Hellraisers Journal: From The One Big Union Monthly: “First of May in Minneapolis” by E. W. Latchem, Part II

BBH Quote re May Day, AtR p2, Apr 27, 1907 ———-

Hellraisers Journal – Thursday June 3, 1920
Minneapolis, Minnesota – May Day-I. W. W. and A. F. L March Together

From The One Big Union Monthly of June 1920:

[Part II of II.]

Some of those in charge attempted to turn the speaking into a “campaign rally” to boost some local aspirants for different political offices and relegate all other speakers to the rear and have the crowd tired out before any genuine working class speakers could get the platform, and they succeeded to a certain extent; but when W. F. Dunne, editor of the Butte Daily Bulletin, managed to get the floor he lost no time in explaining how the Workers’ International Labor Day had been desecrated by those who had no other desire except to get into office, no matter how, and that those who would stoop to misuse Labor’s holiday would need watching.

This parade was handled by the Craft Unions and may be taken as evidence of the state of mind of members of those unions, who are beginning to see the need of a union that will fit in with the needs of present-day society.

The following editorial from the Minneapolis Labor Review, official organ of the Minneapolis Trades and Labor Assembly and Building Trades Council, fits well together with the parades, and the two of them together are additional signs that the I. W. W. has not worked and suffered in vain for the last fifteen years:

“THE CHANGE MUST COME”

The American Federation of Labor is the organization which has brought to the workers of America the benefits which they now have. If it had done nothing else than to have obtained the eight-hour day it must be admitted that this is a long stride ahead from the times workers toiled from sun-up to sun-down.

But changing industrial conditions and changes in the organization of industry make it imperative that the form of organization be changed to make the Federation function most effectively. The annual convention of the Federation will be held in Montreal in June. There is among the rank and file of organized labor an almost universal demand for industrial unionism. It is bound to come, and it ought to come from the next convention. Business is organized into great industries. To emancipate itself labor must be organized industrially instead of by crafts.

Your International will have delegates at this convention. Has your organization sent them a resolution requesting that they stand for industrial unionism? Have you written the International a personal letter? You should do both. Make it so plain to the next Federation convention that the delegates cannot fail to understand the concerted demand for a change in the form of organization. Make it so unanimous that they can not truthfully say that they did not take the action because the rank and file did not want it.

And meanwhile, don’t neglect to explain to the worker near you who may not understand, just why industrial unionism is NECESSARY, AND WHY HE SHOULD ADVOCATE IT.

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[Photographs added from pages 9 and 61. Emphasis added.]