Shop Organization for the
Industries of the East

(Editor's remarks: In our October issue we published a chart of Industrial Communism reduced to its simplest form. We there solicited improvements in that simplified chart. That the subject is occupying the minds of more members than one, is evidenced by the fact that lately we have been shown several charts applying to single industries as well as the whole system. Here follows a chart and an article by "A Shovel Stiff," depicting more in detail how he thinks production and distribution should be organized in the period of transition as well as in the new Industrial Communist Society. In an additional chart, which retains the well known wheel feature, "The Shovel Stiff" ranges the various councils and other bodies of industrial administration around the General Administration and at the same time illustrates the interdependence of industries.

We hope the readers will carefully study these charts and the explanations of their author.

The necessity of taking over the management of the industries by the workers is hanging right over us. Every worker must study these problems and devote his most sincere thought to them. If we do not, we will be caught in the trap of ignorance when the terrible crisis arrives and the social revolution is liable to turn into a social cataclysm. For these reasons this subject should be taken up at meetings everywhere without delay and be discussed in earnest.

IF THE WORKERS ARE NOT PREPARED TO OWN AND CONTROL THE INDUSTRIES WHEN THE TIME COMES, SOMEBODY ELSE WILL.

Study, think, organize and get ready!)

The delegate system, as understood at present, may be all right, yes, even successful, amongst workers in lumber and construction camps, or during the harvest on the farms. Such homes are only temporary, ceasing with the job. Generally such fellow workers, after leaving a camp, blow into the city, either to winter, meet friends, or rest up and ship out again on a similar job.

In densely populated industrial centers, where gigantic industries are permanently established employing thousands of workers, the majority of providers for families are tied down to a little two by four called home. Under such circumstances quite different results are obtained. Here we come in contact with the modern machine proletariat, "hands" and numbers with an entirely different mental attitude, produced by an entirely different environment.

The migratory worker, traveling at times great distances between jobs, has to depend on his own initiative in securing food and shelter. This creates in the individual self-confidence and self-reliance, something almost entirely lacking in the modern industrial proletarian, where thousands of workers are crowded together in limited space, each producing only a very small part of the to-be-manufactured article. The nature of mass production creates mass dependence, which in turn produces mass thought, expressing itself, when conditions become intolerable, in mass activity. Spontaneous mass strikes and mass demonstrations by unorganized workers, ready to listen and willing to follow any individual, group of individuals or organization, seemingly able to secure for them desired results immediately.

Here we find the delegate, issuing cards right and left, leaving the new member to himself, without contact with the rest of the local membership, leaving both old and new members in ignorance as to the strength of the local membership. Sometimes traveling members of the G. O. C. of an industrial union not only issue cards but credentials to any Tom, Dick or Harry on whose card the ink is barely dry, members of the G. O. C., drunk with authority, demanding card numbers and names of old time and trusted members, daring to question their integrity. Both delegates and members of G. O. C. produce anything but organization with such tactics.

What is lacking in industrial centers is not delegates, but competent organization and since the last convention has adopted the job or the shop as basis of industrial unionism, I shall find ample opportunity in the following program to outline, not only the work of organizers, but of all present officials of the I. W. W.

An idea, unable to stand criticism is death, therefore I invite criticism.

Institutions such as clearing houses, supply stations and defense committees, are temporary and do not interfere with the following program, neither does the program interfere with them.

Names given the various organs are only used to express the functions of those bodies and don't matter.

There seems to exist more or less confusion pertaining to industrial unionism, that is the combining of men and women for the solving of common problems and the administration of industry. In other words, there is a big difference in the rule over men, by men, and the administration of things. I do not attempt to claim, that my program is perfect, far from it, but I do claim, that if this program is brought to the attention of the membership, that discussion, interchange of opinion, which is bound to follow, may create a program, far superior to the present form of organization.

The I. W. W. is but the tool with which we intend to build the new society. If the tool becomes dull, the tool needs sharpening, if a tool ceases to serve its purpose, such tool will be discarded, in favor of a new one.

(The letters and numbers refer to the accompanying chart.)

General term for job, shop, mill, mine, factory, etc.

The organized workers in a shop elect a shop committee, which should, if possible, consist of at least one worker from each branch, making up the shop unit. For illustration let me use a modern machine shop. Here the committee would be drawn from the various departments, making up the factory unit, blacksmith shop, pattern shop, foundry, both iron and brass, erecting and assembling department, the different departments of machine production, the clerical and technical departments, etc.

The shop committee would assume all administrative functions, that is, they would put into operation, carry out all rules and regulations, pertaining to working conditions, hours, etc.; they would gather data dealing with the productive capacity of the shop; acquaint themselves with the various operations necessary to turn out the finished product, time required for each operation, sources of raw material and amount of raw material needed. They would turn all such data over to the local or district union branch to be filed for future reference. They supervise, instruct, control the shop management (B), consisting of Department foremen, Superintendents, Master Mechanics, Department and Chief Engineers. The personnel of the shop management are either elected by the workers themselves or appointed by the shop committee, with the consent of the shop workers.

All elected, or appointed officials, single members of committees, or committees as a whole, are subject to recall at all times, The legislative power of the workers must supercede at all times the administrative and managing powers of elected or appointed officials.

Wherever one or more members are working in a shop, factory or single department thereof, such member or members should constitute himself or themselves a committee to carry on a systematic distribution of literature (leaving same in clothes lockers or work benches or machines), explaining the general principles of the I. W. W. in relation to the particular industry of which the shop or factory is a part. They should gather data pertaining to the particular factory in which they are employed, dealing with general working conditions, time, piece work, bonus system, rate for piece work, wages for day work, sanitary condition, absence of adequate safety devices, especially if occurring accidents can be traced back to the absence of safety devices, etc.

They should collect names of workers sympathetic to the I. W. W., a simple matter by watching the effect the distributed literature has on the individual worker, and turn both data and names over to the organizer, who in turn can use an such collected data, either in leaflet form or speech for general propaganda amongst the workers of the factory in question.

As soon as two or more shops of the same industry in a locality or district have a nucleus of workers organized, they should at once form the

Local in congested industrial centers (cities) , district in rural territory. District headquarters should be centrally located and within easy reach of all shop branches affiliated. All shop branches would elect one or more delegates, number of delegates to be decided by the workers themselves. Those delegates would become the legislative body for the local or district industry. All grievances and disputes which cannot be settled by the shop organizations, would be brought before the industrial union branch as well as legislation for regulation of production, such as equal distribution of raw material, work and workers in locality and district. These delegates would compile all data coming from the various shop branches and make them accessible to all members of the industry, local and general. They would supervise and co-operate with the work of the organization. They would control the

A technical body, either appointed or elected, always with the consent of the membership of the local or district branch. The function of the industrial board would consist in bringing about general improvement of industry, creating or installing new inventions, standardizing relative machinery or parts thereof, always with the object in view of bringing production to the highest possible efficiency with the least expenditure of human energy. They would improve old or invent and install new devices for the protection of the life, health and limb of the workers. They would give technical instructions through classes, mass meetings and literature to all workers of the industry.

All industrial union branches would elect (either with proportional or equal representation) delegates to the District Council. Such delegates should be nominated by their respective industrial union branch. This would be a simple matter, as the members of the shop branches, working together, could be reached at all times. The district council would assume the "Supreme" legislative function of the district, without interference from any sources outside the district. One member from each industrial union branch elected to the district council would form the

All affairs of the district, general improvement, construction projects, water, light, sanitation, etc., would come before the District Council to be passed upon, and if passed, would be turned over to the District Administration Board for execution. The Administration Board would appoint, with the approval of the district council, the

composed of technical experts from various branches of industry and science. This board would work out and draw all plans on all projects to be carried out. They would act at all times in an advisory capacity to the Administration Board. In case of catastrophes, epidemics, etc., they should have the power to call upon the service of any industrial board or industrial union branch necessary for such emergency, without wasting any time on legislative red tape.

Being organized in such a way we would be able, at all times, in small or in big numbers, to pool our forces for concerted action; and if permitted, without interruption, to perfect such an organization, we could then claim that we are building the structure of the new society within the shell of the old.

To be brutally frank, I have no program for the functioning of industrial unions at this time, unless it is the present secretaries should prepare the ground work for the functioning of the industrial union in the future, collect and compile data, statistical and technical, dealing with the respective industry, and publish same to the advantage of all workers in the industry. Unless it would be that the present members of the various G. O. C. being competent organizers, should be sent to and kept in districts where they are needed, willing to co-operate with and work under instruction of local or district membership.

All local or district union branches of the same industry, would elect one or more (preferably one) delegate for a certain period of time (the period should be short and, if possible, uniform in all industrial unions). This delegation constitutes the industrial union. Only such delegates should be elected who would qualify as organizers, not to gain members for the industrial union,—but to organize industry itself. These delegates should be men and women possessing a general knowledge of their respective industry. Such delegates should keep up between sessions inter-communication between their own district and industrial union branches of all other districts, using as medium a permanent industrial union headquarters (including clerical and technical staff).

The function of the industrial union is administrative, such as the securing of and equal distribution of raw material, the transferring of workers from districts where a surplus exists, to districts where they are needed, the amount of finished product needed for the welfare of society as a whole (society of workers only) and the prompt distribution of such products to territories where required, the doing away with isolated shops, factories, etc., antiquated and no longer productive, the concentration of industry around the sources of raw material, readjustment of transportation, abolishing competitive lines, making use of and improving all the latest means of transportation,—motor trucks, electricity, etc., utilizing for transportation highways, canals, rivers and using of all of the nation's water power for the production of light, heat and power. General research and general improvement of industry and production, always with one object, to do away with the useless expenditure of human energy, and the waste of material and machinery.

The industrial union would appoint the

The greatest experts and specialists of the whole industry, who would work out, direct, and give advice on all technical questions, pertaining to operation, management and improvement of the nation's industries. In order to improve the technical knowledge of all the workers in a given industry, this board should issue a technical magazine, at least once a month, giving itemized reports, figures and illustrations on all latest improvements and inventions. If chemical or medical, the complete formula in the simplest language, thereby making knowledge accessible to all, eliminating the monopoly of knowledge by the few. If industrial communism should come tomorrow, the next generation would require a technical knowledge, which would make exploitation in the future impossible.

Ignorance is the mother of fear and fear is the father of slavery.

This congress would consist of delegates from all district councils and would convene either at regular intervals or whenever conditions required. This congress would pass upon all national, and, through commissions elected or appointed by all national congresses, upon all international questions of general importance. Among such questions would come highways, irrigation projects, draining of swamps, railroads, tunnels, canals, etc., on national and international basis, the international exchange of raw materials and finished products, the supplying of workers and material on construction projects of international scope.

The word "national" is not used in the old sense, but simply to express the idea that, even if all capitalist states, including their artificially produced and at this moment continuously changing geographical boundaries were abolished, so-called culture, customs and economic development nursed for centuries would still remain and could be abolished only by generations yet unborn.

For the election of delegates from district councils, instead of industrial unions, as at present, to the general convention, I advance three reasons: First, to strip the industrial union of all legislative power. Second, the delegates to the district council are under the direct control of the various industrial union branches making up the district council, and the industrial union branch, being the direct representative from the shops, enables the workers of the shop not only to control and keep in constant touch with all activities of the district council, but enables them also to get acquainted with the activities of each individual member of the council, which in turn enables them to choose the best and most active members of the council as their representatives to the general congress. Third: The district council, being made up from representatives of all the industries within the district, enables the members of the district council to gain a general knowledge of all questions, practical and technical, pertaining to the affairs of all industries within the district. The exchange of all their district experiences at general congresses should enable them to solve all problems coming before the congress to the best interest of all.

The G, E. B. would consist of one member from each industrial union, either nominated by the general congress or by the industrial unions themselves. In the latter ease with the consent of the general congress, under whose jurisdiction the G. E. B. at all times remains. Each member is elected by the whole membership of the industry which he represents. The G. E. B. remains in continuous session during the whole term for which they are elected and carry out, execute, put into effect all legislation and instructions enacted by the general congress.

Either the general congress, or the G. E. B. with the approval of the general congress, would appoint one expert for each department, and if necessary, from subdivisions of departments, for instance, in transportation, railroad, navigation, postal and telegraph service, etc., as well as in public service, sanitation, education, etc. The members of this board would become the technical and managing chiefs of staff of all industry, unless the general administration (G. E. B.) would assume this function, thereby making the general technical board unnecessary.

Whatever body assumes this function becomes a substitute for the cabinet of present political states, with the only difference that industrial experts, instead of lawyers and politicians, would hold down the job.

By writing this program I do not claim to have produced something new, but have only attempted, within the power of my limited knowledge, to assist in creating something definite, in the same manner as a group of architects develop and draw plans for a structure to be erected, after all plans have been submitted, discussed and corrected and the final plans worked out in detail. Then the architect, having always the picture of the finished structure in mind, is capable of directing the excavation and the laying of a foundation strong enough to carry the finished structure.

The shop, that is, the factory unit, is the only foundation upon which to build the sound structure of industrial unionism. Even if such factory units should produce commodities, which under our present form of organization may involve more than one industrial union (for instance, the steel trust not only controls the production of steel but owns and controls the mines, both raw material and fuel, the land on which the mines are located, the iron ore docks on the great lakes, the ships carrying the ore, private roads carrying both ore and coal, or carrying liquid metal from one mill to another, during the procc'ss of ste'el production). Some mills produce cement bricks, etc., from their own waste. Or remember the stockyards, who utilize "everything but the squeal of the hog," as it is humorously put. One thing is certain, the shop unit remains.