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SATURDAY, OCT. 23rd, 1920. THE TOILER PAGE 5. whether they pay the money in the form of wages or of an unemployment fund. Pres. Hillman gave the whole thing away when before the Board of Arbitration at Baltimore he said, "If you don't give us an unemployment fund we shall have to ask for higher wages." The class-conscious worker looks with con tempt on an unemployment fund that comes from the bosses. First because it doesn't come from the bosses but from the sweat and blood of the workers and second because he does not wish to enter into any partnership with his enemies. If there is to be an unemployment fund let it come direct from the workers. To solve the unemployment problem, as far as it can be solved under the present capitalist system, by demanding week work from the bosses instead of the slavish speed-up system of piece work is too revolutionary a step for the socialist leaders. That would endanger the organization (they mean their jobs) because it would mean a big strike. But week work is the only thing that in any way can solve the problem of the un employed. In the last two years or so the piece work system with overtime created a super-abundance of suits and that is one of the reasons why we have such terrible unemployment. The capitalists cried "Production, production" and the union lead ers echoed "Production production" and as a result we are going around idle. Cooperative Schemes To Fool Workers. The second thing the leaders did to quiet the rising discontent is to enter the cooperative move ment. A discussion of the cooperative movement in relation to the unions would take too much time but the idea, as Hillman expressed it, that the cooperative banks and factories would help win strikes is ridiculous. The workers win strikes by struggle and by showing a spirit of solidarity. All the cooperatives will do will be to add some more job-holders to the present business-agents and other officials. Thus by these policies do the "leaders" try to blind the eyes of the workers. Instead of develop ing a revolutionary class-conscious spirit they de velop a peddler's spirit of reformism. It is up to the class-conscious workers to agitate in the shops and factories, form shop committees and workers' cuouncils and in that way wrest the power from the union politicians and place the union on a real class-conscious revolutionary basis. The Triple Alliance The effort of the striking yardmen at Philadelphia to effect a combination with the anthracite miners and the transport workers is more important than a dozen conferences between national officials of these three organ izations would be. We regard this beginning as highly significant for the reason that it starts from the rank and file. The new struc ture of militant unionism must be built from the bottom up, through action of the workers themselves. It must Ikj a movement depending on the iniative of the workers, responsive to their will at all times. The beginning of the movement for an American Triple Alliance could not be mado under more favorable auspices. What better assurance of its vitality and integrity could be wanted than the simple fact that it is initiated by striking workers who are brought face to fact with the necessity of expanding their organization and multiplying their power in order to cope with the ever growing power of their enemies, the capitalists? These valiant switchmen of Philadelphia have sot an example that might well be follow ed in all parts of the country. Without waiting for long parley, between officials, or endless discussion of ways and means and conditions of federation, they have gone directly to other bodies of workers with their simple proposal to unite for common action. It is worth while to note also that their manifesto, printed in this issue, says nothing about a triple alliance at the ballot box to elect some of "labor's friends" to office. They want an alliance for industrial action. This is more evidence of their good sense. Local unions of miners, railroadmen anil transport workers ought to take up this idea without delay. They way to do it is to follow the lead of the Philadelphia yardmen. They went directly with their propositions to the nearest local union of the other workers they could find. Tf other localities will do the same thing, the movement will quickly find a way to federate itself. Don't wait for Moses. Go and do it yourselves.