Industrial Unionism in America |
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A. F. of L action adopted affiliated agreement Alliance Amalgamated Clothing Workers Big Union body branches brewery workers Brotherhood called Cap Makers capitalist cent central class consciousness class struggle coal miners Committee constitution contracts cooperation councils craft unions decided declared delegates demand Department different crafts district elected employers engineers established Executive Board firemen form of organization Garment Workers groups Ibid industrial unionism initiation fee insurgents interests International Union join joint board jurisdiction Knights of Labor labor movement large number leaders locals machinists membership ment Metal Workers Moyer officials operators organiza political preamble present President production providing radical Railroad Workers rank and file referendum refused Report representatives resolution Socialist Socialist Labor Party spirit steel strike textile union tion Tobacco Workers trade unions transport workers United Mine Workers United Textile Workers unskilled various vention vote wages Western Labor Union Workers of America York
Popular passages
Page 148 - The trade unions foster a state of affairs which allows one set of workers to be pitted against another set of workers in the same industry, thereby helping to defeat one another in wage wars.
Page 28 - ... some industries comparatively few workers are engaged over whom separate organizations claim jurisdiction, we believe that jurisdiction in such industries by the paramount organization would yield the best results to the workers therein, at least until the development of organization of each branch has reached a stage wherein these may be placed, without material injury to all parties in interest, in affiliation with their national trade unions.
Page 147 - The working class and the employing class have nothing in common. There can be no peace so long as hunger and want are found among millions of the working people and the few, who make up the employing class, have all the good things of life.
Page 148 - Moreover, the trade unions aid the employing class to mislead the workers into the belief that the working class have interests in common with their employers. These conditions can be changed and the interest of the working class upheld only by an organization formed in such a way that all its members in any one industry, or in all industries, if necessary, cease work whenever a strike or lockout is on in any department thereof, thus making an injury to one an injury to all. Instead of the conservative...
Page 211 - The industrial and inter-industrial organization built upon the solid rock of clear knowledge and class consciousness will put the organized working class in actual control of the system of production, and the working class will then be ready to take possession of it.
Page 220 - The parties to this pact realize that the interests sought to be reconciled herein will tend to pull apart, but they enter it in the faith that by the exercise of the co-operative and constructive spirit it will be possible to bring and keep them together. This will involve as an indispensable prerequisite the total suppression of the militant spirit by both parties and the development of reason instead of force as the rule of action.
Page 147 - Between these two classes a struggle must go on until the workers of the world organize as a class, take possession of the earth and the machinery of production, and abolish the wage system.
Page 148 - It is the historic mission of the working class to do away with capitalism. The army of production must be organized, not only for the every-day straggle with capitalists, but also to carry on production when capitalism shall have been overthrown.
Page 27 - We, therefore, recommend as follows: "1. As the magnificent growth of the American Federation of Labor is conceded by all students of economic thought to be the result of organization on trade lines, and believing it neither necessary nor expedient to make any radical departure from this fundamental principle, we declare that, as a general proposition, the interests of the workers will be best conserved by adhering as closely to that doctrine as the recent great changes in methods of production and...
Page 148 - ... defeat one another in wage wars. Moreover, the trade unions aid the employing class to mislead the workers into the belief that the working class have interests in common with their employers. These conditions can be changed and the interest of the working class upheld only by an organization formed in such a way that all its members in any one industry, or in all industries if...