"The most hopeful element in this situation is the fact that the organizations which may be affected have always been and are to-day in most friendly relations. There are strong fraternal nds between the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, Fur Workers' Union, Cap Workers' Union, Amalgamated Textile Workers and our organization. No one will hail the progress wards one organization with greater joy than the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America." With respect to the cooperative movement the report says: "There is a great and grateful field for organized labor in cooperation. The existing machinery of the industrial organizaon may be utilized to get the cooperative work started. If we nter the cooperative field with the determination to make it a Complement of the industrial and political labor movement, it will bring greater strength to organized labor in addition to the onomic advantages for the individual members." The report that deals with the subject of education follows: "All members must be instructed in the great problems of the dav, as our welfare depends upon the proper solution of them. The labor movement is honeycombed with traitors and beset with Lany dangers. We must know how to guard ourselves and not rmit the enemies to lead us into their traps. We must learn he proper use of the labor movement terminology and the differnees between mere phrases and action. "This is a particularly serious matter to-day when the enemies of the labor movement are recklessly twisting terms and phrases to the most vicious meaning. Workers are imprisoned for using anguage which had been considered perfectly harmless but a -hort time ago. “The labor movement must defend all of its rights, whatever the cost and sacrifices. If legitimate working class action should ing punishment at the hands of the powers that be, it must be pted as incidental to the struggle of the people for their rights nd liberty. From such action the labor movement must not rink, come what may. "But it must carefully examine the high sounding phrases, which often come from the mouths of provocators. The labor Lovement, as people's movement, is endangered the moment its emies succeed in placing it outside the pale of law; to guard ginst the dangers lurking in strong language' to-day we must Live sound education." While the Amalgamated Clothing Workers and the Amalga mated Textile Workers of America were acting favorably 1 the proposition of the organization of One Big Union in the needle industries, the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union also meeting in annual convention in Chicago, was cor sidering the same question. In the report given in the New York Call, issue of May 12, 1920, we find: "Amid a great show of enthusiasm and by an overwhelming vote, in two instances unanimous, the convention of the Inter national Ladies' Garment Workers' Union this afternoon ad pood proposals for the federation of the entire American needle inda try affiliated with an international organization of tailors' and workers' ownership and control of shops and stores in the industry. "Thus the wave of revolutionizing the needle industry as far as the International was concerned reaches its crest to-day. H. Lefkovits, Chairman of the Committee on Relations with National and International Garment Workers' Unions, rise t report that his committee had found the recommendations of the General Executive Board of the International favoring One b Union of all the unions in the needle industry a very worry proposition. "The following resolution was adopted by the convention: "Whereas, it is a fact that the strength of the works depends upon their solidarity and coordination of action: ! "Whereas, at present we may expect a period of strife and struggle in all of the industries, especially in needle industry; and "Whereas, the interests of all of the workers in t needle trades industry in the United States and Canada similar and identical and it will be possible to carry on more efficient organization work if they will be united one central body, "Be It Therefore, Resolved, that this convention in the general Executive Board to call a Conference of all a National and International Unions of the needle trade tries in the United States and Canada, without n their affiliation, for the purpose of forming the alliance i offensive and defensive purposes.' It was determined that the organizations to be invited to the alliance would include the Amalgamated Clothing W of America, United Garment Workers' Unions, United Cloth Hat and Cap Workers of North America, the Journeymen Tailors, and several other similar organizations. The question of international relationship or affiliations was then taken up and the following resolution was adopted by the convention: "1. That the I. L. G. W. U. reaffiliate with the International Tailors' Secretariat. 2. That two delegates be sent to the International Tailors' Conference in Copenhagen, to be held next September. The delegates with the President of the Internationale and one other to be elected by the Convention. 3. That the General Executive Board be empowered to give moral and financial aid to foreign needle groups upon reports from their delegates to Copenhagen. 4. That delegates be authorized to inform the Copenhagen Congress that any member in good standing in foreign needle groups will be welcomed to the American organization upon immiration to this country." The action of these organizations is significant of the trend of the movement to organize industrial unions. The close relationhip between these unions and the Socialist Party of America renders their action still more interesting because it is a carrying nt of the plans of that organization which were adopted at the t. Louis Convention in 1917, which says in part: The Socialist Party urges all labor organizations which have already done so to throw their doors wide open to the workers of their respective trades and industries, abolish all onerous conions of membership and artificial restrictions with the view at their organizations be eventually developed into industrial well as militant, class conscious and revolutionary unions with e development of the industry." |