In the past year and a half, there have been a number of struggles that have inspired and strengthened the fighting capacity of the working class. The lessons of class unity, national equality, fearlessness and singlemindedness have been heard far beyond the factory gates of Oneita, Farah, Mead and Norwood or the agricultural fields of the Southwest. While the success of these struggles lies primarily with the workers themselves, they have been aided by strike support work done by communists, other workers, unions and other progressive people. The political and material support have been an important factor to the success of these struggles. As Elizabeth Gurley Flynn said, “Strike support acts as a shield for the working class.” Through strike support work we can popularize the most advanced and strategic struggles of the working class, such as those mentioned above.
Our starting point in building strike support should be amongst the working class, particularly the organized labor movement. Trade unionists have learned from their experiences the importance of unity. But our work shouldn’t be limited to this. Based on our work in the unions we should go among the broader sections of the population, such as students, teachers, and housewives to rally their support for the battles of the working people.
Building strike support can weaken the position of the capitalists and their labor misleaders. They attempt to hide from the rank and file our real strength. Our real strength lies in our unity, organization and numbers, and the fact that we produce all the wealth in the society. Their goal is to keep us ignorant of this and to keep our outlook petty and isolated. They want us to rely on them instead of the masses of workers and oppressed people. Through strike support we can build unity between the organized and the unorganized, the men and the women workers, and especially white and the nationally oppressed workers. Strike support can be a catalyst for uniting the working class and the non-working middle forces.
An important point is the necessity to take up the particular questions of each struggle. For example, the Farah strike is not only a fight against the open shop but also against the oppression of the Chicano and the Mexicano people and the oppression of women. To neglect and liquidate these questions and to treat it as a pure and simple trade union question betrays the real needs of the workers. We should popularize the strength, determination and the objective unity of all struggles against the capitalists. But it is important to concentrate on the most politically important and influential struggles, especially those struggles directed against policies of discrimination.
Two tendencies that block effective strike support work are 1) refusing to work with the trade union leadership and 2) relying on the union leadership and not developing independent contacts, independent mass work and organization. Both of these mistakes hinder the support possible for a struggle. Refusing to work with the leadership, one is left open to getting isolated through the accusation of dividing the strike. But, failing to develop independent contacts, one is left as an appendage of the labor leaders.
It is vital to make a concrete analysis of each situation to determine what policy to adopt and how to carry it out. Experiences with labor leaders vary widely. Sometimes bureaucrats discourage any help except “official” union assistance and other times unions give money to strike support committees to put out propaganda about the struggle.
Labor defense work has had a long and commendable history in the United States. In the Great Flint Strike, women formed a brigade that brought food, clothes and supplies to striking workers who won the right to a union from General Motors. In the famous Gastonia strike of ’29, food brigades were formed all over the country to assist the valiant workers who faced starvation because of the infamous efforts of the textile barons.
And labor defense didn’t stop there! When Tom Mooney and Angelo Herndon were framed for their militant activities, world-wide support was organized to defend them.
Labor defense in the past, as well as today, takes many forms. Committees have been organized in unions all over the country to support the Farm Workers, Farah and the Gulfcoast Pulpwood Association. Community and school committees have been formed to support these battles. Struggles are supported in many different ways through imagination and consistency. Picket lines, demonstrations, car parades, songs, plays, dances and posters are just a few ways in which a battle of a few workers is made into a battle on behalf of workers all across the country.
By paying particular attention to taking up the struggle against policies of white chauvinism and male supremacy, we will build a firm unity that will unite the working class and its allies to stop the fascist attacks on the American people!