Canada differs from the I. W. W. in that it endorses political

action in theory.»1

At the recent convention the establishment of an 0.B.U. 2 paper and of a labor college was taken under consideration. It is also interesting to note that a member for the United States was added to the executive board.

3

1. The One Big Union Monthly, January, 1920, p. 58. 2. Auto workers News, March 4, 1920.

3. Ibid.

Chapter V

Industrial Unionism in the Textile and Clothing Industries

Neither the W. I. I. U. nor the I. W. W. have organized any industry. Therefore, in order to see how the theory of industrial unionism is applied in practice, we must turn elsewhere; and the significant group of industrial unions in the textile and clothing industries challenge inspection. The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, The International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, and the Amalgamated Textile Workers of America are three unions intimately related in the industrial field they occupy and likewise in their philosophy and structure. The Amalgamated Clothing Workers and the Ladies' Garment Workers are the most powerful unions in the men's and women's clothing industries, and the Amalgamated Textile Workers is a protégé of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, organized with their assistance something over a year ago, with a constitution modeled almost verbatim after that of the elder union.

In fact, the two Amalgamateds are planning to coalesce. A year ago the General Executive Board of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers declined to charter textile workers, although they sent out organizers to assist them and furnished considerable financial aid to textile workers on strike. The plan of joining the two organizations will come before the convention of the Clothing Workers in May,

1

1. The New Textile Worker, August 30, 1919.

and a number of their officers have assured the convention of Textile Workers that they are in sympathy with the plan.

1

General Secretary Joseph Schlossberg of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, in a message of greetings to the Textile Workers, said: "The membership of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America cherishes the hope that some

in the making of wearing apparel, your industry included, will be united in one great and powerful International. We

2

seem to be moving in that direction. Speed the day!"2

The Ladies' Garment Workers, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, and the Amalgamated Textile Workers are all revolutionary in aim. All three subscribe to the class struggle and other Marxian doctrines, and each of the three intends to take possession of its respective industry and to operate it, not selfishly for its own benefit, but in behalf of the whole working class. Their idea is social ownership of industry, not ownership by individual unions. The Amalgamated Clothing Workers and the Amalgamated Textile Workers are looking forward to "a closer inter-industrial alliance of the working class" which will ultimately "put the organized working class in actual control of the system of production, and the Ladies' Carment Workers will bo-operate with organizations of workers in

4

..3

other industries" for the same purpose.

1. Advance, April 16, 1920.

2. Ibid.

3. Constitutions of Amalgamated Clothing Workers and Amalgamated Textile Workers, Preamble of each.

4. Constitution of International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, Preamble.