Valuable report by Muste on meeting of the National and Ohio Unemployed Leagues. The N.U.L. was the most successful project of the American Workers Party, and would be a constituent of the Workers Alliance, uniting with Communist and Socialist unemployed organizations in 1935.

‘Observations on League Conventions’ by A.J. Muste from Labor Action (A.W.P.). Vol. 2 No. 15. August 15, 1934.

 THE conventions of the Unemployed League and of the National Unemployed League just held at Columbus, Ohio proved conclusively that the American Workers Party’s estimate of the importance of the unemployed work has been correct and that the Leagues have made decided advances both in an organizational and political sense.

The delegates at Columbus this year showed that they regarded themselves as part of a going concern and realized that they must assume responsibility for making that concern function effectively. Both the state and the national conventions decided to put their organizations on a dues-paying basis. This action did not result from pressure by the officers. The delegates would have insisted on it, even if the officers had been opposed. I think it may safely be said that A.W.P. comrades who have taken leading parts in League activity have been too cautious in this matter, that putting Leagues on a self-supporting basis could have been pushed sooner and harder than it was and that the result would have been not only more money for League extension, but better morale. This is not to gainsay the fact that in the beginning it was of decisive importance not to give the impression that the Leagues were another dues-collecting racket.

The same heightened organizational sense was shown in the O.U.L. decision to accumulate two special funds, one for a weekly newspaper and one for defense in face of the increasingly severe repressive measures of the authorities, against militant league activity. The N.U.L. likewise decided that a national bulletin must be issued.

No Fake United Fronts

It is natural, under these circumstances, that the Columbus delegates knew where they stood in relation to other unemployed organizations. Last year the delegates showed that even though they could almost be stampeded into a riot against “reds”, they nevertheless wanted a united front if it could be had even with the Unemployed Councils (under Communist Party influence). This year they could not have been swayed by any “red” scare because they regarded themselves as “reds,” but they voted unanimously against seating even fraternal delegates from the Councils.

“We want unity of the unemployed,” so ran the sentiment, “but it will never be reached by these fake ‘united fronts’ that the Councils yap about. They have shown that they are more concerned about trying to smash the Leagues than fighting for the unemployed. They have not succeeded. For the most part the Councils have disappeared from the map. Where they still exist, let them go about their business. We will not attack them. We on our part will go about the business of unifying the unemployed forces in the N.U.L. and  fighting the battles of the unemployed and part-time workers.”

Similarly there was no hesitation as to how to deal with the proposal of a hastily set-up Eastern Conference of Unemployed Organizations (under Socialist Party influence). Fraternal delegates from this body were seated. Their proposal was that the N.U.L. should regard itself as a sectional, not a national, organization and should join with others in forming a “truly national body.” The proposal was referred to the incoming Executive “for investigation.” The position of the delegates may be stated thus:

This N.U.L. convention is the only convention composed of rank and file delegates from all militant non-partisan unemployed organizations which desire to come. Ours is the only organization out- side of the Councils which has as a matter of fact sought to organize the unemployed on a national scale. The fact that there are not as yet powerful affiliated organizations in every state does not argue that we are not a national body or prove that another national body needs to be formed. No states have organizations comparable to those of Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, Mississippi, all of which are affiliated to the N.U.L. In Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Connecticut, Texas, Alabama, Florida, California there are other affiliated or sympathetic organizations which can be more closely tied in as soon as their requests for N.U.L. organizers can be met. We think our name N.U.L. means what it says and we are going ahead with our organizing work on that basis more vigorously than ever. We hope existing organizations will affiliate with us. At the same time, we have no “we know it all” attitude. We are at all times prepared to talk it over with non-partisan fighting unemployed organizations which are genuinely concerned about unity. Our one absolute condition is that final decisions rest with the rank and file of the Leagues and are not to be achieved by political maneuvering or horse-trading at the top.

Advances Made

Turning to the “political” advances indicated by the recent conventions, we may summarize briefly:

1. As has already been suggested, it would have been impossible at this convention to stir up the flag-waving hysteria which nearly precipitated a riot at Columbus in 1933. Anyone attempting it would just have been laughed out of the convention. This year’s delegates knew what fascism is and they are out to combat it in all its manifestations-Silver Shirts, Khaki Shirts, Direct Credits, Huey Long, Father Cox and all the rest.

2. There was a much clearer recognition of the importance of the Negro problem for the American working class movement. The percentage of Negro delegates was higher. The abolition of all discrimination against Negroes in relief appropriations, on relief jobs, etc. is to be one of the main activities in the new year.

3. The delegates were determined that the Leagues should remain fighting mass economic organizations. They refused to permit the convention to become for a single moment a forum for the discussion of the programs of different political parties and groups. However, they ruled unanimously that Leagues shall not endorse or support candidates of the Democratic, Republican or any other capitalist party. If a League puts up an independent working class candidate he must belong to the League and must put in its hands an undated resignation from the office for which he is running. The delegates are becoming much clearer about the true role of a revolutionary party in a mass organization. One of them expressed a very general sentiment when he said: “We’ll have to come to political action all right, but it will be revolutionary. We’ve got to take over the works.”

4. We name last what actually constituted the dominant note of the recent conventions: Solidarity of the employed and unemployed. The role played by the Leagues in the great Toledo strike and elsewhere is to be the pattern for League activity everywhere and at all times. The Leagues are to be “shock-troops” in strikes. They are, on the other hand, to enlist the support of the unions in their demonstrations. They are, on the other hand, to enlist the support of the unions in their demonstrations. They are to take the initiative in organizing in each locality a Joint Congress of Action in which unions, unemployed leagues, political, fraternal and educational organizations of the working class participate to present a common front against employing interests and the authorities in strike struggles, in defense of political prisoners, in agitation against all fascist tendencies.

The organizational tasks for the immediate future are:

1. To get the dues-paying system organized and thus put the Leagues on a stable financial basis.

2. To put organizers in the field and to set up state organizations especially in those states which have been clamoring for organization.

3. To issue official state and national organs.

4. To cement the unions, unemployed leagues, farmers’ unions, etc., and to set up the Joint Congresses of Action.

5. To organize effectively for the nation-wide demonstration before the local and county relief centers in the fall and the national demonstration in Washington when Congress convenes. As Anthony Ramuglia, president of the N.U.L. stated: “There is a tough winter ahead for the unemployed. We must organize now and be prepared to face all eventualities.”

There are a number of periodicals with the name Labor Action in our history. This Labor Action was a bi-weekly newspaper published in 1933-34 by AJ Muste’s American Workers Party. The AWP grew from the Conference for Progressive Labor Action, founded in 1929, and Labor Action replaced the long-running CPLA magazine, Labor Age. Along with Muste, the AWP had activists and writers James Burnham and Art Preis. When the AWP fused with the Trotskyist Communist League of America in late 1934, their joint paper became The New Militant.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/newspape/laboraction-cpla/v2n15-aug-15-1934-LA-Muste.pdf