This edition of the regular bulletin of the I.W.W.’s leading body, the General Executive Board, deals with the confusion and controversy over affiliation with the Communist International and the decision to submit the question to an organization-wide referendum.

‘General Headquarters Bulletin’ from One Big Union Monthly. Vol. 2 No. 12. December, 1920.

Chicago, Ill., Nov. 8, 1920.

A number of protests have arrived at this office against the action of the General Executive Board in submitting the question of affiliation with the Third International for the membership to solve through referendum.

Coupled with these protests, there have also been received, in a couple of instances, protests against the use of our papers for the discussion of political matters. Fellow workers, you must understand that your new G.E.B. has needed time to get into action, that they are not neglecting the supervision of the organization’s press is evidenced by the fact that they found it necessary to discharge the editor of Solidarity on account of the slipshod manner in which the paper had been conducted, which tended to cause confusion in the minds of the readers. As far as the foreign papers are concerned, your G.E.B. cannot, for the part, read the languages in which they are written, and it is impracticable to have translations provided of all the matter intended for the foreign publications. It is the duty of the members understanding those languages to read the papers with vigilance and report to us any deviation, in them, from I.W.W. principles.

With regard to the action of the G.E.B. in referring to the matter of international affiliation to the membership, this matter was thrust upon the Board. As most members know, the previous Board recommended affiliation, and the Convention, by unanimously accepting their report, confirmed it. Later information relating to the conditions of membership in the Third International, made it advisable to consider the matter again. The Board decided that, in a matter of such momentous importance, they could hardly make a decision without consulting the wishes of the entire membership.

International affiliation is by no means a petty matter; it is one of the most vital questions the I.W.W. has to face. Therefore, according to our own procedure, it is right to have the entire membership express itself on the matter. Had the Board acted in the matter without consulting the membership, there would have been storms of protest–one way or the other–which would have far exceeded the protests against the referendum. We do not doubt but that–had the Board itself decided the matter of international affiliation, in either way–the very members who now so violently oppose the referendum, would have been shouting for a more democratic handling of the question.

However, as the protests against the referendum have been coming in, not in very large numbers, but with a certain steadiness which warrants action, the Chairman of the G.E.B. has written to the members of the Board requesting their opinion in the matter. The Board may take action according to the wishes of the membership, properly expressed, declaring it void. But this possibility should not preclude the continuing of the use of the ballot. Especially as, on the same ballot paper, there is an important question of structural change to be voted on.

The G.E.B. has also been criticized for not having followed instructions in issuing a call for an international conference to discuss the formation of an economic industrial international of labor unions. The reason for this is that the project has already been under discussion in Europe and is now actually in process of development. We cannot duplicate work already being done, but must await the results of the present deliberations. This question involves the world-wide labor movement, which takes considerable time to get in connection.

The Nov. 6th issue of Solidarity contains a most interesting document on the foundation of an economic industrial international. The preliminary meeting was attended by a number of delegates, representing labor organizations of Great Britain, Italy and Russia. They are now drawing up a statement of principles, and an appeal to the workers of all lands, affiliated with class-conscious economic organizations, to send delegates to the preliminary organizing congress next January. The I.W.W. will keep in close touch with this effort, and will certainly not spare any effort to secure the foundation of an economic industrial international which will knit together the revolutionary workers’ unions of all lands.

Referendum Ballot Notice

In the amendment to the Constitution, upon which the membership is now voting, and which appears on the same paper as the Third International ballot, there is an error of omission. The amendment reads:

“The General Executive Board shall consist of seven members, one each from the six largest industrial unions.”

No mention is made of the seventh member of the Board. The intention is, however, that the seventh member is selected by the smaller industrial unions. Although mention of this has been omitted, we believe that the membership understands pretty generally that such is the plan.

Rump Meetings

Reference having been made recently to “rump meetings,” several fellow workers have written to the general office inquiring the meaning of the term. Rump meetings are called by an individual, or a group of individuals, members of the organization, without giving ample notice to the entire membership of the branch or locality. The practice of such meetings is very bad, as it enables an individual, or small group, to impose upon the membership. Members of branches should have at least a week’s notice of meetings at which important questions, such as the Third International, is to be acted upon. This will give all members a chance to air their views, and will lessen the possibility of mistakes.

Delegates and Organizers, Attention!

Owing to an error in printing the following notice in Solidarity, the word “right” was used instead of the word “left” in referring to the new credentials. The notice, therefore, should read as follows:

To All Delegates and Organizers!

You will find on the new credentials your serial letter in the upper left-hand corner. Always put the letter and number together in signing your report cancelling stamps, etc., thus: Del. G-224; Del. A-23; Del. J-1243.

To avoid confusion on the part of the delegates, the industrial union secretaries should write the serial letter beside the number on the credential when issuing to delegates.

Important

The G.E.B. at their last session decided to register with General Headquarters all I.W.W. labels that are being used.

All parties using I.W.W. labels should notify General Headquarters. Then we will send a number to be placed alongside the label.

The reason for the above is that there are several outfits using the I.W.W. label, from time to time, that have not been authorized to do so, and who misrepresent the I.W.W. in their periodicals.

As the big industrial union debts have been adjusted, it now becomes necessary to send in monthly reports to General Headquarters; and that debts be paid promptly, based on the dues and the initiations taken in during the month.

GEO. HARDY, Gen. Sec’y-Treas. ROY BROWN, Chairman G.E.B.

One Big Union Monthly was a magazine published in Chicago by the General Executive Board of the Industrial Workers of the World from 1919 until 1938, with a break from February, 1921 until September, 1926 when Industrial Pioneer was produced. OBU was a large format, magazine publication with heavy use of images, cartoons and photos. OBU carried news, analysis, poetry, and art as well as I.W.W. local and national reports. OBU was also Mary E. Marcy’s writing platform after the suppression of International Socialist Review., she had joined the I.W.W. in 1918.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/one-big-union-monthly/v02n12-dec-1920_One%20Big%20Union.pdf