to the Strike Fund. Particulars, which are substantiated, of any act against the strikers, or their cause, will be welcomed at this office.

SESAME AND LILLIES.

It is reported that several guerrillas are mapping out an itinerary for a somewhat protracted sojourn in the country, as soon as a list of farmer “ Specials ” names has been compiled. They are reported to be “armed” with bags of Blackberry and Sorel

seeds two damnable noxious weeds which spread quickly and take months to exterminate, if taken early, and years if left too long. This is unethical of them ; it is dastardly. Farmers' sons have a perfect right to bludgeon strikers if they are stronger than the strikers.

ARBITRATION UNIONS! NOW OR NEVER!

The recent negotiations between, the U.F. of L. and the Employers" Federation have been broken off owing to the Employers’ Federation insisting on Compulsory Registration under the C. and A. Act. Briefly stated, the wmrkers will not submit to Compulsory Registration under the C. and A. Act. The very fact that Compulsory Arbitration is good for the Employers (and they want it) is proof positive that it is bad for the Workers (and they don’t want it), and all the forces of Fat and Co. cannot make us take it. But what about those few Unions that have broken their agreements under the Act in order to show’ their solidarity, and refuse to carry on organised scabbery during this fight? ' •

If only a few unions break their agreements under the C. and A. Act it will invite prosecution by the Government, but if a large nuipber of Unions registered under the Act come out on strike during the present trouble, it will be impossible for the Government to prosecute, and at the same time will bring the whole of the obnoxious Act into disrepute. Fines paid for refusing to scab by breaking agreements are, and will be, part of the revenue used for the purpose of outfitting armed thugs masquerading under the; name of “ Special Constables ” for the purpose of trying to whip us into subjection. But, swear we one and all, we will protect those Unions who have broken their agreements, rather than scab on their fellow Workers. —A Worker. A Suggestion. On Friday (to-day) the tram-' cars will have to stop running on 1 account of a lack of coal. The ■tram way men will therefore have a holiday, and will join the picket line, while the penny-grabbing octupus will have a much needed rest from profit-mongering, at the expense of badly paid workers. This will be an ideal time for the tramwaymen to draw up a new wages schedule to supersede the one recently obtained by the octupus and its officials, under false pretences. A rest during race time will surely disturb the equanimity of the long-nosed public spirited gentry who in Auckland and Europe live and luxuriate upon exploitation. I suppose there will be an indignation meeting held in the inner sanctum of the big building in Customs Street, but the fact will remain that the Juggernauts will be laid up. It will revive reminiscences of the strike of some five years ago, when a certain official won his spurs by taking 20 minutes to bring a car down Wellesley Street, while small boys placed stone on the line, and scared Jimmy out of the loyal person. A holiday right now ought to be worth 1/6 per hour on restarting. I suggest to the Tramwaymen that they give it a go. Good Luck, Boys ! —Spanwire.