"Fellow Workers of the White Goods Industry!"

1919 Leaflets and hand bill directed to NYC "white goods" garment workers by "The Workers Council of the White Goods Industry".

Submitted by syndicalist on July 31, 2016

The Workers' Council of the United States was not, as many Libcom readers would think, a councilist organization within the German and Dutch counciist tradition.

The Workers Councils of the Cloak and Suit Industry was part of a left wing effort by members of the fracturing Socialist Party of America. Council members of this left wing grouping seem to have been active in the exiting ladies garment workers union (ILGWU-AFL).

In the Spring of 1921a national effort was made at organization building.Briefly, "The Workers' Council of the United States was a short-lived independent organization which emerged from the Socialist Party of America after its 1921 National Convention held at Detroit. The group was comprised of the members of the SP faction known as "The Committee for the Third International"... Also forming a part of this small group were a host of individuals who played a significant role in the Jewish Socialist Federation..."
http://www.marxisthistory.org/subject/usa/eam/workerscouncil.html

White goods workers worked on goods made from white cloth and primarily used in the home.

The demands of this section of the Workers Councils were also the same as other left elements within the needle trades, including anarchists. The anarchists split with the bolshevik marxists of the WC and the Trade Union Educational League when it became clear that the goal of workers control and shop delegates meant something very different to each.

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Comments

syndicalist

8 years 3 months ago

In reply to by libcom.org

Submitted by syndicalist on July 31, 2016

I posted this as I thought this might be of interest. Some time ago there was a brief discussion of the "Workers' Council of America" on Libcom.